ISPPlanet Cache Review Series - NetApp NetCache C720

Maintenance, NOW, and Support Programs

The Maintenance section of the UI (below, left) supports routine system administration tasks: configuration backup and restore (below, right), software and license installation, and core and packet trace file management. Links to related Configure pages can be used to set the date and time, rotate log files, update routes, and upload SmartFilter files. Core and packet trace files are intended for use by technical support. These could prove very helpful, but at 170 MB compressed, our core file was a bit large to transfer to Network Appliance.

NetCache products include a 90-day software/one year hardware warranty, with 24x7 telephone support and same-day shipment of replacement parts. Several post-warranty plans are available: cooperative (telephone only) support, premium (four hour response time) support, and premium-critical (two hour response time) support. Software upgrades are available through a subscription plan. Support prices are unpublished, but typically run 10% of the product list price for 24x7 telephone, email, and web support, same-day parts shipment, and new software releases. For our C720s, a support tab would run at least $1700.

Customers can register for access to Network Appliance's NOW on-line support site. This site includes on-line trouble reporting and RMA requests, known bugs, field alerts, SNMP MIBs, current software and firmware, service contract and license status, product documentation, tech reports, FAQs, and utilities. Information on scheduled training classes is available; a one-day NetCache class lists for $695. Registered users can subscribe to receive the NOW newsletter, tools discussions, bug notifications, and field alerts by email.

Final Words
We found the NetCache extremely versatile: It proxies many protocols, can be deployed in many roles, and provides considerable control over the data stream through access controls, port-level blocking, and tunneling. Soon, it will even provide content vectoring to third-party servers. But versatility is not without a price. Network Appliance segments additional cost into add-on licenses, but another consequence is management complexity. The NetCache simply has more to manage than most caching products; certainly more than other "appliances". It even took several Network Appliance engineers to address the questions we posed during our evaluation. We do not believe this is a cache for beginners, but experienced admins will appreciate its versatility and granular controls. And once installed, on-going management can be minimal.

 

NetCache C720s $25,950 (as tested) Network Appliance, Inc. Sunnyvale, CA 94089 http://www.netapp.com

 

Introduction/The Platform	Caching Web Objects
DHCP-Assisted Setup	Tuning Your Web Cache
Managing the NetCache	News Caching
Deploying The NetCache	Streaming Multimedia
Authenticated, Controlled Access	Advanced Monitoring <
Maintenance, NOW, and Support Programs/Final Words