NetScout Systems adds new web-based reports about networked application performance to Webcast
WebCast 2.1 now provides access to personalized, Java-interactive reports for ATM, Fast EtherChannel, VLAN and other LAN/WAN segments of the enterprise network.

WESTFORD, Mass., July 23, 1999 — NetScout Systems, Inc. announced today new features of its WebCast network reporting software that make generating reports on end-to-end network performance over the web more extensive, faster and easier. WebCast version 2.1 simplifies the distribution of key network and application information to network managers and other authorized users, while controlling access to those reports. With WebCast, users "pull" from the web personalized reports in Java-based, interactive formats that provide only the information they want. Data is automatically updated, ensuring that users receive current, up-to-the-minute reports whenever they access them.

New Network Types and Reporting Functions

The new features in WebCast 2.1 include support for three additional network types, and two new reporting functions:

New network types — supplement WebCast's current capabilities, which include support for LAN, T1/E1, T3/E3, Fast Ethernet, FDDI, and Token Ring network protocols:

ATM: WebCast 2.1's support for ATM WANs enables reports on application traffic through the ATM network, plus detailed breakouts by service class (ABR & UBR and CBR & VBR), ATM NSAP addresses and VPI/VCI pairs;

Fast EtherChannel: WebCast 2.1 provides visibility into the logical 800 Mbps links between Cisco Catalyst switches as well as the component trunks.

VLAN: New support for 802.1Q VLANs enables reporting on bandwidth requirements for applications, servers and users for each VLAN.

New reporting functions — supplement the 20 current built-in reporting formats:

Baseline Traffic Reports establish a set of historical data collected over time that can be compared with current data. The contrast in these data points allows network managers to spot sudden changes in anticipated traffic patterns and to locate where on the network traffic behavior has changed.

Volume Summary Reports accumulate statistics across multiple segments to provide gross network measurements. Network managers can then examine a set of network segments and report on them as one group entry. It also allows the network manager to see overall enterprise network capacity trends.

"The new reports and network types available in WebCast 2.1 make it a powerful tool for getting critical information on all segments of the enterprise network into the hands of corporate decision makers," said Michael Szabados, vice president of marketing at NetScout Systems, Inc. "It gives network, application, and business managers a complete picture of the performance of business applications and the networks delivering them.

Personalized Web-based Reports Show Different Slices of Network Performance

WebCast produces detailed, Java-based, interactive, graphical reports that can be personalized for authorized end users. It illustrates the who, what, where, and why of networked application traffic, thereby eliminating ambiguity and fingerpointing about network performance. No longer must groups responsible for the on-demand delivery and quality of high performance mission-critical applications ask, "Is it the network or the application?" For example:

Network managers create WebCast reports for application managers that show how their applications affect the network;

Business managers see the end-user priority and availability of their mission-critical applications;

End-users see how web usage and other policies are being monitored to improve compliance;

Network administrators see how well they are managing network resources and the impact on applications.

WebCast provides the information essential to manage business applications and network conditions. Among other information, WebCast highlights:

Application usage — which users are using which applications and network resources;

Bandwidth demands — how much bandwidth is being used by each application within an application mix (e.g. concurrent ERP applications, network operating system applications, file transfer data, etc.);

Bandwidth hogs — which users are consuming disproportionate or unwarranted amounts of network resources;

Link performance — application traffic monitored by network links between servers, desktops, and other network segments to identify exactly where possible bottlenecks may occur;

Business services — the network impact of business services and guide usage policies per user and application.

WebCast provides daily, weekly, and monthly reports that summarize these network data and trends for managing mission-critical application flows. WebCast delivers baseline reports and exception thresholds that provide powerful information for spotting sudden changes in network usage, as well as historical trend reports that enable capacity planning and business justifications for network changes. It also provides link usage reports that highlight over- and under-utilized circuits for optimizing service level agreements, and application usage reports that show the network impact of business services and guide usage policies.

Users can select information displays from among 20 built-in report templates, or can create their own personalized reports, for shared LAN, switched-LAN, WAN, and Frame Relay networks. Reports are interactive, permitting users to view multiple screens, toggle back and forth between graphs, zoom into areas to focus on a single value, scroll the value to see all components, and view errors for one specific value to see what problems have occurred and when they've occurred.

Pricing and Availability

WebCast is priced at $2,495, and includes both Windows NT and UNIX versions in the same package. It is currently shipping.

About NetScout Systems

NetScout Systems, Inc., headquartered in Westford, Mass., designs, develops, manufactures and markets an integrated family of products that enable businesses and service providers to manage the performance of computer networks and important business software applications. The company's

Application Flow Management (AFM) solution consists of data collection devices and analysis and presentation software. AFM collects, aggregates, and analyzes network and application data from a wide range of network technologies.

Using this data, NetScout Systems' AFM provides real-time information regarding the performance of computer networks and individual software applications, such as e-mail, order entry and Web-based applications. NetScout Systems' solution provides this information to computer network and business managers in a user-friendly, graphical format.

NetScout is a registered trademark, and the NetScout logo, WebCast, AppScout, and NetScout Manager Plus are trademarks of NetScout Systems, Inc.