Expand Server Consolidation

WIDE AREA FILE SERVICES (WAFS)

• Enable real file server consolidation
• Make CIFS transactions run on the WAN with the performance of the LAN
• Continue to work even if the central server is temporarily unavailable

Why WAFS?

Cost Reduction, Simplification, Business Continuity, Regulatory Compliance

While file access is a large part of running many businesses these days, the complexity and expense of supporting remote file servers is something that many forward-thinking businesses are trying to mitigate. By removing remote file servers, businesses can immediately recoup the cost of hardware and software licenses for these servers -often a compelling Return On Investment (ROI) by itself. Beyond this, the centralization of the file servers also simplifies the infrastructure, removing the costs of supporting those remote servers, reducing the complexity of file synchronization and failover (business continuity), as well as providing much tighter control of the access to these files (regulatory compliance).

With WAFS, Performance is Shouldered by the WAN

The Effects of the WAN on the Remote User

When the file servers are removed from the remote office, the WAN becomes the vehicle for file access; however, this will not be a performance improvement for these remote users. Traversing the WAN, file access is now subjected to the effects of WAN latency. The chatty and inefficient nature of file access protocol such as CIFS often make this effect significant. A file that takes around ten seconds to open on the sub 1 ms latency LAN may take six to seven minutes on a 40 ms latency WAN. The same file over a longer international line (120 ms latency) could easily take over 20 minutes! How effective is a WAFS project if the remote users are quickly becoming annoyed and frustrated every time they access files? How will this experience affect their productivity?

But What if the WAN is Out?

Prior to file server consolidation, should an issue come up with the WAN, remote users could continue to access files on their local file servers, continuing work without interruption. After implementing a WAFS project, should the WAN experience problems, remote users might not be able to access their files. Without access to the network, remote users may not have the tools they need to work. How productive can they be in this environment?

The Expand Effect on WAFS

Maintain LAN-like Performance and Safety

With a pioneering foundation in WAN management, Expand understands how to optimize the WAN for high performance. Start by mitigating the effects of latency in file access with Expand's Domain-based CIFS acceleration and file caching that works in concert with Domain security and access control. Next, add in the highly reliable and standard's based TCP acceleration to further improve remote file access speed. With latency under control, make sure this optimization will always work in real-world environments by managing the WAN with QoS and improving its efficiency with compression. Finally, should anything happen to the WAN, Expand's WAN-Out capability will provide remote users with uninterrupted access to the files they were working on, and being part of the Domain, will do this while continuing to enforce security and access control

An Integrated Solution

FileBank and FileBank Director

Your WAFS-Ready Accelerators (4900 and 6900 series) are just a software upgrade away from providing the most complete WAFS solution in the marketplace. Add a FileBank license to your remote office Accelerators and add the FileBank Director license to your datacenter Accelerators for a solution that not only brings the traditional WAFS optimizations, but also incorporates all of the other WAN optimization and application acceleration technology to make sure your solution is ready and working for the real world. Since remote file servers often host your local print and DHCP services, FileBank also includes DHCP services as well as a print server. This integrated solution will enable you to reach the full potential of your WAFS project, meeting all of the needs of the business, while simultaneously delivering the performance your remote users demand.

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