New Software Reports on Network Delay Points

Australian-based network equipment manufacturer Exinda Networks is aiming to take the mystery out of application acceleration (AA) technology with the release of new software that can measure network performance down to the millisecond.

The software, Application Response Measurement (ARM), measures system performance at the application layer and determines whether delays exist in the network or in the server. It has been developed in conjunction with Exinda’s own AA software.

When the software was used together during beta testing by more than 20 companies with up to 2,000 users, the ARM software recorded performance improvements of up to 60 times the previous average real-time rates of response, according to the company.

Con Nikolouzakis, Exinda founder and executive director, said application acceleration technology is virtually useless without ARM to accurately gauge its results. Other performance-management software available relies on subjective assessments from clients who have no way of knowing if their system was faster as a result of AA technology, he said.

“Usually the best you can get is that we’ve reduced the amount of data on our wide area network by X percent, or increased throughput by Y percent—which in theory allows you to put more over your existing infrastructure,” he said.

“This addresses the network manager’s right-sizing and capacity planning requirements. Unfortunately it doesn’t address the fundamental business needs to monitor and manage user experience and productivity.”

Nikolouzakis said the uses for the application were varied.

For example, Exinda ARM will report if the delay for Citrix Systems applications is due to the server, the network latency, the network applications or simply Citrix Printing. The necessary steps can then be taken within the Exinda appliance to address the issues if applicable or spend more money in the “right” space.

“So often people upgrade bandwidth, install more servers or install load balances with zero net effect on the performance at the user end,” he said.

ARM comes bundled at no extra charge with Exinda’s AA software and is also available as a free update to all Exinda customers with a current software maintenance contract for the 4×00 and 6×00 product lines.

-Dahna McConnachie, Computerworld Today (Australia)

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