Gigamon launches platform to improve application visibility

Gigamon Inc. has launched Gigamon Application Metadata Intelligence, a platform that aims to give all of an organization's tools better visibility into applications. Gigamon AMI has more than 5,000 applications-related attributes extracted from network packet data. According to Gigamon, this enables security, networking and analytics tools to identify and troubleshoot performance and security trouble spots.

AMI has pre-built connectors to analytics tools including Splunk Enterprise and IBM QRadar, to enable organizations to more easily access metadata. The platform also comes with pre-configured templates that aim to simplify integration with common use cases such as user and session tracking, video quality monitoring and International Mobile Equipment Identity devices. Additional integration through third-party tools such as FireEye, Plixer, Viavi, Flowmon and WitFoo is also available.

Gigamon identifies the following specific use cases:

• Network performance: The platform aims to help users troubleshoot server and file access performance issues by using error resource codes;
• Application performance: AMI monitors round-trip SQL query time to and from a MongoDB instance;
• Operational technology communications: Gigamon's platform isolates traffic and extracts intelligence for OT-related communications in an effort to help tools better focus on machine-to-machine communications for use cases such as healthcare, finance and industrial control systems; and
• Security and threat detection: Gigamon claims its AMI platform provides a more precise identification of command-and-control attacks, weak or old cyphers for encryption and out-of-date certifications.

The Gigamon platform will compete with companies such as Apcon and NetScout in the security and application visibility market.

Apcon offers more than 10 products that provide visibility into attacks and focus on the security of physical, private and public cloud networks. The products fall under four main categories: on premises, cloud, management and taps and failover.

NetScout produces application and network performance management products for enterprises, government agencies and telecommunications service providers. Included in its portfolio are nGeniusOne, nGeniusPulse and OptiView XG, all designed for enterprise application and network performance management. NetScout also offers the ISNG platform, vStream and packet flow switches under its smart visibility products.