NETSCOUT Unveils Its Vision to Address IT's Toughest Challenge: Managing the Modern IP Network

14 Apr 2008
Three-Tiered Vision of the Future of Integrated Service Management is Built Upon Packet-Flow Technology
WESTFORD, Mass., Apr 14, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- NetScout Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTCT), the industry leader in advanced network and application performance management, today announced the company's strategic vision for managing the Modern IP Network. This vision is predicated upon the enterprise's need to deliver a consistent end-user experience and reliable application service as it builds out the increasingly complex and mission-critical Modern IP Network.

What is the Modern IP Network and Why Is It a Management Challenge?

Huge investments into faster servers, better protocols, high-speed backbones, and virtualized services have turned yesterday's low-speed, data-only networks into information technology platforms for 21st century business. These Modern IP Networks are ready to support a bevy of services--from Voice over IP to ultra-time-sensitive customer-facing applications. To realize the full potential of the Modern IP Network, IT organizations must effectively monitor and manage the complex interactions and performance of resource-contending application traffic on a virtualized network.

Today's network monitoring tools try to assess the health of applications and services from incomplete viewpoints, such as the infrastructure elements (e.g. switches, routers) or snapshots of end-user experience. In so doing, they miss out on an increasingly complex and vital base of information -- the dynamic interactions between elements and the highly variable flow of services between them. As a result, the IT team rarely knows where problems exist early enough to prevent end-user impact.

The Answer: NetScout's nGenius Solution

The dynamic interactions between elements can only be fully exposed by Packet-Flow technology. Packet-Flow evidence is based on deep and direct inspection of network packets; it is not simulated, sampled, or affected by data reduction. NetScout's nGenius(R) Solution calculates flow data from the monitored packet streams, and further rolls it up into early indicators in the form of high-level KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) which are used for proactive early warning alarms of pending service delivery issues.

The big payoff comes in the way that NetScout enables a highly efficient top-down workflow called "KPI-to-Flow-to-Packet." Starting with high-level indicators of issues, the user can drill down as deeply as needed to rapidly manage and troubleshoot network and application performance-- all the way to the full packet sequences when dealing with the toughest performance problems. This combination of deep, definitive data plus a powerful and efficient workflow is enabling NetScout customers to dramatically reduce Mean Time to Repair/Restore (MTTR).

NetScout advocates that organizations apply Packet-Flow technology as they build out Modern IP Networks and address performance management in the way that best meets their current focus, needs and level of organizational and process maturity. The November 2007 acquisition of Network General was a milestone in enabling the company to complete the solution to answer the demands of the Modern IP Network:

-- Incident Management (a.k.a. Reactive Management) is the most basic level of the maturity model, focused on reactive troubleshooting - typically the problem is reported by an end user, and IT needs a fast, efficient, effective way to definitively diagnose the source of the performance degradation.

NetScout Solutions for Incident Management: NetScout's nGenius(R) InfiniStream(TM), combined with our industry-leading Sniffer(R) Intelligence expert analysis applications, delivers fast, definitive troubleshooting capabilities.

-- Problem Management (a.k.a. Proactive Management) is a more systemic approach that focuses on broader views of activities and reduction of incidents by recognizing and addressing potential problems through enhanced visibility and forecasting/planning. This depends on broader instrumentation of the networked infrastructure for improved system-wide clarity.

NetScout Solutions for Problem Management: NetScout's nGenius Performance Manager, drawing real-time performance data from nGenius InfiniStreams and nGenius Probes, delivers powerful flow-based views into all application and service activity across distributed service delivery infrastructures for fast problem isolation and reality-based planning.

-- Performance Management (a.k.a. Service-Aware Management) is the highest level of attainment in the maturity model. In this phase, performance issues are tracked and understood in terms of their specific business impact as reflected by the health of the network-delivered applications and services. The focus at this level goes beyond proactive to preventative - where incidents are wholly avoided via intelligent early warnings and better performance planning throughout the lifecycle of an application or service (including pre-deployment performance assessment and optimization).

NetScout Solutions for Performance Management: NetScout's newly announced nGenius K2 (see related release issued today, "NetScout Scales to New Heights in Application Performance Management with Release of nGenius K2") provides intelligent early warnings of pending service quality issues as well as an application service-oriented dashboard for rapid problem recognition and focus.

"In Modern IP Networks, even micro events can have macro consequences," said Anil Singhal, President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of NetScout Systems. "To deliver consistent end-user experience and reliable application service, the industry urgently needs integrated service management solutions that allow IT operators to quickly and confidently find the needle in the haystack. From the Network General acquisition to the introduction of nGenius K2, NetScout has assembled the very best technology for each phase of the journey and is now in a position to truly lead the market."

About NetScout Systems

NetScout Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTCT) has been an industry leader in advanced network and service assurance solutions for over twenty years. NetScout's breakthrough technology solutions provide trusted, comprehensive real-time and historical performance intelligence, including advanced early warnings and rapid, definitive problem analysis. These capabilities are vital to IT operators who are accountable for reducing the Mean Time to Resolution. The world's largest enterprises, government agencies, and service providers depend upon NetScout's nGenius and Sniffer (formerly Network General) brands to assure service levels to their users by reducing or preventing disruptions and degradations. More information about NetScout is available at http://www.netscout.com.

NetScout, the NetScout logo, Network General, the Network General logo, nGenius and Sniffer are trademarks or registered trademarks of NetScout Systems, Inc. Other brands, product names and trademarks are property of their respective owners. NetScout reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to make changes at any time in its technical information and specifications, and service and support programs.

SOURCE: NetScout Systems, Inc.

NetScout Systems, Inc.
Christine Johansen, 978-614-4113
Manager, Public Relations
johansenc@netscout.com
or
Davies Murphy Group, Inc.
Rob Morton, 781-418-2460
netscout@daviesmurphy.com