ACADEMIA

Ai Metrix, Inc. today announced the release of NeuralStar Version 7.2, the company's next generation solution for dynamic management of high traffic, converged networks that combine data, voice, video and other technologies. The new release of NeuralStar features a High-Speed IP Discovery Engine with automated graphics for searching and mapping SNMP networks, as well as security enhancements for interfacing with Secure Shell Agent (SSH) compliant and non-compliant devices. Combined with new graphical visualization features and other enhancements, NeuralStar 7.2 dramatically advances the ability of organizations to automate and dynamically manage their converged network environments. In benchmark tests, NeuralStar 7.2's High-Speed IP Discovery Engine performed 20 times faster than HP's Network Node Manager 7.5, completing a graphics-enhanced discovery in 3 minutes, compared to the 60 minutes needed by the HP product. High-Speed Discovery, 20X Faster In Release 7.2, NeuralStar enhances its already powerful device discovery features with a new High-Speed IP Discovery Engine for mapping SNMP devices in large networks. The engine enables extremely rapid mapping of SNMP networks, including all related nodes, interfaces, links and subnets. It further reduces discovery "turn-around" with new automated graphics and the ability to perform focused discovery based on user-defined parameters. According to Phil Carrai, President and CEO of Ai Metrix, "In traditional enterprise data networks, discovery is an important task, but one that is rarely executed because environments can stay largely static for some time. In converged networks, however, new devices and new types of devices are added and changed regularly, often by remote site engineers. In this dynamic world, discovery speed isn't just for bragging rights, it can make all the difference in how well you respond to network outages." Enhanced Security With Secure Shell Agent Improving security is among the top priorities of all network professionals today, and the new Secure Shell Agent (SSH Agent) in NeuralStar 7.2 bolsters their ability to protect network device communications from intruders and unauthorized users. SSH is a widely-used, highly secure application that allows administrators or other personnel to confidently log into and execute commands on a networked device from a remote computer. The addition of SSH Agent in NeuralStar 7.2 provides two capabilities that add enhanced security for dynamically controlling network devices. For network elements that are SSH protocol compliant, NeuralStar 7.2 provides a direct secure connection. Second, for network devices that are not SSH compliant, NeuralStar 7.2 provides a special "tunneling" feature using an SSH server. Background As data networks merge with voice, wireless, IP and satellite networks carrying real-time and streaming applications such as VoIP and video conferencing, network management is coming to mean more than just traditional performance and fault management. It is evolving to include automated and dynamic control over the converged environment. NeuralStar from Ai Metrix is architected specifically to meet the conditions of these next-generation networks. With its "one view, one network, total control" approach, NeuralStar is the only truly scalable platform to provide complete visibility, two-way communication, and customized workflow for dynamic control over any type of networked device, application or process. NeuralStar's ability to master the challenges of converged networks has been proven in some of the world's most intensive environments where reliability and security are essential, including Broadwing, Cincinnati Bell and the U.S. Department of Defense's Ballistic Missile Defense and Joint Network Management System programs. Ai Metrix, Inc. is a privately held corporation backed by General Atlantic Partners, LLC and Spectrum Equity Investors. Ai Metrix corporate headquarters are in Reston, Virginia, with offices in El Dorado Hills, California, Texas, and Brazil. For more information, visit http://www.aimetrix.com/ or email danv@aimetrix.com. Details of the discovery-testing environment can be found at http://www.aimetrix.com/release72.php