FireWall-1 is a comprehensive security suite

FireWall-1

Powerful Security Suite

FireWall-1 is a fully integrated enterprise security suite that includes access control, user authentication, network address translation, content security, auditing, third-party device management, and more - all of which are managed via a single enterprise policy from a central console.

FireWall-1 Performance Advantage

Not all firewall architectures provide the same level of performance. FireWall-1 is built with Stateful Inspection, a technology patented by Check Point, designed to deliver superior performance with the highest level of network security. Stateful inspection offers multiple performance advantages, such as enhanced throughput from eliminating the burdensome context switching required by older generation, application layer firewalls - there is no need to copy packets between the firewall application and the operating system.

Another performance advantage comes from intercepting all communications below the network layer (layer three of the seven layer OSI network model) which reduces latency. Additionally, a reduction in CPU overhead is achieved by running the Stateful Inspection engine inside the operating system kernel. Together, these technologies give FireWall-1 uncompromising performance in securing today�s connected enterprises.

Measuring Throughput

Throughput, the ability of a firewall to inspect and then forward network traffic, is one of the key performance indicators for a firewall. The process of inspecting network traffic and matching it to a �rule�, which either permits or denies the traffic, should impose as little delay as possible on the speed of the traffic. If the firewall process cannot keep up with the speed of a given network link, bandwidth is wasted. About The Results

FireWall-1 throughput performance results are not meant to be used as a comparison between vendor platforms. No attempt was made to match similar systems in price/performance categories. The systems tested may represent any model in a vendor�s product line, from a high-end system to a low-end system. The numbers listed here are simply representative of certain models within a particular vendor�s product line.

Test Scenario

Testing consisted of defining 100 rules for network traffic matching, with the traffic matched on the 100th rule. Traffic was then generated by 32 clients and throughput measured. Traffic generated was a mix of long HTTP and FTP transactions. All interfaces were 100 Mbps. Where throughput exceeds 100 Mbps, throughput was measured on multiple network interfaces and then aggregated.

System Requirements

Operating Systems: Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 (SP3 & SP4), Sun Solaris 2.6, Solaris 7 (32 bit mode only), HP-UX 10.20, 11. 0 (32 bit mode only), IBM AIX 4.2.1, 4.3.2
Hardware Platform: Check Point VPN-1 Appliances, ODS SecurCom 8000 family, Alcatel (Xylan) switches, Nortel ARN, ASN, BN and System 5000 routers, Nortel Contivity switches
Disk Space: 40 MB
Memory: Management Server & Enforcement Modulezzzzzz, 64MB minimum, 128MB recommended
GUI Client: 32MB
Network Interface: ATM, Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, FDDI, Token Ring
Media: CD-ROM