Application delivery controller vendor Radware announced Oct. 9 it is teaming up with Forum Systems to integrate XML acceleration and security functions into Radwares AppXcel appliances.
The result of the joint development effort will be an optional software module that combines Forums XML acceleration, policy-based XML message handling and protection against message-based security threats and the Radware AppXcel appliances Web compression, SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) server offloading and HTTP multiplexing.
The integration will obviate the need to buy a separate, stand-alone XML acceleration appliance for users looking to secure and boost the performance of new XML-based SOA (service-oriented architecture) applications, according to Michelle Blank, chief marketing officer at Radware, in Mahwah, N.J.
“XML is fat and chatty, but its easy for us to compress those XML messages,” Blank said. “We can also do policy-based routing of XML messages and prioritize different messages, simplify switching between servers using our core application message consistency services, and [perform] traffic management to make sure XML messages are going to the more appropriate XML server.”
The new add-on will be based on Forums XWall Plus Web services firewall and XML accelerator, which provides data authentication and intrusion prevention for blocking XML viruses, preventing data corruption and thwarting DoS (denial of service) attacks.
The vendors will port Forum software to Radwares APSolute operating system, which works with Radwares AppXcel and AppDirector application delivery controller appliances.
“We separate core application switching capabilities for load balancing and traffic management, and we have a dedicated platform that works together with our application delivery controller to run a host of parallel, integrated functions,” Blank said.
The Forum software competes with XML acceleration and security offerings from Reactivity and IBMs DataPower acquisition.
The Radware add-on is due by July 2007.