Napatech boosts network monitoring

The need to monitor networks is increasing

Napatech, a supplier of multi-port Ethernet network adapters, has announced new kit that can provide visibility into tunnels for network monitoring and analysis on data flows of up to 10Gbit/s.

The company said that as more services move to 1Gbit/s or 10Gbit/s IP and the volume of mobile data coming through servers continues to rise, the need to monitor and analyse networks and traffic is increasing too.

Dan Joe Barry, vice president of marketing, said the new NT20E In-line network adapters help offload the increasing amount of data coming through to servers for analysis, particularly value-added services running over IP, such as VoIP, VPN and mobile data.

"It also allows for far better data analysis as data can be viewed in real time, either as individual packets or as data flows, and takes pressure off the servers, on which the analytical software is running," he added.

Barry noted that because the adapters provide the ability to offload the processing of data as it arrives from servers they can ensure the analytical software can run smoothly.

"With data coming in at speeds of 10Gbit/s, each packet requires processing every 67 nanoseconds. This can take up to 60-70 per cent of a server's capabilities and drastically slow down their ability to carry out other processes," he said.

"By offloading this processing to the new network adapters we can also offer far better application acceleration as well as analysis capabilities."

The new adapters also have the capability to filter data as it comes in and although this is something that has always been possible, Barry noted that with the new intelligence the adapters offer the data that can be filtered can provide better analysis.

The adapters recognise layer 2 through 4 protocols including SCTP, GTP and GRE tunnelling protocols, as well as a number of encapsulation methods, such as VLANs, multiple MPLS labels and Cisco ISL.