SolarWinds Technical Reference
network management simplified -solarwinds.com
Riverbed and SolarWinds
WAN Optimization
Introduction ...3
Using the WAN Optimization Reports...3
Downloading and Saving Your Reports...3
Specifying Traffic Optimized Interfaces ...3
Viewing the WAN Optimization Report ...5
Understanding Your Reports ...6
Using Orion NTA for Detailed Traffic Analysis ...6
Conclusion ...7
This document provides step-by-step instructions for leveraging SolarWinds Orion Network Performance Monitor to generate reports that track and validate wide area network (WAN) traffic optimization from Riverbed
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Riverbed and SolarWinds WAN Optimization 3
Introduction
SolarWinds Orion Network Performance Monitor provides several WAN Optimization reports that make it easy to view traffic usage by bytes, packets, and % optimized before and after Riverbed Steelhead appliance optimization. By following the configuration steps described within this document, you can view these Orion reports in minutes on the Orion Web Console.
You can also use the Orion NetFlow Traffic Analyzer (Orion NTA) module to view traffic flows throughout the network, including optimized WAN links. Orion NTA allows you to view realtime and historical trending data by protocol, IP address, and application across different network links.
Using the WAN Optimization Reports
The following sections walk you through obtaining, setting up, and populating the Orion WAN Optimization reports.
Downloading and Saving Your Reports
The SolarWinds WAN Optimization reports can be found within the SolarWinds Customer Portal in the Orion Additional Components section. You can also locate these reports in the SolarWinds Customer Forum at www.thwack.com (Content Sharing Zone > Orion Custom Reports).
Extract the contents of the SolarWinds WAN Optimization.zip to the
..\Program Files\SolarWinds\Orion\Reports folder or your custom reports folder.
Specifying Traffic Optimized Interfaces
You use the Orion Custom Property Editor to specify your optimized interfaces. To label your interfaces with the Custom Property Editor:
1. Launch the Custom Property Editor by clicking Start > All Programs > SolarWinds Orion > Advanced Features > Custom Property Editor.
2. Click Add on the menu bar.
3. Click Build a Custom Property from scratch, and then specify the following entries in the appropriate fields:
Field Selection
Add Property to Interfaces
Property Name OptimizedInterfaceID
Property Type Integer Number
4. Click OK on the Add Custom Properties window.
6. Click OK.
7. Click Interfaces on the menu bar…
8. If your Steelhead appliance is not behind a firewall, complete the following procedure:
a. Locate and copy the InterfaceID of the Inbound WAN Interface for the router. The inbound interface is connected on the WAN side of the Riverbed Steelhead appliance.
b. Paste the InterfaceID into the OptimizedInterfaceID column of the Inbound LAN Interface of your Steelhead appliance. The LAN interface receives all LAN traffic bound for a destination across the WAN.
Riverbed and SolarWinds WAN Optimization 5
9. If your Steelhead appliance is behind a firewall, complete the following procedure:
a. Locate and copy the InterfaceID of the Inbound WAN Interface for the firewall. The inbound interface is connected on the WAN side of the Riverbed Steelhead appliance.
b. Paste the InterfaceID into the OptimizedInterfaceID column of the Inbound LAN Interface of your Steelhead appliance. The LAN interface receives all LAN traffic bound for a destination across the WAN.
c. Repeat Steps a through b for each configuration matching this configuration. 10. Click File > Exit.
Viewing the WAN Optimization Report
You can view your report in either Orion Report Writer or in the Orion Web Console.
Viewing Your Report in Orion Report Writer
The following procedure walks you through viewing your WAN Optimization report in Orion Report Writer. To view your report:
1. Launch the Orion Report Writer by clicking Start > All Programs > SolarWinds Orion > Report Writer.
2. Navigate to the WAN Optimization Traffic reports in the left pane. The following WAN Optimization Traffic reports are available: Last Hour, Last 2 Hours, Last 24 Hours, and Last 7 Days.
3. Click the report you want to view, and then click Preview.
Viewing Your Report in the Orion Web Console
The following procedure walks you through viewing your WAN Optimization report in the Orion Web Console.
To view your report:
1. Launch the Orion Web console by clicking Start > All Programs > SolarWinds Orion > Orion Web Console.
2. Log on to the Web Console. The account must have access to the folder in which the WAN Optimization reports are located.
Hours, Last 24 Hours, and Last 7 Days. 4. Click the report you want to view.
Note: Ensure you save WAN Traffic Optimization reports to the appropriate Reports directory. If you are having difficulty viewing your reports in the Orion Web Console, check that they have been saved to the appropriate location.
Understanding Your Reports
The following notes may help you further understand the information provided in your WAN Optimization reports:
• Traffic originating from the LAN and terminating at the Riverbed Steelhead appliance is reflected in the Inbound LAN Interface statistics, not in the Inbound WAN Interface statistics. SNMP, ICMP, and Telnet traffic has minimal impact.
• WAN Traffic originating from the Riverbed Steelhead appliance is reflected in the Inbound WAN Interface statistics, not in the Inbound LAN Interface statistics. SNMP, ICMP, and Telnet traffic has minimal impact.
Using Orion NTA for Detailed Traffic Analysis
The Orion NetFlow Traffic Analyzer (Orion NTA) module can be used to view traffic flows throughout the network, including your optimized WAN links. Orion NTA allows you to view realtime and historical trending data by protocol, IP address, and application across different network links.
Orion NTA helps network administrators answer questions the following questions: • Which applications are consuming network bandwidth?
Riverbed and SolarWinds WAN Optimization 7
• Should I install a WAN optimization device and why?
• What is the historical trend of bandwidth over the WAN and within my LAN? • When my network is running hot, what is going on?
Conclusion
Orion WAN Optimization reports are freely available in the Orion Custom Reports section of the Community Sharing Zone on the SolarWinds community site, Thwack.com. The combination of Orion WAN Optimization reports and Orion NTA provides demonstrable value for anyone considering deploying, currently deploying, or has already deployed WAN optimization devices. Network administrators can easily monitor the bandwidth savings and response time benefits of their WAN
optimization devices and ensure ongoing tracking and metrics are met using the full network performance management capabilities of Orion.
