Plixer International implements changes to support Flexible NetFlow

For more information:
Jon Mills
207-324-8805

Sanford, Maine — May 22, 2007 — Plixer International, in preparation for the next iteration of Cisco's increasingly popular NetFlow standard, has released Scrutinizer NetFlow & sFlow Analyzer version 5.0.2. In addition to several performance enhancements and additional features, Scrutinizer 5.0.2 includes architectural changes that will provide complete support for Flexible NetFlow, when it is released.

Flexible NetFlow is a technology developing in the labs at Cisco Systems which aspires to be the next generation NetFlow protocol. Significant improvements include possible behavior analysis (e.g. detecting Denial of Service (DoS) attacks and network-propagated worms) and the ability to export custom fields from IP packets.

Cisco IOS Flexible NetFlow benefits:

• Flexibility and scalability of flow data beyond traditional NetFlow
• Customized traffic identification
• Ability to focus and monitor specific network behavior
• Ability to monitor a wider range of packet information, producing new information about network behavior
• Enhanced network anomaly and security detection
• Convergence of multiple accounting technologies into one accounting mechanism

Michael Patterson, the Product Manager for Scrutinizer NetFlow & sFlow Analyzer, understands the importance of staying ahead of the IT curve. “We are communicating with Jean-Charles Griviaud – Cisco Systems NetFlow Product Manager. From what we can gather, it is too early to tell what this evolving standard will mean to current commercial NetFlow analyzers. With 90% of the market happily using NetFlow version 5, Flexible NetFlow may emerge and hang on the vine like IPv6.  We know it is coming and are making provisions in our solutions as the standard gets ratified."

Available technologies are often what dictates how efficiently new product features can be implemented. That's why Michael, and the rest of the Scrutinizer development team, believe that Flexible NetFlow will allow them to add behavioral analysis the right way, the first time. "We are in an excellent position to implement behavioral analysis into Scrutinizer using Flexible NetFlow technology as the foundation, rather than forcing our software to do the heavy lifting. This will allow us to spend valuable development resources on other important features that users are telling us they can't find in any available NetFlow products.”

For sales or support information, or details on an existing maintenance contract with Plixer, please contact us at 207-324-8805.

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About plixer International, Inc.

plixer International, Inc. develops and markets network management and analysis tools to the global market. All of the tools are built from the ground up with valuable feature sets and ease of use in mind. plixer tools have been used to analyze and troubleshoot irregular traffic patterns by IT professionals with some of the largest networks in the world, such as The Coca-Cola Company, Abercrombie & Fitch, Lockheed Martin, IBM, Regal Cinemas, Raytheon, and Eddie Bauer.

For product and sales information, contact plixer International, Inc. at 220 Alfred Road, Sanford, Maine, via telephone (207) 324-8805, fax (207) 324-8683; or visit the plixer Web site at http://www.plixer.com/.