F5 Introduces Application-Layer Intelligence to SDN Services

F5 Networks (News - Alert), Inc. has confirmed its intention to take over LineRate Systems. F5 will now be able to avail LineRate’s layer 7+ networking services technology, intellectual property and engineering aptitude. F5’s assurance in offering the finest service agility, application intellect and programmability to software-defined data centers will be further extended due to the acquisition.

In a statement, Karl Triebes, EVP, Product Development and CTO at F5 said, “F5’s vision is to enable application-layer SDN services for software-defined data centers, providing our customers with unprecedented automation, orchestration and control. Extreme scale of applications, infrastructure and services will be vital to SDN, core to F5, and the key to customers realizing the benefits of software-defined data centers.”

“LineRate’s programmable network capabilities and innovations in layer 7 will bolster our efforts to extend F5’s market leadership in these areas,” he said, “and we are very pleased to welcome the LineRate team to F5.”

Protection, acceleration, optimization and smart traffic management services at the application layer are important for flourishing SDN architectures. Application-layer services are very important to fulfill customers’ demands of flexibility, scale and performance, and to offer considerable competitive benefits. F5’s idea for application control plane architecture is in line with the LineRate purchase.

F5’s objective of offering application-layer SDN services to deliver best-in-class agility, application intelligence and programmability to software-defined data centers will also be supported by the acquisition.

Software providing layer 7+ network services are made available by LineRate Systems. Currently in the nascent stage of development, LineRate’s software-defined solution will eventually be a crucial component of F5’s wide assortment of development initiatives especially on software-defined data centers.

Manish Vachharajani, cofounder and chief software architect at LineRate said, “In order to reap the benefits of software defined data centers, programmable, scalable network services must be present throughout the entire network stack—up to the application layer. We recognize that the SDN fabric may be good at layer 2-4, but ultimately customers care most about the applications. The LineRate team is excited to join F5 and looks forward to helping F5 accelerate development initiatives in this important market.”

The terms of purchase have not been revealed by F5 Networks.