Other new products at VMworld include that focuses on application performance rather than on the underlying efficiency of individual network links. Specifically, Agility integrates Silver Peak's WAN optimization software for virtual machines called VXOA with VMware vCenter management console.

This enables virtualization admins who lack network knowledge to accelerate particular in a virtual environment without having to muck around with the underlying network, Silver Peak says. They can accelerate using the vCenter interface they are already familiar with. 

Tim Greene covers Microsoft for Network World and writes the Mostly Microsoft blog. Reach him at tgreene@nww.com and follow him on Twitter @Tim_Greene.

in Network World's Data Center section.