Citrix Systems, the global leader in application delivery infrastructure, has launched NetScaler 9, designed to improve the efficiency and performance of delivering web applications.

The new solution will reduce the cost of delivering web applications like Microsoft SharePoint, Oracle E-Business Suite and SAP by 50 per cent, thanks to its ability to dynamically optimise the use of network and server resources to obtain best performance.
 

Organisations are increasingly relying on web-based applications – with trends such as cloud computing seeing the need for more complex infrastructures and implementations.  Yet at present, the performance of the applications themselves can let down networks designed to cope with far greater speed and performance. This is turning companies towards the idea of more intelligent infrastructures to cope with the varied demands, said Damian Saunders, manager of the ANG Group at Citrix.
 

“The nature of applications is changing. The common problems with application delivery are often simply too complex and dynamic for network and server teams to understand without deep application-level knowledge,” Saunders said. “Web applications are becoming mission-critical and the key to successful optimisation is to increase the capability of the network.”
 

There are four key features of NetScaler 9:
       

1. Simplified deployment of applications
NetScaler 9 is equipped with AppExpert Templates featuring pre-configured deployment details for widely-used web applications. This means that settings such as caching, compression and firewall settings are built-in, so the apps can be rolled out immediately without manual configuration. This improves staff productivity and reduces the time needed to identify problems or errors within the infrastructure or application. IT managers can overcome the inefficiency of their web delivery infrastructure and deploy enterprise applications within minutes, potentially cutting datacentre costs in half and accelerating application performance by up to five times.
 

2. Improved application fluency
NetScaler 9 includes new AppExpert Rate Controls that allow IT Managers to ensure SLAs for different classes of users. Legitimate users can be assured of access to applications while traffic from spiders, web scrapers and botnets can be rejected or redirected appropriately. The AppExpert Rate Controls free up organisations from having to over-provision the network in order to ensure adequate service levels, bringing about a reduction in server infrastructure. At the same time, support for checking the validity of XML means web applications that combine different resources or elements – or mashups – can be treated the same way as standalone applications.


3. Advanced XML security
NetScaler 9 extends the web application firewall to protect next-generation Web 2.0 and SOA-based applications. With this level of XML security, IT organisations can protect applications from hacker attacks and meet compliance directives, minimising the need to deploy point XML security products or write bespoke solutions. This closes the loop on the last area of cybercrime, which until now has been able to exploit the key element of web applications – that they are built using web-based technologies. In addition to this, the release makes better use of the power provided across the NetScaler appliance range by offering 480-bit encryption.
 

4. Efficient allocation of resources
NetScaler 9 reduces the cost of managing change and extensions to currently deployed web applications. AppExpert Service Callouts integrate logic from external applications into NetScaler policy decisions, enabling the entire network to be more adaptive, intelligent and responsive. At the same time, support for IPv6 means customers can adopt safe in the knowledge that the system is an investment in future technology.

 
Cindy Borovick, research vice-president for IDC’s datacentre networks service, commented: “The new NetScaler 9 enables IT teams to quickly and easily tap powerful server offload, acceleration and security capabilities. This is an important features set that saves time while bridging the knowledge of the application for network managers.”

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