Riverbed Accelerates RiOS WAN Optimization

Riverbed Technology (RVBD) announced new features and capabilities to its Riverbed Optimization System (RiOS) that broaden the company's support for key enterprise applications.

RiOS 7

New features and optimizations included in the version 7.0 release include native support for HTTP video, User Datagram Protocol (UDP), and IPv6, as well as an extension to its existing optimizations for virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI). Riverbed has also has extended on-demand packet capture and analysis of its Steelhead appliance in RiOS 7.0 through integration with Cascade Shark functionality.

"Riverbed is a market leader because its product development is driven by customer needs," said Miles Kelly, senior director of product marketing at Riverbed. "New support for UDP and IPv6 underscore our ongoing focus on expanding capabilities in RiOS to align with the new IT initiatives our customers undertake, based directly on our conversations with them. In addition, as the company with the broadest set of optimizations for the applications important to enterprises, we will continue to address dynamic applications and specific use cases such as disaster recovery, VDI and unified communications and collaboration (UCC)."

End to end video optimization

With the new release Riverbed empowers live and on-demand video content and has added optimization for the delivery of video with native stream splitting capabilities over HTTP.  Stream splitting, or application layer multicasting allows a single video stream to serve a large number of viewers in a particular location, enabling video scalability for live video, providing high-quality viewing and freeing more bandwidth across the WAN for other applications. On-demand video can be stored at branch locations and use QoS to prioritize bandwidth utilization. These live and on-demand optimization capabilities also leverage current partnerships with leading video content management solutions providers such as Polycom, Adobe, Qumu and MediaPlatform.

IPv6, UDP, IP v6 and Security

With the release of RiOS 7.0, Riverbed has enabled the flexibility to optimize applications that run on both TCP/IP and UDP, including replication solutions. In addition, as IPv6 is adopted, RiOS 7.0 ensures organizations can take advantage of bandwidth optimization for UDP traffic and TCP over IPv6. The Riverbed Cascade family of solutions is also integrated with RiSO 7.0 allowing customers with Cascade Pilot to leverage Steelhead appliances in branch offices for on-demand packet capture and remote analysis without having to transfer huge packet capture files over the network.

"The integration of on-demand packet capture capabilities in RiOS 7.0 enables our organization to get more out of our investment in Steelhead appliances," said Tim Kokes, systems engineer at Rudolph Technologies, a leading provider of process characterization equipment and software for wafer fabs and advanced packaging facilities. "We can now respond faster to performance issues at our remote sites without having to expand our hardware footprint, which also translates to secondary benefits including cost savings and fewer nodes to manage across our network."

New Security features in RiOS 7.0 include encrypted Lotus Notes, Microsoft Online Services Optimization, and end-to-end Kerberos Authentication support. Riverbed's Skipware software now integrates directly with RiOS 7.0. Skipware is based on the proprietary commercial implementation of the Space Communications Protocol Standard (SCPS), which has become the de facto standard for US Department of Defense satellite networking environments.

RiOS 7.0 is expected to be generally available in the fourth quarter of 2011.