Cisco launches next-generation switch

NEW DELHI: Cisco Systems has unveiled its latest product, Web NS 4.0, which

is expected to offer advanced content networking capabilities to eBusiness

sites, Web hosts and ASPs. The product helps in streamlining large-scale global

networks, reducing network response time, and optimizing performance. It

transparently and intelligently directs traffic to enable efficient and

cost-effective delivery of high-value Web content and next-generation

e-services, a company release said.

Unlike current Web switch offerings that are focused on simple filtering of

uniform resource locators (URLs) in mapping content requests to the best local

server, the Cisco Web NS 4.0 based on technology from ArrowPoint Communications,

enables a content-smart Internet. It allows content-based switching and routing,

dynamic content distribution and the deployment of a global content networking

infrastructure across the Net.

The switch, supported on the Cisco 11000 Series Content Service Switches, Web

NS 4.0 is said to provide the industry with a comprehensive and high performance

set of content switching features armed with advanced intelligence.

With Web NS 4.0, Cisco has expanded its content networking offerings with

support for Internet-scale proximity services. In addition to URL, user cookie,

and network and server load and availability, the new proximity features in

release 4.0 extend Web NS’ capabilities to ensure best site and server

selection for all content requests based on a user’s location. This is

achieved by dynamically routing users to the closest server able to supply the

specific content requested.