Aruba's wireless modules take flight

Addressing demand for improved security and wireless LAN troubleshooting tools, Aruba Wireless Networks on Monday will introduce four new software modules.

Running under the company's AirOS operating system, which ships with its family of Aruba 5000 systems, the new modules are part of a management application dubbed RF Director.

Keerti Melkote, vice president of product management at San Jose, Calif.-based Aruba, said RF Director is a set of tools that the industry was lacking. He likened them to network management tools used in wired networks to ensure availability. They also identify and troubleshoot problems as they arise.

"There aren't many tools out there that do reporting on the entire wireless network," Melkote said. "There was nothing to visualize what was happening in the air besides handheld protocol analyzers."

The four new components are RF Plan, RF Analyze, RF Lock, and an RF Plug-in that feeds information directly to third-party protocol analyzers.

RF Plan helps network administrators plan their wireless deployments based on their floor plans and user needs. RF Analyze monitors the deployed network and captures and analyzes traffic to determine if the network is configured correctly. RF Lock detects APs (access points) installed illegally on the corporate network and protects the network against wireless network-launched attacks by ensuring transmitted is data is coming from a legitimate, authenticated user.

Aruba is not alone in recognizing that customers are seeking guidance in the areas of security and management. San Jose, Calif.-based Cisco Systems has fine-tuned its wireless offering to include CiscoWorks WLSE (WLAN Solutions Engine) 2.0. In addition to WLSE, Cisco has released tools that troubleshoot reoccurring WLAN issues such as AP failures, poor air coverage, or too much interference.