BANGALORE, INDIA: Aruba Networks, Inc., a provider of wireless LANs and mobility solutions, announced the launch of its new Virtual Branch Network (VBN) solution.

The VBN can transparently connects remote users with enterprise applications and resources, simplify management of branch offices, clinics, home offices and telecommuter cost effectively. The remote networking market targeted by VBN comprises half of the $11 billion WAN edge market.

The VBN solution includes a new software for data centre-based Aruba Controllers, three new families of wired and wireless Remote Access Points (RAPs) and Branch Office Controllers (BOCs).

Today, networking solutions replicate routing, switching, firewall, and other services at each remote location. The equipment required is expensive and the services are complex to set-up and manage, consuming IT resources during the initial deployment as well as subsequent adds, moves, and changes. Instead of replicating complexity at each remote location, Aruba's VBN solution virtualizes complex tasks at data centre controllers and pushes them to inexpensive RAPs and BOCs for execution. 

A centrally-controlled, policy enforcement firewall in the data centre controller governs user access to the network and its resources by pushing policies to dissolvable firewall agents in every RAP and BOC. These agents automatically enforce the policies for every user and service.

Keerti Melkote, co-founder and chief technology officer, Aruba, said: "The VBN solution lowers the cost, complexity, and IT overhead associated with deploying branch offices and teleworkers. Taking a page from the application virtualization playbook, we are bringing the cost-saving and security benefits of centralized control and management to remote networking. One button installation, zero-touch IT involvement in simple deployments, and a range of elegantly simple and remarkably inexpensive RAPs and BOCs – these are the remedies for the pain points users experience with remote networking today."

Introduced as part of the VBN solution are three new families of remote devices. All of the devices offer policy-based local and remote packet forwarding, and Adaptive Radio Management (ARM) technology for optimized Wi-Fi operation. A diagnostics feature displays status on a simple user interface, and provides one-button debugging and one-button reset to factory defaults. Other key features of the new product families include:

RAP-2 Family: No larger than a deck of playing cards and designed for use by 1 to 5 users, the RAP-2 is ideal for teleworkers, micro-branches, and SOHO applications. An 802.11b/g Wi-Fi radio and two Ethernet ports for use with wired devices, such as VoIP phones. 

RAP-5 Family: The stylish, book-sized RAP-5 includes 5 high-speed Ethernet ports, a USB port for a broadband 3G cellular modem, hardware accelerated encryption, and, optionally, an 802.11n Wi-Fi radio with integrated antennas.

600 Branch Office Controller Family: Designed to be a "branch-in-a-box" for offices with up to 256 users, the 600 family offers a broad range of WAN connectivity, network-attached storage, gigabit Ethernet, power-over-Ethernet (PoE), Express Card, and USB options. An integrated 802.11n Wi-Fi radio option rounds out the package.

A single Aruba 6000 Multi-Service Controller equipped with VBN software will support up to 8,000 RAP or 600 series devices, and up to 32,000 users.