Riverbed Technology announced the introduction of its single appliance with integrated application aware network performance management (aaNPM) and application performance management (APM).
This solution provides end-to-end performance management from deep dive packet and network analysis through application transactions and end user experience (EUE).
With this release, customers now have a single solution to help maximize the performance, availability, and productivity of their critical applications.
Included in this announcement is Shark module for AppResponse Xpert, bringing network intelligence to application performance, and the AppResponse Xpert integration with Profiler appliance and Pilot software, bringing application insights into overall performance management.
AppResponse Xpert with the Shark module combines end-user experience, application transaction analysis, and deep network intelligence in a single, unified appliance for streamlined monitoring and troubleshooting of performance issues across application tiers, global networks, and diverse user devices. Giving IT operations teams visibility into areas where issues may occur helps them identify and diagnose situations quickly to minimize application downtime.
In addition, Riverbed is introducing the new, AppResponse Xpert 6000 appliance for demanding, high-performance application infrastructures.
Together, these new capabilities overcome the challenges in delivering consistent and reliable application performance as enterprises virtualize their data centers, consolidate branch offices, and support more mobile end users.
"The worlds of APM and NPM must come together if IT organizations are going to be successful in making the transition to application-centric operations," said Jim Frey, vice president at Enterprise Management Associates. "With this announcement, Riverbed shows it is on track following the OPNET acquisition to deliver solid, integrated products that make APM/NPM convergence a reality.”
Cascade Shark Module for OPNET AppResponse Xpert
In addition to the existing stand alone Cascade Shark solution, the optional Cascade Shark module for AppResponse Xpert adds the rich network intelligence Cascade Shark provides to supplement the existing end-user experience monitoring and transaction analysis provided by AppResponse Xpert.
Adding the Cascade Shark module creates a single, unified appliance that combines end-user experience, application transaction analysis, and deep network intelligence and eliminates the need to deploy multiple appliances in the same location.
In addition, the Cascade Shark module accelerates network troubleshooting with streamlined workflows and deeper network insight.
OPNET AppResponse Xpert Integration with Cascade Profiler and Cascade Pilot
With this announcement, AppResponse Xpert can send data to Cascade Profiler. This data, combined with data received from Cascade Gateways, Cascade Shark appliances and virtual software, and Riverbed Steelhead appliances, provides end-to-end visibility and enables global monitoring and troubleshooting. This now enables the Cascade Profiler’s enterprise-wide performance management interface and workflow to integrate directly into and with AppResponse Xpert.
Additionally, Cascade Pilot software is unified and integrated with AppResponse Xpert and AppTransaction Xpert to streamline troubleshooting and help the flow of data between the two products. Packet analysis software, Cascade Pilot enables users to quickly analyze multi-terabyte packet recordings on remote AppResponse Xpert appliances (in addition to Cascade Shark appliances and virtual software, and Riverbed Steelhead products) without transferring large packet capture files across the network. It also streamlines the process of opening large packet files in AppTransaction Xpert.
OPNET AppResponse Xpert 6000 Appliance
The AppResponse Xpert 6000 appliance provides the storage and high-speed analysis needed to keep up with higher speed networks and to retain packet data longer. The AppResponse Xpert 6000 is an appliance that processes and writes to disk at up to 2x10Gbps line rates and provides 48TB of packet storage, expandable to 264TB.
The Latest
Regardless of their scale, business decisions often take time, effort, and a lot of back-and-forth discussion to reach any sort of actionable conclusion ... Any means of streamlining this process and getting from complex problems to optimal solutions more efficiently and reliably is key. How can organizations optimize their decision-making to save time and reduce excess effort from those involved? ...
As enterprises accelerate their cloud adoption strategies, CIOs are routinely exceeding their cloud budgets — a concern that's about to face additional pressure from an unexpected direction: uncertainty over semiconductor tariffs. The CIO Cloud Trends Survey & Report from Azul reveals the extent continued cloud investment despite cost overruns, and how organizations are attempting to bring spending under control ...
According to Auvik's 2025 IT Trends Report, 60% of IT professionals feel at least moderately burned out on the job, with 43% stating that their workload is contributing to work stress. At the same time, many IT professionals are naming AI and machine learning as key areas they'd most like to upskill ...
Businesses that face downtime or outages risk financial and reputational damage, as well as reducing partner, shareholder, and customer trust. One of the major challenges that enterprises face is implementing a robust business continuity plan. What's the solution? The answer may lie in disaster recovery tactics such as truly immutable storage and regular disaster recovery testing ...
IT spending is expected to jump nearly 10% in 2025, and organizations are now facing pressure to manage costs without slowing down critical functions like observability. To meet the challenge, leaders are turning to smarter, more cost effective business strategies. Enter stage right: OpenTelemetry, the missing piece of the puzzle that is no longer just an option but rather a strategic advantage ...
Amidst the threat of cyberhacks and data breaches, companies install several security measures to keep their business safely afloat. These measures aim to protect businesses, employees, and crucial data. Yet, employees perceive them as burdensome. Frustrated with complex logins, slow access, and constant security checks, workers decide to completely bypass all security set-ups ...
In MEAN TIME TO INSIGHT Episode 13, Shamus McGillicuddy, VP of Research, Network Infrastructure and Operations, at EMA discusses hybrid multi-cloud networking strategy ...
In high-traffic environments, the sheer volume and unpredictable nature of network incidents can quickly overwhelm even the most skilled teams, hindering their ability to react swiftly and effectively, potentially impacting service availability and overall business performance. This is where closed-loop remediation comes into the picture: an IT management concept designed to address the escalating complexity of modern networks ...
In 2025, enterprise workflows are undergoing a seismic shift. Propelled by breakthroughs in generative AI (GenAI), large language models (LLMs), and natural language processing (NLP), a new paradigm is emerging — agentic AI. This technology is not just automating tasks; it's reimagining how organizations make decisions, engage customers, and operate at scale ...
In the early days of the cloud revolution, business leaders perceived cloud services as a means of sidelining IT organizations. IT was too slow, too expensive, or incapable of supporting new technologies. With a team of developers, line of business managers could deploy new applications and services in the cloud. IT has been fighting to retake control ever since. Today, IT is back in the driver's seat, according to new research by Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) ...