Application delivery controller vendor Radware on Oct. 9 will announce that it is teaming up with Forum Systems to integrate XML acceleration and security functions into Radware's AppXcel appliances.

The result of their joint development effort will be an optional software module for the AppXcel appliances that combines Forum Systems' XML acceleration, policy-based XML message handling and protection against message-based security threats with the web compression, Secure Sockets Layer server offloading and HTTP multiplexing in the Radware AppXcel appliances.

The integration will obviate the need to buy a separate, stand-alone XML acceleration appliance for users looking to secure and boost the performance of new XML-based service-oriented architecture applications, according to Michelle Blank, chief marketing officer at Radware in Mahwah, N.J.

Resource Library:

"XML is fat and chatty, but it's easy for us to compress those XML messages. We can also do policy-based routing of XML messages and prioritize different messages, simplify switching between servers using our core application message consistency services and [perform] traffic management to make sure XML messages are going to the more appropriate XML server," she said.

The new add-on will be based on Forum Systems' XWall Plus Web services firewall and XML accelerator.

It provides data authentication and XML intrusion prevention to block XML viruses, prevent data corruption and thwart denial of Web service attacks.

The two vendors will port Forum Systems software to Radware's APSolute operating system, which works with Radware's AppXcel and AppDirector application delivery controller appliances.

The modular hardware architecture of the appliances is designed to accommodate new functions without taking a performance hit, according to Blank.

"We separate core application switching capabilities for load balancing and traffic management, and we have a dedicated platform that works together with our application delivery controller to run a host of parallel, integrated functions," she said.

To read more about the Radware hardware architecture, click here.

The Forum Systems software competes with XML acceleration and security offerings from Reactivity and IBM's DataPower acquisition.

The Radware add-on is due by July 2007.

Check out eWEEK.com's for the latest news, views and analysis on servers, switches and networking protocols for the enterprise and small businesses.