Exinda offers two primary product lines: the x700 Traffic Managers, and the x800 Application Accelerators.

The Exinda x700 line of appliances provide compression and Layer 7-based traffic management capabilities for enterprise networks and/or service providers. The appliances in the x700 line are targeted to branch offices (access), mid-large branch deployments, and core/data centers. Data throughput metrics range from 2 Mb/sec in the entry level device to potentially 1 Gb/sec in the Exinda 6720.

All of the x700 devices provide for both the classification and optimization of Layer 7 traffic, as well as traffic compression capabilities. Each can be managed via a Web browser interface, SSH/telnet, CLI, SNMP, or an RS-232 console. The 4700/6700/6720 models additionally add a front panel LCD menu.

Application traffic can be identified via multiple pieces of information; including application signature; URL; 802.1q, VLAN, or MPLS tags; direction source and destination; Protocol, Port, or IP; Citrix Priority Tags; TOS, DSCP; or customized patterns. Once classified, the optimization engine allows for the control of specific types of traffic to meet SLA requirements or optimize critical services. Traffic can be shaped or blocked to the user level, with minimum and maximum bandwith allocations set-able per application.

For compression, the appliances feature transparent, adaptive packet compression that can be scoped and customized to individual applications. A reporting engine provides visibility into network traffic patterns, and data can additionally be output into CSV or HTTP formats for external access (the higher end appliances add the ability to export data to ODBC/SQL or SNMP systems). Reporting features include a real-time monitoring window, and throughput and distribution metrics by application, host, conversation, and URL.

The vendor's x700 appliance series include the 1700, 4700, 6700, and 6720. The 1700 is offered in 2 models, including 4 10/100 ports and a WAN port, and featuring data throughput of from 2 to 10 Mb/sec. The 4700 model is offered in four models, boasting traffic throughput of from 2 to 100 Mb/sec; the 6700 model is offered in three flavors supporting data throughput of 100, 250, and 500 Mb/sec, respectively; and the 6720 is served in four flavors with from 100 to 1 Gb/sec performance. Other features of the higher end models include a physical Ethernet bypass (4700+); four GbE ports (2 LAN, 2 WAN; 6700+); support for the definition of up to 2,048 policies (6700+); and support for just over 1 million (1,024,000) concurrent data flows (6700+).

The x800 Application Acceleration appliances include the above traffic management features, as well as two specific features geared towards the improvement of overall network traffic transmission speeds. TCP Acceleration allows for the optimization of TCP packets; reducing the number of necessary packet transmissions by aggregating multiple smaller packets into a single larger packet for delivery. And WAN Memory technology allows the device itself to remember and recall as necessary repetitive traffic patterns such that only the changed traffic need be transmitted over the network.

Additionally supported in the x800 line is CIFS traffic optimization; allowing for WAFS implementations in which, according to the vendor, file transfers over WAN links can be accelerated "...by up to a factor of 50."

The x800 appliances are offered in the 2800, 4800, and 6800 appliance line. The 2800s are served in 3 models, supporting from 1 to 6 Mb/sec of maximum bandwidth and including 4 Ethernet ports. The 4800s include 4 models supporting from 1 to 20 Mb/sec of maximum bandwidth and four network ports (2 10/100 bypass ports and 2 10/100/1000 ports). The 6800s are served in two models, supporting 10 and 20 Mb/sec of maximum throughput respectively and including 2 Gb LAN and 2 Gb WAN ports. The 6800 can also optionally be loaded with 2 GBIC fiber ports. Finally, "High Performance" versions of each of the x800s are also available; which allow the customer to choose WAN optimization/monitoring performance of from 2 to 500 Mb/sec, and application/TCP acceleration performance of from 1 to 20 Mb/sec.

New to the Exinda appliances is support for the detection and controlling of "encrypted peer-to-peer traffic," including Skype, BitTorrent, MySpace and Facebook, via Layer-7-based heuristic traffic pattern recognition; a technology that the vendor states also speeds the classification process. The new classification engine is expected to be available on December 3 as a no-charge firmware upgrade for customers with a current software subscription.

Base pricing for the x700 products ranges from $999 (1700) to $18,000 (6700), and for the x800 line $2,500 (2800) to $17,000 (6800). All are available now.

Contact Exinda Networks for further information.