The Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess 8550 Web Services Gateway (WSG) is a 2U appliance that is typically deployed in the DMZ (behind the IP firewall) and provides for the organization what the vendor describes as a "network-embedded, services-oriented architecture backbone element." The device acts as a Web Services proxy appliance with a targeted emphasis on those services made available to extranet partners, providing multiple security and compliance related features for the services exposed by the organization. It masks all internally used URLs with externally referenced counterparts.

The device itself is powered by two dual-core Intel Xeon processors (5130), 4 GB of memory, and four GbE ports for the network (a single Ethernet port is available for management). Storage is via a 146 GB RAID 1 SAS array, and redundant power supplies and fans are provided for HA (dual appliance, active/standby deployments are also possible; with the devices connected to one another via a single HA GbE port). SSL/TSL and XML processing are both enhanced via hardware-based accelerators.

Features of the appliance include authentication, with the ability to connect to existing identity directories; cross-partner identification, enabling users from trusted partners to authenticate using their own corporate identifications; the ability to capture and enforce policies based on stateful application sessions based on user identities; the ability to protect application data (access to and changing of) via authorization and/or encryption requirements; auditing of all access to Web services for compliance purposes; message content translation; and Web-based management.

The OmniAccess 8550 Web Services Gateway (WSG) is available now. Pricing is capacity based; a paired-node starts at $125,000.

Contact Alcatel-Lucent for further information.