Foundry Networks' JetScope promises to help service providers monitor, control, and account for network traffic without impacting network performance by combining purpose built hardware with software.

by Wayne Kawamoto [May 28, 2002]

Foundry Networks, a provider of switching, routing, and Layer 4-7 traffic management solutions, announced the introduction of JetScope, a total network monitoring and accounting solution for service providers and enterprises.

The company says that JetScope is a technology achievement that combines, for the first time, hardware and software functionality that gives network managers a comprehensive view of network and application traffic in all ports simultaneously with no significant impact to overall networking performance and without the need of expensive probes. Using the knowledge gained from this insight, network operators should be able to reduce their total networking costs of ownership through proactive network planning, detailed traffic analysis and reporting, security policy enforcement, and network troubleshooting.

According to the company, today's high-speed hardware-based switching and routing technologies have increased network performance, but made it harder for network administrators to view complete and detailed end-to-end traffic flows, due to the migration from shared to switched networking infrastructures. As a result, network management, monitoring, and troubleshooting have become tedious and cumbersome because network administrators are forced to use expensive technologies, such as port mirroring associated with RMON probes and packet sniffers, or tools that are inadequate to keep up with the aggregate network performance and increased density of high-speed network devices. The company says that these tools cannot provide a complete view of the network, negatively impact network performance, and are expensive.

Foundry's JetScope solution is designed to overcome such shortcomings because of its hardware-based traffic analysis capabilities, standard-based traffic collection implementation and user interface design.

The JetScope solution consists of three primary components:

• Foundry's 3rd Generation JetCore ASIC, which delivers wire-speed performance along with Layer 2-7 packet analysis and SNMP counters.
  
  
• sFlow, an open IETF standard (RFC3176) that monitors and collects traffic in switched and routed networks.
  
  
• Foundry's IronView Network Manager (INM) Release 1.5, a Java-based network management application that performs both sFlow and SNMP data collection and presentation.

"With the JetScope solution, Foundry has again set the high-water mark for networking infrastructures and technologies, delivering unprecedented network traffic visibility to network managers," said Bobby Johnson, president and CEO of Foundry Networks. "Foundry has simplified, enhanced, and optimized network traffic monitoring by building the networking analysis capabilities directly inside the JetCore ASIC chipset, which provides a virtually complete, seamless, and integrated view of what's going on inside enterprise and service provider networks."

"Existing traffic monitoring and network flow export technologies lack the ability to deliver complete network monitoring and accounting solutions, while maintaining wire-speed switching and routing performance," said Jason Traeden, network engineer at University of Utah Hospital. "Foundry's JetCore ASIC, with the sFlow technology, enables us to monitor Layer 2 up to Layer 7 network traffic flows within our wiring closet, our network backbone, and our data center, ensuring total control of the network and the services we provide within UUH."

Pricing and availability
The JetScope solution is available in all Foundry JetCore-based products including FastIron 400, 800, 1500, BigIron JetCore modules, and NetIron MetroLink JetCore management and interface modules.

JetScope is also available on the FastIron FWS4802 wiring closet switch and BigIron chassis configured with the Velocity management module.

The IronView Network Manager release 1.5 including a sFlow/RMON collection application is available now for $4,995 US List and as a free upgrade to existing customers holding a valid IronView support contract.

All products are shipping and available today from Foundry Networks.

A real-time demonstration of JetScope is available on the web here. Click on the link labeled, "Experience the JetScope Virtual Tour."

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