VSS Monitoring has integrated passive and inline monitoring on its network packet brokers, introduced a series of Secure Sockets Layer visibility appliances and added two families of network packet broker appliances as the vendor beefs up its product lineup.

VSS enabled the new monitoring features by meshing vProtector functionality with its vBroker 110 and 220 products. Traditionally vProtector, a packet collector for inline traffic inspection, was a standalone device with fewer features than the vBroker products. VSS introduced blades for its modular vBroker 110 and 220 network packet brokers that add vProtector functionality, thus allowing customers to attach both inline security inspection and passive monitoring tools to the same appliance.

Although the consolidation of vProtector and vBroker delivers more features and functions to customers in need of inline network packet brokers, most companies probably won't connect inline and passive monitoring tools to the same appliance, said Jonah Kowall, research vice president at Gartner. "[They] typically won't fit into a network architecture. Network packet brokers