Profitap Network Observability Platform

Businesses need high-performing and secure networks to support day-to-day operations and foster growth. A healthy cybersecurity posture and optimal user experience on the network depend on the ability to analyze the right traffic insights from the right sources.

Our platform covers all critical aspects, from accessing traffic with TAPs, enhanced filtering, and traffic optimization through Network Packet Brokers (NPBs). Our IOTA solution ensures accurate traffic capture and analysis, enabling real-time insights into network performance and cybersecurity.

? Traffic capture & analysis - IOTA

? Managing & optimizing data flow - NPBs

? Traffic access - TAPs

Profitap offers a broad range of in-house-developed tools that can be tailored to client requirements. This all-in-one approach simplifies the process for companies to implement or upgrade network analysis solutions, allowing them to deploy a complete solution with fail-safe data access, traffic optimization, and traffic capture and analysis capabilities.

View all our solutions in more detail:

? Performance analysis diagnostics

??Network troubleshooting

??Packet forensics

??Network security

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Cost-effectiveness of Network Packet Brokers

Security and performance tools are essential for protecting networks from threats and ensuring efficient operations. However, as networks expand, increased complexity and potential blind spots make it difficult to maintain visibility and control.

Scaling security systems to keep up with network growth can significantly increase operational costs, posing a dilemma for organizations aiming to enhance their security posture without breaking the bank. These tools often have pricing models that scale with the amount of data they process, typically measured in bandwidth.

Network Packet Brokers (NPBs) play a crucial role in optimizing the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of network monitoring and security solutions. Here’s a breakdown of how this pricing model works and how NPBs can save costs.

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IOTA Workflow - Troubleshoot microbursts

Problem description

Short-term overloads in the network, so-called microbursts, can affect the Quality of Service of applications. These are difficult or impossible to detect with conventional methods, such as interface statistics on switches and routers, but also SNMP data. This is because these methods typically only evaluate long time intervals. The analysis of microbursts thus presents IT managers with a real challenge in troubleshooting.

Getting started

The following example gives a step-by-step overview of how microburst analysis can be done using Profitap IOTA.

In the first step, we need to configure the physical interface. To do this, we navigate to the Capture menu in the left menu tree and then to the Interface Configuration section. In the configuration shown, the interface is configured in in-line mode with 10/100/1000 Mbit/s Auto-Negotiation, which means the physical interfaces can see and capture the traffic to be analyzed directly from the in-line link. If the IOTA is to be set up for out-of-band capture, to receive traffic from a TAP or SPAN port, the Inline Mode box must be unticked, and the Save button clicked.

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Monitoring hub-based OT networks

In the rapidly evolving world of industrial automation and control systems, Operational Technology (OT) networks stand out for their unique characteristics and requirements. One of the most striking differences between OT and traditional IT networks is the continued prevalence of hub-based network architectures in many OT environments. This article explores the reasons behind this phenomenon, the benefits of using network TAPs in these environments, and how modern tools like IOTAs Modbus analysis engine are revolutionizing OT network monitoring.

The persistence of hub-based networks in OT

While most IT networks have long since transitioned to switched architectures, many OT networks continue to rely on hub-based topologies. This seemingly outdated approach persists for several compelling reasons:

1. Simplicity and reliability: In industrial settings, simplicity often equates to reliability. Hubs are passive devices with no complex software or configuration requirements, making them less prone to failures that could disrupt critical processes.
2. Deterministic behavior: Many industrial protocols, such as Modbus RTU over serial lines, were designed with deterministic timing in mind. Hub-based networks provide a predictable, collision-based environment that aligns well with these protocols expectations.
3. Legacy system compatibility: Industrial systems often have long lifecycles, sometimes spanning decades. Hub-based networks ensure compatibility with older devices and protocols that may not function correctly in a switched environment.
4. Real-time performance: For certain time-critical applications, the predictable latency of a hub-based network can be preferable to the variable latency introduced by switches, especially in small, localized network segments.
5. Ease of troubleshooting: In a hub environment, all devices see all traffic, which can simplify debugging and monitoring processes for technicians familiar with these systems.

The side-effects of using hub-based networks

Although hub-based networks are still very common and actually more widespread than one might think coming from more IT-based traditional areas, it should be noted that there are also side effects to using them:

1. Only half-duplex:?Hubs are, by design, half-duplex. The physical medium must be reserved for a single communicator to avoid collisions.
2. 100MBit only: Due to the design, introducing a hub into a network automatically reduces the available bandwidth to 100MBit. This is enough for most process applications in OT, though, as typical payload sizes are in a very low byte range, and frames often do not exceed the 64 MByte base length of the basic ethernet frame.

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