Sourcefire and Net Optics have partnered to provide a scalable and fault-tolerant solution, which consists of the Sourcefire NGIPS, working with Net Optics iBypassTM and xBalancerTM. This solution lets customers maintain their security and performance while preventing network downtime. http://www.netoptics.com

1. Technology Alliance Partner I Solution Brief
A Next-Generation Intrusion Prevention Solution Delivering
Scalable Security with Maximum Network Up-Time
Net Optics and Sourcefire
The Challenge
Organizations have invested substantially in advanced instrumentation layer
tools including Next-Generation Intrusion Prevention Systems (NGIPSs) and
Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFW), which operate in real-time to provide
dynamic network defense. Vital to this strategy is maintaining the scalability,
availability, performance, and value of these instruments. Overburdened tools
and device failures have the potential to strip the network of the protection
offered by these devices and leave the network vulnerable to intrusions.
The Solution
Sourcefire and Net Optics have partnered to provide a scalable and faulttolerant solution, which consists of the Sourcefire NGIPS, working with
Net Optics iBypass™ and xBalancer™. This solution lets customers maintain
their security and performance while preventing network downtime.
The Net Optics iBypass Switch with advanced Heartbeat and Link Fault
Detect features allow monitoring of xBalancer’s state information. A
configurable heartbeat packet sent from the iBypass Switch to the xBalancer
helps identify link anomalies or power failures. The Switch will immediately
detect the change and will re-route traffic using Fast Path™ switching
technology. Once xBalancer is brought back on-line, traffic automatically
resumes.
The Net Optics xBalancer is built specifically to prevent tool overburdening
by distributing the traffic to multiple monitoring tools. Thus xBalancer allows
customers to scale their deployments as the need grows while maintaining
security. Tool health is monitored using Heartbeat packets and can proactively
redirect traffic to available or spare tools.
The Sourcefire Nextgen IPS solutions are based on the core competencies
of contextual awareness and automation. Intelligent Security Automation
capability enables automated event impact assessment, NGIPS policy tuning,
policy management, network behavior analysis, and user identification to
protect the network in today’s rapidly changing environments. This real-time
awareness and threat protection support the security needs of today’s
networks.
This joint solution from Sourcefire and Net Optics provides intelligent security
automation, advanced load-balancing and the assurance that their security
solution will scale as needs continue to grow, increasing ROI and network
reliability.
Solution Highlights
• Easily scale deployments as needs grow
while lowering TCO
• Gain next-generation load-balancing
capability without compromising
reliability
• Protect against diverse and rapidly
evolving threats on the internet
• Allow unparalleled performance and
scalability with low latency
• Achieve throughput speeds from
40Gbps down to 5Mbps for threat
inspection and up to 80Gpbs for packet
filtering
• Reduce surface area of attack
through granular control of over 1200
applications and 100s of millions of URLs
in over 80 categories
• Defeat malware across the network with
detection/blocking, continuous analysis
and retrospective alerting

2. Technology Alliance Partner I Solution Brief
A Next-Generation Intrusion Prevention Solution Delivering Scalable Security with Maximum Network Up-Time
Router
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Bypass Switch
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Monitor
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10 GigaBit
OU T IN
www.netoptics.com
Net Optics
iBypass™ Switch
Console
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Management
Net Optics xBalancer™
Sourcefire NGIPS
Sourcefire NGIPS
The diagram shows two network ports on
the Net Optics iBypass connected in-line
to the upstream and downstream network
devices, the two monitor ports connecting
to the xBalancer. The Sourcefire appliances
connect to the xBalancer, which provides
in-line network conditions, the iBypass
Switch will pass a Heartbeat through the
xBalancer to verify its operation and route
network traffic through the xBalancer. The
xBalancer in turn uses a unique heartbeat
for each Sourcefire monitoring link. In
case of a heartbeat failure the xBalancer
rebalances the traffic to the remaining
tools or to an additional spare to maintain
continuous monitoring.
Sourcefire NGIPS
Net Optics
Sourcefire
Net Optics is the leading provider of Total Application and Network
Visibility solutions that deliver real-time network intelligence for
peak performance in network monitoring and security. As a result,
businesses achieve the scalable end-to-end visibility they need to
optimize network performance of physical, virtual and private cloud
environments, and remote branch offices. More than 7,500 enterprises,
service providers and government organizations—including 85 percent
of the Fortune 100—trust Net Optics’ comprehensive plug and play
family of application-aware NPM, Network Packet Broker, Virtual/Cloud
and Visibility Management System (VMS) solutions to deliver immediate
results and quick time to value through an easy-to-use interface.
Net Optics maintains a global presence through leading OEM partner
and reseller networks.
Sourcefire delivers on the vision of Agile Security™, fueled
by the Sourcefire FirePOWER™ performance platform and
sophisticated Sourcefire FireSIGHT network intelligence.
The Sourcefire vision—Security for the Real World—is not
only grounded in its history, but propels the company, and
industry, forward. Focused on its mission to be the leader in
intelligent cybersecurity solutions, Sourcefire is transforming
the way Global 2000 organizations and government agencies
manage and minimize network security risks. With solutions
from a next-generation network security platform to
advanced malware protection, Sourcefire provides customers
with Agile Security that is as dynamic as the real world it
protects and the attackers against which it defends.
5303 Betsy Ross Drive
Santa Clara, CA 95054, United States
Main: +1 (408) 737-7777
www.netoptics.com
9770 Patuxent Woods Drive
Columbia, MD 21046, United States
Main: +1 (800) 917-4134
www.sourcefire.com
Net Optics® is a registered trademark of Net Optics, an Ixia company. Copyright 1996-2013 Net Optics, an Ixia company. All rights reserved. Additional company and product names may be trademarks or registered
trademarks of the individual companies and are respectfully acknowledged. Sourcefire and the Sourcefire logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sourcefire, Inc. in the United States and other countries.