June 27, 2017
Flowmon is a long-standing pioneer in delivering monitoring and security tools for high-speed networks. It has formed a technology alliance with Garland Technology in June 2016. “Flowmon’s partnership with Garland reflects our shared, long-term commitment to enhancing network management and helping businesses to ensure high availability of their applications and services,” says Jiri Tobola, VP of Sales and Alliances at Flowmon Networks.
Thanks to the close cooperation, both parties have introduced a joint end-to-end solution for the management and security of high-speed, 100G networks. “We really appreciate Garland's focus and deep expertise in tapping and packet broker technologies for 100G environment. 10G technology can’t meet the future bandwidth demand, thus, 100G networks are the next step,” adds Jiri Tobola.
Garland ensures feeding the Flowmon solution with constant, accurate data for analysis from all across the network. Thanks to that, Flowmon’s engine is able to execute real-time analytics in order to help administrators to deal with operational and security issues.
Garland has recently introduced a new product line of 100G purpose built packet brokers and 10G/40G/100G passive fiber TAPs to create an end-to-end visibility solution. “Our investment in 100G technologies – for both the access and distribution layers is customer driven. As networks are transitioning from 10G to 40G and 100G speeds, monitoring technologies such as Flowmon’s NetFlow/IPFIX need high performance, reliable solutions that are scalable to the changing network speeds,” says Chris Bihary, CEO/Co-Founder at Garland Technology.
Creating a foundation of visibility at the physical layer is Garland Technology’s core focus. From their 1G/10G/40G/100G network TAPs that ensure 100% packet capture for monitoring, performance and analysis tools at the access layer’s as well as filtering, aggregating and load balancing the packets to the distribution and core network layers with Garland’s new efficient and cost effective purpose built packet brokers.
About Flowmon Networks
Flowmon Networks empowers businesses to manage and secure their network infrastructure confidently. Through our high performance monitoring technology and lean-forward behavior analytics, IT pros worldwide benefit from absolute network traffic visibility to enhance network & application performance and deal with modern cyber threats. Recognized by Gartner, we are leading the way of NetFlow/IPFIX network monitoring that is high performing, scalable and easy to use. Enterprises, internet service providers, government entities or even small and midsize companies rely on our solutions to take control over their networks, keep order and overcome uncertainty.
About Garland Technology
Garland Technology guarantees precise data monitoring capabilities with a full line of network test access points (TAPs) including: network TAPs that support breakout, aggregation, regeneration and bypass modes; packet brokering, load balancing and filtering products; all available in portable, 1U or 2U chassis systems. Garland network TAPs support all networks, including copper wire in 10/100M, 10/100/1000M and fiber in 1G, 10G, 40G, 100G.
Garland‘s network access products provide the best solution for any monitoring or security appliance - allowing you to see every bit, byte and packet®. For more information, visit http://www.garlandtechnology.com. Follow on Twitter @GarlandTech.
If the inline security tool goes off-line, the TAP will bypass the tool and automatically keep the link flowing. The Bypass TAP does this by sending heartbeat packets to the inline security tool. As long as the inline security tool is on-line, the heartbeat packets will be returned to the TAP, and the link traffic will continue to flow through the inline security tool.
If the heartbeat packets are not returned to the TAP (indicating that the inline security tool has gone off-line), the TAP will automatically 'bypass' the inline security tool and keep the link traffic flowing. The TAP also removes the heartbeat packets before sending the network traffic back onto the critical link.
While the TAP is in bypass mode, it continues to send heartbeat packets out to the inline security tool so that once the tool is back on-line, it will begin returning the heartbeat packets back to the TAP indicating that the tool is ready to go back to work. The TAP will then direct the network traffic back through the inline security tool along with the heartbeat packets placing the tool back inline.
Some of you may have noticed a flaw in the logic behind this solution! You say, “What if the TAP should fail because it is also in-line? Then the link will also fail!” The TAP would now be considered a point of failure. That is a good catch – but in our blog on Bypass vs. Failsafe, I explained that if a TAP were to fail or lose power, it must provide failsafe protection to the link it is attached to. So our network TAP will go into Failsafe mode keeping the link flowing.
Single point of failure: a risk to an IT network if one part of the system brings down a larger part of the entire system.
Heartbeat packet: a soft detection technology that monitors the health of inline appliances. Read the heartbeat packet blog here.
Critical link: the connection between two or more network devices or appliances that if the connection fails then the network is disrupted.