Network Instruments introduced the new, smaller GigaStor Upgradeable 2U form factor.

It is a field-upgradeable retrospective analysis appliance designed to provide affordable, robust gigabit and 10 Gb analysis for enterprise network teams migrating to higher speeds at their network edge.

The new appliance also provides a cost-effective solution for midmarket companies needing high-speed performance validation in the datacenter core. It is a scalable monitoring investment that can be expanded from 2 TB – 16 TB in the field, saving time and providing greater monitoring flexibility in a single appliance.

"Datacenter consolidation and virtualization initiatives, along with bandwidth-intensive UC and video applications, are driving organizations to implement 10 Gb across their entire backbone," said Jim Frey, managing research director of Enterprise Management Associates (EMA). "Unfortunately, network teams are often stuck with legacy gigabit-rated monitoring tools incapable of handling the increased traffic volume, or face unacceptably high costs for upgrading tooling to support 10 Gb. New configurations that allow IT teams to make that shift gradually and more cost effectively, such as the GigaStor Upgradeable line from Network Instruments, are both essential and long overdue."

Features ensuring availability for monitoring heavy traffic loads include the Gen2 card, exclusively engineered by Network Instruments to maximize performance on critical links; plus hot-swappable drives, Lights Out Management (LOM), and redundant fans and power supplies.

In addition, software functions that streamline the management of high-performance environments include real-time aggregated monitoring with core-to-edge network views, logical workflows for fast troubleshooting, in-depth application transaction details, and extensive gigabit and 10 Gb analysis and metrics to assess activity and utilization.

"We have continually been a performance monitoring innovator, providing the fastest, most flexible solutions for service delivery management within the world's largest datacenters," said Charles Thompson, director of product strategy for Network Instruments. "We've developed the first platform capable of monitoring saturated full-duplex 10 Gb links at line rate, without dropping a packet. And we're the only company to offer field-scalable retrospective analysis appliances with a product robust enough to handle large datacenter demand – but small enough for deployment at the edge or within a medium-sized enterprise."