It has been a busy few weeks for WAN optimization and application acceleration vendors. Among the highlights is Afore Solutions’ introduction of a network acceleration appliance designed to optimize data-center-to-data-center applications, such as storage backups and live migrations of virtual machines. Intelligent Compression Technologies, meanwhile, upgraded its software-based WAN optimization product, and Radware added to its lineup of upgradeable application acceleration appliances.

Here are some of the details:

Afore looks to speed data center backups
Afore last week unveiled its ASE3300 Network Optimization Appliance, which is designed to accelerate WAN links between data centers. In particular, the ASE3300 is aimed at helping companies optimize and secure connections between data centers for storage networking, virtualization and other enterprise applications. Among the ASE3300’s features are the ability to re-sequence out-of-order frames and recover dropped packets; tools for fragmenting large frames into smaller frames at Gigabit Ethernet rates; WAN encapsulation technology for tunneling aggregated LAN and SAN traffic across Metro Ethernet and IP/MPLS networks; and AES-256 bit network encryption. (For more details, check out my colleague Tim Greene’s story.) 

ICT tunes software approach to acceleration
Intelligent Compression Technologies (ICT) unveiled AcceleNet 3.4, the latest version of its all-software WAN optimizer and application accelerator. AcceleNet combines a data compression engine and security functions with transport optimization capabilities and application-specific protocol accelerators. The software model makes it cost-effective for companies to deploy AcceleNet not only for large offices but also for mobile workers, telecommuters and smaller offices, says ICT (which is a subsidiary of ViaSat). The new release features improved performance on initial and subsequent transfers of very large files, including medical images and CAD files; expanded support for SSL VPN environments; and encryption for data while it’s at rest (on the server), in motion during a transfer, and on a client PC.

Radware’s ADC grows as traffic climbs
Radware’s newest application delivery controller embraces a pay-as-you-grow model for companies that don’t want to spend money boosting capacity until it’s needed. The company’s upgradeable OnDemand Switch 3 appliance offers throughput between 1Gbps and 16Gbps, depending on what’s needed. The newest addition to Radware’s OnDemand Switch family lets companies scale their throughput capacity and add application acceleration services as infrastructure requirements change. Adjustable application acceleration services include caching, TCP optimization, Web compression and SSL offloading. Radware also says it upped AppDirector’s performance-per-watt to help companies save on rack space, power and cooling loads.

Ann Bednarz is associate news editor at Network World.