DataPower Delivers Accelerator For XML, Web Services Traffic

By Richard Karpinski

DataPower Technology on Monday said it has delivered a network device to speed the performance of XML-based Web services.

The DataPower XA35 XML Accelerator can be deployed either alongside application servers -- which store and deliver Web services -- or downstream in the network from load balancing switches. The XA35 is a slim, diskless networking device that provides full XML processing at wire speed. This lets enterprises move XML processing off expensive servers and onto a speedier, specialized device, DataPower said.

At the same time, the XA35 intelligently interacts with enterprise software so that the XML data is managed and delivered when it is needed.

There's a big difference in moving XML traffic versus traditional network protocols, according to Ron Schmelzer, senior analyst at ZapThink. Ordinary network infrastructures scan packet headers; XML-aware networks can parse, filter, and process the XML content itself, he said. Moving that process to a specialized device can improve application and network performance.

DataPower claims the XA35 accelerates XML processing by 1,000 percent or more. It can also handle spikes in demand when many users start banging on a popular Web service. It can also act as a granular access control device and be set to look out for XML-based denial of service attacks.

The XA35 XML Accelerator is commercially available today; pricing starts at $54,995.