Communication service providers and data centers are increasingly challenged in managing high-speed networks due to the rapid growth of data volumes, complex traffic patterns, and the rise of encapsulated data streams. These factors result in limited network visibility, inefficient traffic management, overloaded monitoring tools, and security risks. Traditional network monitoring solutions often fall short, particularly in inspecting encapsulated traffic, leaving potential security vulnerabilities unaddressed.
Solution with Aster A-640
The Aster A-640 by Microtel Innovation is a high-performance tool designed for network visibility and optimization in complex, high-speed environments. With 32×100 Gb/s interfaces, configurable as 100 Gb/s, 40 Gb/s, 25 Gb/s, or 10 Gb/s, the A-640 offers unparalleled flexibility to meet diverse network traffic requirements. Its advanced capabilities allow for precise traffic filtering and load balancing based on both inner and outer parameters, including IP addresses, ports, and VLAN tags. This ensures that only relevant traffic reaches monitoring and security tools, reducing system overload and improving operational efficiency.
Supporting L2GRE, L3GRE, VXLAN and GTP encapsulation-decapsulation, the A-640 uncovers hidden traffic within tunnels, which is crucial for securing virtualized and cloud environments. Additional features, such as header stripping, slicing, and VLAN tagging, optimize data processing, reducing unnecessary data loads and enhancing the performance of security tools.
Case Study: Transforming Network Visibility for a Leading Telco operator
A leading telecommunications operator faced significant challenges managing its high-speed 100 Gb/s network links. A surge in encapsulated traffic, particularly within GTP tunnels, combined with increasingly complex traffic patterns, resulted in frequent security blind spots and overwhelmed monitoring tools. Traditional monitoring solutions struggled to handle hidden data streams within encapsulated traffic, increasing the risk of security breaches.
To address these issues, the telecom operator deployed the Aster A-640 across its network infrastructure. With its versatile 32×100 Gb/s interfaces, the device was configured to meet specific traffic requirements, efficiently managing the high-speed links. The A-640’s traffic filtering features streamlined data flows, directing only relevant traffic to monitoring and security tools, thereby reducing operational strain.
The A-640’s decapsulation capabilities enabled the operator to inspect encapsulated traffic, such as VXLAN, revealing previously hidden data streams. This enhanced the operator’s threat detection and network visibility. Moreover, the A-640’s traffic aggregation and replication functionalities allowed the operator to distribute traffic across multiple monitoring tools, preventing system overload.
A-640 delivers visibility and security for high-speed networks, optimizing traffic management and uncovering hidden threats
User-Friendly GUI Enhances Network Operations
A key aspect of the solution’s success was the user-friendly GUI developed by Microtel Innovation’s R&D team. This intuitive interface facilitated easier management of traffic configurations, monitoring, and decapsulation processes, enabling the operator’s network engineers to quickly adapt to changing traffic patterns. This streamlined workflow significantly improved operational efficiency and reduced the time needed to manage network changes.
Results and impact
Deploying the Aster A-640 led to several critical improvements for the telco operator:
○ Enhanced Network Visibility: By exposing previously hidden traffic within GTP and other tunnels, the A-640 provided a more comprehensive view of the network.
○ Optimized Traffic Management: Intelligent traffic filtering and load balancing ensured that only relevant data reached monitoring and security tools, reducing operational strain.
○ Strengthened Security Posture: The ability to inspect encapsulated traffic improved threat detection capabilities, mitigating security risks.
○ Operational Efficiency: Traffic aggregation and replication enabled centralized monitoring, optimizing the use of existing monitoring tools and reducing overall costs.
Conclusion
The Aster A-640 is a solution for enterprises and data centers facing the complexities of high-speed network environments. Its advanced capabilities in visibility, traffic management, and security offer a holistic approach to optimizing performance, securing data flows, and maximizing the effectiveness of existing monitoring tools. By deploying the A-640, organizations can significantly enhance their network management strategies, reduce security risks, and achieve a more efficient and secure network environment.
