Cameron Sturdevant

Segue Software Inc. has significantly improved its SilkPerformer V Web application testing and load simulation tool by streamlining test setup procedures and incorporating several innovative analysis utilities. IT managers should consider SilkPerformer V to help with regression testing of complex Web sites that allow numerous user interactions, such as e-storefronts or online information clearinghouses. In […]

It goes without saying that organizations with many Windows systems have been installing a lot of security patches lately. eWeek Labs tests show that harried managers can get some relief from this chore by using Configuresoft Inc.s Security Update Manager. But there are catches. The first is that organizations must already have Configuresofts ECM (Enterprise […]

If taking potshots at enterprise CDNs seems like shooting fish in a barrel during these tough economic times, consider the nutritional value of the dead fish. Content delivery networks inside an organizations firewall may not be ready for prime time, but in the not-too-distant future, they will likely provide the productivity increase and corresponding improved […]

Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. could save a lot of marketing ink on Next Generation Feature Pack 1, its firewall/VPN update, by just saying, “Hey folks, its a lot easier to use.” In eWeek Labs tests, we determined that the add-on Feature Pack 1, at $3,495 for a license to protect 25 IP addresses, is […]

Its not hard to make a Microsoft Visio diagram really messy really quickly. Cougar Technical Solutions GoVisual tidies up worked-over design drawings. In tests, I was able to clean up my old network diagrams in just a few minutes using GoVisual. In some cases, the effect was similar to a painting that had undergone restorative […]

Since the official death earlier this year of network management frameworks including Computer Associates International Inc.s Unicenter TNG, fragmentation is the name of the network monitoring game. IT managers should still push for a framework, despite the dismal failure of these products the first time around. The reasons why are increased productivity and reduced network […]

Whatsup gold, the venerable network monitoring utility from Ipswitch, got a face lift that makes it easier to use than previous versions while adding useful bells and whistles, such as in-depth SNMP device identification. I had WhatsUp Gold up and running within minutes using a variety of network discovery methods. WhatsUp Gold allowed me to […]

Determining whether an existing IP network can support satisfactory voice traffic just got easier with NetIQ Corp.s first release of Chariot VoIP Assessor. In eWeek Labs tests, we easily developed and ran tests that showed us where planned voice implementations were likely to succeed or fail. When VoIP Assessor found problems, it generated reports that […]

Built around the 2.4.8 Linux kernel, Mandrake Linux 8.1 PowerPack fancies itself a full-featured workstation system. In tests, it turned in decent results, but its not clear whether that will be enough to overcome similar advances found in competing open-source offerings from companies such as Red Hat. Mandrake Linux 8.1 PowerPack was a snap to […]

Configuring security devices is one of the most basic and time-consuming aspects of setting up a protection perimeter around IT assets. Organizations that rely on NetScreen Technologies Inc.s hardware, including firewalls and IDSes, should check out versions 3.0 of Global Pro Express and Global Pro. In eWeek Labs tests, Global Pro Express reduced the time […]

Detecting network attacks is as much an art as a science, and thats not likely to change any time soon. There is no lack of systems for detecting security breaches—IT managers can avail themselves of software tools, services and appliances ranging from firewalls to IDSes (intrusion detection systems) to log analysis programs to managed service […]

Intrusion detection and security management is rightly seen as a cost center, but with the right blend of tools and imagination, the costs can be leveraged to reveal significant performance management gains. At eWeek Labs, weve seen that most of the products that provide security services—including detection and nearly every analysis tool—are based either on […]