User's Manual

Wireless Array
20 Introduction
appropriate tools are available to the user to analyze, optimize, and troubleshoot
their changing environments.
The distributed architecture of the Array enables the execution of powerful
wireless and networking analysis at the edge of the network where packets
traverse the wireless-to-wired boundary. The Array includes an embedded
wireless controller with the necessary computing and memory resources to
provide these functions securely at the network's edge.
The key elements of the RAM package include:
 RF Analysis – An embedded Spectrum Analyzer leverages the dedicated
threat sensor radio in each Wireless Array to provide a continual view of
utilization, interference, and errors across all available wireless channels.
 Packet Analysis – Integrated packet capture provides filterable views of
all traffic traversing on the wired and wireless interfaces of the Array.
 Performance Analysis – Embedded traffic generation enables the
throughput of the Array’s wireless or wired interfaces to be analyzed.
 Failure Recovery – Radio Assurance provides an automatic self-test and
self healing mechanism that ensures continuous system operation.
 Netflow Support
 Network Tools: ping, RADIUS ping, traceroute
Xirrus Application Control
The Application Control feature is available on XR Arrays to provide real-time
visibility of application usage by users across the wireless network. Network
usage has changed enormously in the last few years, with the increase in
smartphone and tablet usage stressing networks.
The Array uses Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) to determine what applications are
being used and by whom, and how much bandwidth they are consuming. These
applications are rated by their degree of risk and productiveness. The results are
presented to you both graphically and in tables. Filters may then be put in place to
implement per-application policies that keep network usage focused on
productive uses, eliminating risky and non-business-oriented applications such
as BitTorrent. You can increase the priority of mission-critical applications like