Meru Networks says the latest version of its wireless networkmanager records every client-network wireless protocol interactionrather than merely gathering aggregate statistics. E(z)RF Network Manager 2.0is a “fundamentally new approach to WLAN management”, the Sunnyvale,Calif., company says, using continuous event recording, data mining anda knowledge-based inference engine to reduce troubleshooting time fromdays to minutes.
With knowledge of every past RF event, the system allows networkmanagers to “rewind” the WLAN, recreating past event sequences toquickly pinpoint the causes of client
problems, says Meru. The system also automatically correlates acrossall recorded events to make highly accurate inferences about problemsthat may not yet have even been reported.
E(z)RF Network Manager 2.0 can manage up to 25,000 access points and hundreds of controllers
across multiple geographic regions. From a single console, users canrapidly drill down and view activity details at each level of theinfrastructure: controllers, access points (APs) and individualwireless client devices.
E(z)RF Network Manager 2.0 is available immediately. Softwaresupporting 50 APs is priced at $4,995, and requires a Meru SA1000Service Appliance priced at US$6,995. A visualization package providingnetwork-wide heatmaps is available as an add-on option, priced atUS$4,995 for 50 APs.
The company also announced E(z)RF OnTheGo, a wireless LAN management application for the
Apple iPhone. It lets network administrators view customized dashboards, receive high-
priority alerts, and do anywhere/anytime management from an iPhone overa Wi-Fi or cellular network. An add-on option to E(z)RF Network Manager2.0, OnTheGo will be a free download to any Meru customer with aservice contract that application. After that OnTheGo will cost US$499per user licence.