Linktropy Network Simulators
As enterprises centralize their IT infrastructure, far-flung employees, partners, and customers are increasingly dependent on the performance of critical applications over the corporate wide-area network.
However, most networking applications are designed and tested on high-speed local networks, and the longer latency, reduced bandwidth, and higher loss rates of the WAN can lead to unexpectedly poor performance of mission-critical applications.
Voice over IP, for example, can offer sound quality as good as a traditional phone systems within the local office where bandwidth is plentiful and packets of digitized voice travel from speaker to listener in less than a millisecond. But over long distance links, latencies that can range from 70 ms across the U.S. to 250 ms for international locations, to 600 ms or more over satellite-based networks, add a discernable hesitation to the communications. Narrow bandwidths, high packet loss rates, and other link conditions can further degrade voice quality.
Data applications, too, are far from immune to performance limitations caused by WAN conditions. TCP, HTTP, CIFS, and other data transfer protocols can be highly sensitive link latency and loss. Consequently, remote users accessing the corporate database or CRM system, point of sale terminals authorizing credit card transactions, and users downloading files or email may all experience performance issues if the applications have not been tested and tuned for their particular network conditions.
Traditionally, testing and validation was performed by placing applications on the actual production network, but this meant installation of unfamiliar equipment in remote locations and testing between machines located across the world, a frustrating, expensive, and time consuming process. Not surprisingly, testing was often neglected, and consequently, too many applications failed during roll-out or needed extensive patching to keep users even minimally satisfied.
Fortunately, network simulation solves this problem by emulating WAN links within a networking appliance, making it easy to test and benchmark applications in the lab. Network simulators can even be used to demonstrate application performance to end users and decision makers and gain their input prior to roll-out.
Network simulation appliances emulate the bandwidth, latency, packet loss, and other critical network impairments of a WAN link. Client and server systems, or whole networks, can be plugged into either side of the network simulator, and the device alters the packets flowing through it to match the effects of an actual WAN link.
Although network simulation appliances have been available for many years, their cost and complexity generally made them suitable only for test professionals. However, the next-generation Linktropy network simulators from Apposite Technologies have been specifically designed to meet the needs of enterprise users and network application developers. The intuitive, browser-based Linktropy interface simplifies configuration and eliminates the need for training, while a graphical link monitor helps visualize network performance.
The Linktropy line of high-precision network simulation appliances combines the performance and precision of a professional test tool with the ease-of-use you need to get the job done quickly and efficiently, without a large capital expenditure.
To find the Linktropy network simulator that's best for your needs, see the Linktropy overview page.
