Fluke Networks' latest version of its Network Time Machine (version 8) now offers both instant identification of network versus server problems and root-cause analysis of network and application problems.

The all-in-one, 100% packet capture appliance reduces finger pointing and enables users to much more quickly identify the source of a problem, which means they can work on resolving it faster, said the company.

In addition to the visual fault domain isolation technology, which graphically identifies where problems exist, version 8's new user interface features user-configurable dashboards that automatically identify and display key performance metrics with the ability to instantly drill down into root-cause analysis.

While Fluke stresses the ability to recognize and resolve problems faster as the key attribute, it's more about network professionals starting to catch up compute-side, says Andre Kindness, senior analyst, infrastructure and operations, Forrester Research. He said network people have been on the defensive because they didn't really understand the application side of the business. "Now, we're starting to see tools to reflect applications. The tools in V8 tie back to applications and their implications."

Part of last year's ClearSight acquisition, the Network Time Machine comes in either appliance or tablet form, and provides critical link analysis, storage for data forensics, and back-in-time troubleshooting.

Features include the ClearSight Analyzer, with application-centric analysis, QoS (quality of service) metrics, statistics, and trending charts of application and flow level for buffered and historical data, video/voice over IP metrics, and troubleshooting for enterprise networks, as well as performance certified in excess of 10 Gbps.

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