Virtual Analysis
Visibility and Troubleshooting for Virtual Networks
Data centers and corporate computing are rapidly moving toward virtualization: consolidating dozens of servers and services into a single physical device. This establishes the virtual switch as one of the busiest points for network traffic. Administrators are discovering, however, that they lack visibility into their new virtual networks: that protocols and traffic that are flowing invisibly between servers. They lack troubleshooting and audit tools able to show the protocols, volumes and traffic trends between servers and virtual switches. They are unable to isolate network problems, identify configuration errors, spot inappropriate protocol traffic among servers, validate that systems are performing only their assigned duties, or demonstrate compliance with security policies. Virtualization Administrators need to see and manage the virtual switches which connect their virtual servers.
Altor Networks’ Virtual Network Security Analyzer (VNSA) is the only solution on the market that delivers real-time visibility, troubleshooting and analysis of ongoing virtual network activity. Unlike physical network security and monitoring solutions that detect only activity on physical networks, Altor’s VNSA detects and analyzes virtual network traffic to troubleshoot problems, baseline network activity, audit for inappropriate protocols, and surface anomalies. With the Virtual Network Security Analyzer, data center administrators can keep their virtual networks running smoothly, gain insight into virtual network activity, develop and apply compliance-related security policies.
VNSA Architecture
VNSA has two main components:
- Altor Agent - The Altor Agent plugs into the virtual switch and passively monitors the virtual switch traffic. Only one Altor Agent is needed per physical server.
- Altor Center - Information from multiple Altor Agents is consolidated by the Altor Center giving administrators a centralized view of the virtualized data center.
Altor Agent and Altor Center are delivered as virtual appliances ensuring installation and uninstallation with zero downtime.
Key Security and Operational Benefits
- Dashboard view of security issues like port scans, tunneling protocols, insecure and unwanted protocols
- Generate reports for regulatory compliance
- Quickly isolate and troubleshoot virtual network problems
- Discover configuration anomalies due to external DNS/NTP access and DHCP auto-configuration errors
- Discover multicast and broadcast service announcements that can erode network performance
- Optimize VMotion/DRS by grouping VMs based on network usage
- User defined and automated groups to monitor access to business-critical resources