Niagara Networks announces the upcoming release of the Packetron, an open system packet processor module for the N2 modular multi-purpose visibility node. With the Packetron, any organization can integrate its custom software directly into the system hardware, allowing them to take advantage of advanced packet broker flexibility.

The Packetron module is based on Intel’s Xeon x86 architecture and can directly process traffic from any one of the host’s 2.56 Tbps traffic streams.  The N2 modular multi-purpose host can be used as a network tap, network bypass, or a network packet broker or all three simultaneously. They can be deployed in various inline and out-of-band deployments on up to 100 GbE links.

By running custom software in the Packetron module, the application can directly affect analysis, detection, prevention, processing, monitoring and more, in complex network security use cases. The host’s L5 filtering, replication, aggregation and load-balancing capabilities will ensure that only relevant traffic reaches the application.

Host hardware is available as a 1U or 2U device, with four or eight bays, while Packetron modules are available in single-width bays. Everything is contained within a single unit, reducing costs, accelerating ROI and significantly increasing throughput and functionality without a comparable investment in additional hardware, network complexity, or software.

“Any vendor that needs a process to occur within the network analysis infrastructure can install its software directly within our system,” said Yoram Ehrlich, VP Products at Niagara Networks. “That means that organizations can maximize functionality while having to purchase only a single piece of hardware.”

Niagara Networks will be releasing the module in Q2, along with the vendor partnerships allowing companies to customize the device to their specific network configurations. 

Niagara Networks will be exhibiting at RSA, April 16-20, North Expo, booth 4519. Come by, say hello, and learn more about the Packetron and our other high-performance network visibility solutions.