Key Features

Observer Platform

Authentication

Do team members using the probe have valid credentials? NIMS determines clearance levels for users accessing the network via an internal list or using third-party integration with technologies like RADIUS, Active Directory, TACACS+, and more.

Authorization

Who has permission to carry out which requested actions? Actions include: probe connections, capture initiation, and more. NIMS defines role-based permissions and group policies, helping you lock down security.

Auditing and Accounting

Know how users access resources: What if someone connects to GigaStor, begins a capture, and uses a filter looking for "confidential.doc"? NIMS logs username, IP address, probe connection, and complete activity history.

Version Control, including Centralized License Distribution

Standardize Observer console and probe versions across the enterprise. NIMS version control functionality upgrades and downgrades any probe or console as needed or desired. And when new versions that require license changes are released, these can be distributed via NIMS, automating the entire upgrade process.

NIMS also provides options if you want to control the upgrade schedule, like choosing to upgrade only major releases. NIMS centralized licensing allows you to:

• Grant licenses on a first-come, first-serve basis
• Quickly and efficiently authorize multiple Observer products
• Manage multiple types of licenses such as Observer Expert, Observer Suite, and software or hardware probes

Security and Failover Protection

NIMS also protects analysis tools against connection failures. With redundant NIMS in place, real-time analysis and distributed visibility continue even if the primary NIMS becomes unavailable. With this option, console and probe communication is secure and uninterrupted.

Analysis Tools with NIMS

NIMS offers a centralized repository of tools like filters, commonly used by administrators to ensure only relevant data is displayed or collected – ultimately speeding troubleshooting and analysis. Our technology ensures secure NIMS-probe communication by encrypting all data sent across the network. It also provides integrated multi-vendor support for centralized hardware security modules (HSMs), securely managing SSL keys for encryption analysis, reinforcing compliance initiatives. 

With NIMS, it's easy to share filter libraries between probes and across the network with other Observer users. Upload or download filter lists to or from NIMS as often as needed.

Share filters with Observer users:

• Share your organization's application definitions database among consoles and probes. This benefits your enterprise because key solutions configurations are centralized and shared for standardization and control – creating enterprise-wide network consistency.

Platform Integration

NIMS is an integrated part of the Observer single platform family of products.

To establish centralized probe management control, NIMS connects with all Observer probes, including software, hardware, and GigaStor.

How are Probes Deployed?

NIMS can be deployed as an appliance with pre-installed software, or you can install NIMS software on your own hardware.

Best Practices:

• NIMS should ideally be deployed in a datacenter with other servers. It requires a centrally located placement so probes and consoles have fast, reliable access for authentication, content sharing, and other functions.
• NIMS works with the entire Observer family of products to provide simplified enterprise-wide management of these systems.

What's New?

NIMS Enhanced Hardware Security Module (HSM) Support

NIMS provides Observer users with simple decryption of SSL traffic for rapid troubleshooting without placing the SSL certificate at risk. NIMS now works seamlessly with any HSM vendor module that supports the Public Key Cryptography Standards (PKCS) #11 standard. With NIMS, comprehensive service monitoring in an encrypted environment is always fast and secure.

Native IPv6 Communications

Get advanced support for IPv6 environments. As you shift to IPv6-based networks, our solutions provide native IPv6 communications options within pure IPv6 and mixed IPv6/IPv4 environments.

Technical Specifications

• Available as a software package
• Available as a 1.3U rack appliance
• Minimum 1 Ghz system with 512 MB RAM, Windows 2000, XP, or 2003