Stories by David Newman

Fast-forwarding firewall faceoff

Next-generation firewalls claim to identify application-layer attacks and enforce application-specific policies while delivering top-notch performance, even with advanced security features turned on.

How we tested the next-generation firewalls

We assessed performance using three sets of tests, covering forwarding rates with mixed HTTP content; rates with static HTTP content, and TCP connection behavior. Two pairs of Spirent Avalanche 3100 GT traffic generator/analyzers, each equipped with two 10G Ethernet interfaces, served as the primary test tool. We connected all devices using an Arista Networks 7124S 10-gigabit Ethernet top-of-rack switch.

Scaling Up With SonicWALL's Supermassive

SonicWALL's initial response to results of our SSL decryption tests was "you've got to be kidding - we go way faster than that." Indeed, the vendor's internal tests showed the Supermassive decrypting SSL traffic at rates well into the gigabit range, compared with less than 100Mbps in some of our tests.

How we tested Arista's DCS-7508 switch

We assessed the Arista DCS-7508 with tests of performance and power consumption. The performance tests used the Spirent TestCenter test instrument to measure layer-2 and layer-3 unicast throughput and latency; layer-2 and layer-3 multicast throughput and latency; OSPF equal cost multipath (ECMP); N+1 fabric failover; buffering capacity; OSPF routing capacity; and multi-chassis link aggregation (MLAG). All tests used version 4.8.4 of Arista's EOS software and Version 3.95 of Spirent TestCenter software.

Arista 10G switch: Fast and flexible

Packing 384 10G Ethernet ports into an 11-rack-unit form factor is only the beginning for Arista Networks' DCS-7508 data center core switch.

5 steps to high-speed Ethernet

If you're considering the move to 40/100gigabit Ethernet, here are five things to keep in mind:

High-speed Ethernet planning guide

Ten-gigabit Ethernet was so last year.

Force10 S4810 data center switch

High port density, high throughput, and very low latency are bedrock requirements in the data center, and Force10's new S4810 top-of-rack switch delivers on all three counts.

NASs for the masses

Either because server disks are full or because virtualization is a natural growth path, organizations large and small are moving toward shared storage. For large enterprises, high-capacity storage-area networks make sense, but what about small or mid-sized enterprises new to shared storage?

3Com S7906E

3Com says it has an alternative for network managers considering high-end switches from Cisco and others.

Cisco ASR 1000 router

With enterprises looking to consolidate data centers and devices, Cisco's new ASR 1000 series router offers a compelling message: Do more with less.

Cisco Nexus 7000 aims for data center dominance

Building a big data center and looking for a switch to match? How do 256 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports and nearly 1.7 terabits of capacity sound?

Juniper switch proves to be credible choice

Cisco take note: Juniper's new EX 4200 switch not only fills a hole in a leading competitor's product line, but also represents a credible alternative for enterprise access switching.

Unified communications: Is your network ready?

Here are five questions for enterprise network managers to bear in mind when considering UC deployment:

Still early in the game for unified communications

Unified communications offers the potential for anywhere, anytime connectivity between employees and the enterprise. But as the InteropLabs hotstage team found in piecing together more than a dozen commercial and open-source voice, data and messaging platforms, the technology is still at a relatively early stage, and today represents more promise than practice.