Solutions for Web Services

Web services technology is emerging on the corporate WAN and IT groups are challenged with ensuring business application performance when network traffic is hard to distinguish. Web services employed by ERP applications can share the same protocol and port number as casual Web browsing. To the untrained eye or unsophisticated device, all of this traffic looks the same. Enterprises must be able to uniquely identify and control Web services performance in order to manage and maintain application performance. Packeteer's Web Services Workbench can quickly and easily classify Web services traffic. The Workbench identifies the HTTP traffic and sub-classifies the SOAP traffic within the HTTP traffic. A Web service profile is developed and a new class is created so that each Web service can be uniquely controlled to ensure optimal application performance. New inbound and outbound SOAP-HTTP service classes appear in the traffic tree based on the Web service's SOAP address. Simply identifying Web traffic by the HTTP protocol or port number is not sufficient and no other offering available today provides this capability. The Web Services Workbench and auto-classifications keep Packeteer customers proactively in control by enabling them to address the new WAN applications introduced everyday.
Solutions for Citrix

Packeteer's application traffic system ensures predictable, efficient performance for applications running over Citrix MetaFrame and Citrix MetaFrame XP using Citrix's ICA (Independent Computing Architecture) technology. Here are some of the ways that the Packeteer system monitors, controls, and protects your Citrix environment:

• Automatically classifies all applications through Layer 7, including those running over Citrix
• Differentiates Citrix traffic based on ICA published applications, ICA print, NFuse, IMA traffic, Virtual Channel Priority Tagging, client name, UDP server browser, and VideoFrame
• Analyzes Citrix link utilization, response times, server performance, etc.
• Controls and protects mission-critical applications through policy-based bandwidth management
• Extensive reporting validates bandwidth management strategies
• Enhances business productivity

Solutions for ERP

Mission-critical ERP applications like SAP and Oracle can lose the bandwidth battle to less urgent traffic such as casual web surfing, large email attachments, and file transfers. Packeteer's application traffic management system automatically distinguishes applications running on the network - both business and non-business in nature. This includes ERP traffic. The Packeteer system identifies ERP traffic running in a Citrix server-based environment or as an independent fat client. It measures response times, tracks performance against service-level goals, and generates reports to validate performance.

The Packeteer system administers control policies to enforce explicit bandwidth-allocation strategies for each traffic type. Depending on each application's relative business importance, Packeteer's policy management can protect traffic, contain it, prevent large sessions from unfairly impacting others, and pace all traffic for optimum efficiency.

In the case of ERP traffic, policy management ensures that bandwidth is always available to support business operations and other important priorities. For example, protect SAP by granting it first access to defined amounts of bandwidth and high-priority access to excess bandwidth. At the same time, contain bandwidth-intensive traffic like FTP, email, and print jobs. Minimize or eliminate non-business traffic like Web browsing, music and movie downloads, and Internet radio.

Solutions for TN3270 Applications

Packeteer's systems protect session-oriented TN3270 traffic bydifferentiating it from other traffic and ensuring that its small but latency-sensitive flows get the bandwidth they need. With Packeteer, TN3270 applications enjoy SNA class-of-service without the cost of dedicated SNA lines, duplicate network infrastructure, or additional PVCs.

TN3270 is one of several solutions enabling organizations to access SNA-based applications and data using an IP-based user environment. But IP networks impose consequences:

• Legacy applications using TN3270 perform poorly due to uncontrolled IP traffic
• Slow TN3270 performance is a barrier to SNA/IP convergence
• Interactive TN3270 sessions stall while large TN3287 print jobs are serviced

The PacketShaper Solution for TN3270 Applications

PacketShaper distinguishes hundreds of types of network traffic-including TN3270 sessions and TN3287 print jobs.

Policies enforce explicit bandwidth-allocation strategies that are appropriate for each traffic type. These policies can protect traffic, contain it, prevent large sessions from unfairly impacting others, and pace all traffic for optimum efficiency. You can protect TN3270 sessions, pace file transfers and print jobs, cap casual web browsing, games, and music downloads, and enable business-critical applications.

In addition to identifying and protecting TN3270 traffic, PacketShaper measures TN3270 response times, allow you to set TN3270 service levels, track actual performance against service-level goals, and generate performance-related reports.

Solutions for TN5250 Applications

Packeteer's systems protect session-oriented TN5250 traffic by differentiating it from other traffic and ensuring that its small but latency-sensitive flows get the bandwidth they need. With Packeteer, TN5250 applications enjoy SNA class-of-service without the cost of dedicated SNA lines, duplicate network infrastructure, or additional PVCs.

Obstacles

TN5250 is one of several solutions enabling organizations to access SNA-based applications and data using an IP-based user environment.But IP networks impose consequences:

• Applications using TN5250 to AS/400s perform poorly due to uncontrolled IP traffic
• Slow TN5250 performance is a barrier to SNA/IP convergence
• Interactive TN5250 sessions stall while large TN5250p print jobs are serviced

The PacketShaper Solution for TN5250 Applications

PacketShaper distinguishes hundreds of types of network traffic-including TN5250 sessions and TN5250p print jobs.

Policies enforce explicit bandwidth-allocation strategies that are appropriate for each traffic type. These policies can protect traffic, contain it, prevent large sessions from unfairly impacting others, and pace all traffic for optimum efficiency. You can protect TN5250 sessions, pace file transfers and print jobs, cap casual web browsing, games, and music downloads, and enable business-critical applications.

In addition to identifying and protecting TN5250 traffic, PacketShaper measures TN5250 response times, allow you to set TN5250 service levels, track actual performance against service-level goals, and generate performance-related reports.
Solutions for Web-Enabled Host Access

Packeteer's system protect web-enabled host-access traffic, ensuring that its interactive, latency-sensitive flows get the bandwidth they need. With Packeteer, legacy applications enjoy the convenience of web access with SNA class-of-service.

Obstacles

Many companies extend the life of legacy applications and data on mainframes and AS400s with web-enabled access. However, inconsistent and sluggish application response undermines employees' productivity and enthusiasm for browser-based interfaces. Web-enabled host access loses the bandwidth battle to less urgent traffic such as web surfing, large email attachments, and file transfers.

• Web access to legacy applications suffers erratic response
• Unpredictable performance is a barrier to SNA/IP convergence
• Bursty IP traffic and web browsing buries web-enabled host-access traffic.

The PacketShaper Solution for Web-enabled Host Access

PacketShaper automatically identifies hundreds of types of network traffic-including host-access sessions using HTTP protocols.

Policies enforce explicit bandwidth-allocation strategies that are appropriate for each traffic type. These policies can protect traffic, contain it, prevent large sessions from unfairly impacting others, and pace all traffic for optimum efficiency. For web-enabled host access, you can protect host access sessions, pace file transfers and print jobs, cap casual web browsing, games, and music downloads, and enable business-critical applications.

In addition to identifying and protecting host-access traffic, PacketShaper measures its response times, allow you to set host-access service levels, track actual performance against service-level goals, and generate performance-related reports. For example, you could set a response-time goal of 1.5 seconds for host-access transactions and assess whether policy strategy made that goal a reality.