[THIN] WANSCALER! was RE: FYI: Citrix To Acquire Orbital Data, A Leading Pro vider of WAN Op timization Solutions
- From: "Jim Kenzig http://ThinHelp.com" <jkenzig@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: thin@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 9 Aug 2006 11:23:32 -0700 (PDT)
Per Jay Tomlins blog Citrix may call this WANScaler
http://www.jaytomlin.com/blog/
Thoughts on the Orbital Data acquisition On Monday Citrix announced that
it had signed an agreement to acquire privately-held Orbital Data, a network
appliance builder out of San Mateo, California. This makes the fourth Citrix
acquisition of Silicon Valley appliance makers (Net6, NetScaler, Teros and now
Orbital Data).
How does this box fit in with the rest of Citrix?
Citrix WANScaler
Citrix NetScaler already optimizes traffic to web browsers, relying on
standard HTTP optimizations that are available in all modern browsers and by
tuning the TCP connections to the client and back-end web servers. When users
go through a NetScaler device to access a web server farm, they get better
performance without having to install any software on their client machine.
This asymmetric aproach is perfect for dot-coms like Google or MySpace who need
to push out tons of HTTP traffic to anonymous clients all over the web.
But what about non-HTTP traffic? NetScaler can't really help there unless you
are using it as an SSL VPN. The NetScaler SSL VPN client can perform
multi-protocol compression. What about, for example, users in a branch office
who need access to file servers at the company headquarters? It would be
overkill to make all the branch office users log into an SSL VPN when there's
already a WAN link in place.
That's where Orbital Data fits in. It's a symmetric solution, where you put
one box in HQ and then another box at the branch office. The two Orbital Data
devices perfrom site-to-site traffic optimization for any protocol. Its
transparent "bump-in-the-wire" architecture means that clients in the branch
office and servers at HQ need no software to get the benefits.
If you've worked with Citrix for a while, you already know that one of our
core compentencies as an organization is rapid and frequent product renaming.
;-) We've already got a brand new brand name in mind for the Orbital Data
boxes: Citrix WANScaler. I think this is a perfect name actually, it rolls off
the tongue and conveys its purpose succinctly.
How does this mesh with the Citrix VOS strategy?
Citrix is all about delivering applications to users. For the past year or so
we have been communicating a three-pronged approach for dealing with three
different types of applications:
Virtualize client/server applications with Presentation Server
Optimize web-based applications with NetScaler
Stream desktop applications with Project Tarpon
WANScaler will extend the "Optimize" message to embrace more than just HTTP
traffic. It optimizes traffic on WAN links between offices within an
organization. There's a nice little Powerpoint presentation posted on
citrix.com that summarizes the WANScaler benefits and how it fits in with the
rest of our VOS strategy.
What does WANScaler have to do with Presentation Server?
Not much really. The ICA protocol is already highly efficient and compressed
so there's not a tremendous amount of value that a network appliance can add.
The sweet spot for Orbital Data is optimizing traffic for applications and data
that would otherwise use overly chatty protocols that run like molasses over a
high-latency WAN link (like CIFS). However, most WAN links are not dedicated to
ICA traffic, and by optimizing the other protocols on the WAN link, more room
will be left over for ICA traffic. So Presentation Server users may notice
better performance too by virtue of having a WAN link that is less congested.
I think this is a good move for Citrix, and one that was widely anticipated.
Jay
Ruben Spruijt < wrote:
v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) } Correct!, ;-)
That?s why this acquisition isn?t bad in my opinion
Ruben
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From: thin-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:thin-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Joe Shonk
Sent: Tuesday, August 08, 2006 2:15 PM
To: thin@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [THIN] Re: FYI: Citrix To Acquire Orbital Data, A Leading Pro vider of
WAN Op timization Solutions
Also, as a software based solution (as opposed to ASIC) it will be easy for
Citrix to port the code over to the Netscaler. So from a Netscaler
perspective, this makes more sense as an acquisition than Packeteer.
Joe
---------------------------------
From: thin-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:thin-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Ruben Spruijt
Sent: Tuesday, August 08, 2006 1:58 AM
To: thin@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [THIN] Re: FYI: Citrix To Acquire Orbital Data, A Leading Pro vider of
WAN Op timization Solutions
Hi,
Orbital Data has also a software based solution: ?Orbital Data was the first
company in the industry to deliver a compact, software-based version of its
branch appliance technology that can be deployed directly on a remote user's
PC? .
That! makes a difference between Orbital Data and other vendors like Expand,
Riverbed and Packateer..
From that point of view not so bad acquisition..
With regards,
Ruben Spruijt
---------------------------------
From: thin-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:thin-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Landin, Mark
Sent: Monday, August 07, 2006 8:38 PM
To: thin@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [THIN] Re: FYI: Citrix To Acquire Orbital Data, A Leading Pro vider of
WAN Op timization Solutions
Got it. So that's on the network side. I know Tacit does delta optimization
for WAFS traffic.
---------------------------------
From: thin-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:thin-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Steve Greenberg
Sent: Monday, August 07, 2006 1:49 PM
To: thin@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [THIN] Re: FYI: Citrix To Acquire Orbital Data, A Leading Pro vider of
WAN Op timization Solutions
An intelligent algorithm which watches the actual payload of packets and does
not send data that already exists on the target side. By analogy, if the packet
contained the word LICENSE and you then send LICENSES (plural) it would only
send the S, probably a bad example but it gives you the basic idea
Steve Greenberg
Thin Client Computing
34522 N. Scottsdale Rd D8453
Scottsdale, AZ 85262
(602) 432-8649
www.thinclient.net
steveg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
---------------------------------
From: thin-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:thin-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Landin, Mark
Sent: Monday, August 07, 2006 11:23 AM
To: thin@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [THIN] Re: FYI: Citrix To Acquire Orbital Data, A Leading Pro vider of
WAN Op timization Solutions
What is that?
---------------------------------
From: thin-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:thin-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Joe Shonk
Sent: Monday, August 07, 2006 1:15 PM
To: thin@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [THIN] Re: FYI: Citrix To Acquire Orbital Data, A Leading Pro vider of
WAN Op timization Solutions
There is still room for improvement. For one, differential compression.
Joe
---------------------------------
From: thin-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:thin-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Landin, Mark
Sent: Monday, August 07, 2006 10:42 AM
To: thin@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [THIN] Re: FYI: Citrix To Acquire Orbital Data, A Leading Pro vider of
WAN Op timization Solutions
My understanding is that the ICA protocol itself is already pretty "optimal"
so I'm not sure what Orbital brings to the table that Riverbed and Tacit don't.
Tacit in particular seems to cover ALL the bases: disk-cache WAFS, WAN
optimization for CIFS, NFS, HTTP, Sharepoint, SQL, and others, plus Windows
domain functions, including authentication, DHCP, print serving, etc, all in
one appliance.
Is there some "special" ICA optimization that Orbital can do that others
can't?
---------------------------------
From: thin-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:thin-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Winslow, Philip
Sent: Monday, August 07, 2006 11:43 AM
To: 'thin@xxxxxxxxxxxxx'
Subject: [THIN] Re: FYI: Citrix To Acquire Orbital Data, A Leading Pro vider of
WAN Op timization Solutions
I'd agree that the press release is a bit much with the "A Leading Provider
of WAN Optimization Solutions" language, but the technology is rather
interesting.
Orbital Data can accelerate applications delivered by Presentation Server (up
to 5x faster according to Citrix), and in the future, if Citrix Systems can add
stronger offerings for Wide Area File Systems (WAFS) and caching into the
WANScaler appliances, WANScaler could be positioned as an appliance to optimize
the performance of application streaming technologies. My guess is that we'll
also see a "super agent" in the future -- i.e., a combination of the
OrbitalEdge Agent, Tarpon Agent, Program Neighborhood Agent, and Reflectent
Agent.
Orbital Data is a small company right now, but Citrix is going to really ramp
the R&D team. They've got a ways to go on the development side, but it'll be
interesting to watch what comes of this acquisition longer-term.
---------------------------------
From: thin-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:thin-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Steve Greenberg
Sent: Monday, August 07, 2006 12:50 PM
To: thin@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [THIN] Re: FYI: Citrix To Acquire Orbital Data, A Leading Provider of
WAN Op timization Solutions
I don't know, we are getting a lot of interest from customer in this area and
we have been told that both Cisco and Riverbed products did not deliver during
testing - maybe Citrix is on to something here....
Steve Greenberg
Thin Client Computing
34522 N. Scottsdale Rd D8453
Scottsdale, AZ 85262
(602) 432-8649
www.thinclient.net
steveg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
---------------------------------
From: thin-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:thin-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Tim Mangan
Sent: Monday, August 07, 2006 7:09 AM
To: thin@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [THIN] Re: FYI: Citrix To Acquire Orbital Data, A Leading Provider of
WAN Op timization Solutions
Or maybe Riverbed, which looks pretty hot right now too.
---------------------------------
From: thin-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:thin-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Landin, Mark
Sent: Monday, August 07, 2006 9:36 AM
To: thin@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [THIN] Re: FYI: Citrix To Acquire Orbital Data, A Leading Provider of
WAN Op timization Solutions
Packeteer, who just bought Tacit, who looked to me like a REAL "leading
provider".
---------------------------------
From: thin-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:thin-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Jim Kenzig http://ThinHelp.com
Sent: Monday, August 07, 2006 7:10 AM
To: thin@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [THIN] Re: FYI: Citrix To Acquire Orbital Data, A Leading Provider of
WAN Op timization Solutions
Wow they have 60 employees to service whopping 75 customers? How does that
make them a leading provider? WTF? I'd be much more excited if they bought
somebody like Packeteer.
JK
"Winslow, Philip" <philip.winslow wrote:
FYI
---------------------------------------
Philip A. Winslow, CFA
CREDIT SUISSE
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