Comtech EF Data’s Stampede Of Appliances + Wins With WAN Optimization

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Comtech EF Data Corporation announced today the general availability of software enhancements and new hardware appliances for its Stampede FX Series WAN optimization products.

The new software enhancements include traffic shaping with ACM support, a reliable multicast and VLAN trunking, all of which are now available for new and fielded units under service contracts. The new hardware appliances provide additional flexibility for varying network configurations.

The new traffic shaping with ACM support feature provides ultimate flexibility in classifying traffic for optimized transmission across the Wide Area Network (WAN), and is supported on all FX Series appliances. Traffic is classified according to a variety of characteristics – VLAN, source / destination IP address, subnet, port, protocol, DSCP bits, or any combination thereof. All traffic that enters the FX Series WAN optimization products is categorized into queues based on these characteristics. The queues are processed according to rules, granting priority, minimum / maximum data rates, and the ability to share limited bandwidth fairly. When used in conjunction with Comtech EF Data’s CDM-625 Advanced Satellite Modem or CDM-750 Advanced High-Speed Trunking Modem, the output and application of traffic shaping algorithms are matched to the modem’s dynamic data rate. This is particularly beneficial when operating a modem with ACM, allowing the most important traffic to always be transmitted, even during rapidly changing link conditions.

The new multicator feature is a reliable multicast, which enables one-to-many communications. Large files can be sent in a single transmission over the network and reliably shared with multiple receivers, increasing network efficiency by a factor approaching N to 1. The feature works in both mesh and hub-spoke network configurations. VLAN trunking is now supported on the FX Series appliances for TCP acceleration, as well as for all of the WAN optimization features.  This allows all appropriate Layer 5 and Layer 7 optimization to be available for trunked VLAN traffic. The VLAN tag is preserved during optimization. Caches are maintained by appliance and by VLAN. Appropriate caches are shared between VLANs on the same appliance. This allows for deployment in Virtual Routing and Forwarding (VRF) environments.

The range of FX Series hardware appliances has been extended, providing flexibility for varying network configurations.  The new desk top-sized FX-1005 model, with optional rack mounting hardware, serves as both a hub and a remote appliance, providing a single-sided solution to optimize traffic from an outbound channel or a two-sided solution. The new FX-1010 is a remote appliance that works in conjunction with hub devices to perform application acceleration and WAN optimization, and is packaged in a 1RU form factor for easy rack mounting. In addition to all of the FX remote optimization, the FX-1010 can perform the function of a switch for up to eight LAN ports, allowing VLANs to be assigned to each LAN and then trunked over the WAN.

“Service providers and enterprise users deploy our Stampede FX Series products to reduce OPEX and improve user experience for satellite-based WANs,” commented Daniel Enns, Senior Vice President Marketing and Business Development for Comtech EF Data. “These new enhancements will further optimize WAN transmissions.”