Observer GigaStor

Enable end-user experience scoring with the best packet capture, analysis, and storage solution in the industry - empowering IT teams with in-depth network conversation details for troubleshooting, performance optimization, and security investigations.
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GigaStor is the authoritative source of packet-level insights for the Observer Platform, capturing and retaining every network conversation for real-time and retrospective analysis. These high-fidelity packet insights power patented End-User Experience (EUE) scoring in Observer Apex, providing critical individual and enterprise-wide visibility into IT service health and simplifying complex troubleshooting when problems arise.

As the industry leader in back-in-time analysis, GigaStor eliminates the guesswork of recreating events. Teams can navigate to the exact moment of a performance anomaly or security breach—before, during, and after—to conduct forensic-level investigations and root-cause analysis with precision.

With flexible, scalable deployment and storage options, GigaStor delivers high-performance packet capture and forensic visibility—enabling NetOps, SecOps, and DevOps to collaborate using a shared source of truth.

GigaStor offers the following features and benefits:

  • Line-rate packet capture at up to 60 Gbps, validated independently, with support for 100 Gb network environments
  • Scalable storage beyond five petabytes with AES-256 data-at-rest encryption for regulatory compliance and long-term visibility
  • Custom analytics and deep-packet inspection for detailed performance and security investigations
  • 100 percent duty-cycle capture over five years with fault-tolerant hardware, ensuring not a single packet is dropped
  • Compact form factor and reduced cost per TB, designed to minimize data center footprint and total cost of ownership
  • GigaStor software versions can be deployed on-premises or used to extend packet-level visibility into cloud 

Additional resources:


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Observer GigaStor Calculator

Use the GigaStor calculator to estimate what size is right for your organization.

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  • GigaStor Software Version

    GigaStor Software Version (GSV) can be deployed on-premises or in Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform (GCP) environments. Offering similar analytics and back-in-time capabilities of GigaStor appliances, GigaStor Software Version increases deployment flexibility in hybrid environments.

    GigaStor Software Version is now available as an AWS AMI
    Maintain service observability when deploying applications to AWS Look for GigaStor Cloud Edition on AWS Marketplace.

  • GigaStor M – Metadata Probe

    GigaStor M is a metadata-only high-performance, cost-effective, scalable solution that delivers packet-derived insights from the network edge to the data center core. With GigaStor M, VIAVI delivers flexibility and choice in how you instrument your IT environment.

  • Flexible Storage, Scalable Deployment

    From compact 1RU appliances for branch offices to five petabyte solutions for data centers, GigaStor adapts to any environment with right-sized deployment options.. GigaStor delivers scalable packet capture with efficient use of rack space and a wide variety of storage configurations.

  • Root-Cause Analysis

    GigaStor enables both long-term storage and high-speed root-cause analysis—supporting more than five petabytes of storage. IT teams can quickly isolate and investigate performance issues or security incidents by drilling down from an enterprise-wide view to individual conversations, ensuring faster resolution and reduced impact on users and services. 

  • Unique Enclosure Designs

    GigaStor appliances are built on a custom-configured foundation, tuned to deliver the best packet capture, analysis, and reliability in the industry. Available in 2U and 4U enclosures or an exclusive portable formfactor for fast, take-anywhere troubleshooting. GigaStor appliances are developed to support five years of uninterrupted, 100% duty-cycle, line-rate capture without dropping a single packet for the ultimate in network conversation visibility and peace of mind.

  • Network Security Forensics

    GigaStor passively records all network traffic at full fidelity, enabling detailed forensic analysis of past activity when performance or security incidents occur. It supports post-event investigations by enabling teams to reconstruct the mined data—including web sessions, VoIP calls, and email content—to determine the scope of a breach and identify compromised assets. By integrating with existing solutions, GigaStor enhances incident response and supports regulatory compliance with court-admissible packet evidence. 

  • Compact GigaStor 24TB

    The GigaStor line has been expanded to offer a new 24TB unit in a sleek 2U form factor. Field expandable to 48TB, it’s the perfect solution for large enterprise network edge/large branch deployments or for mid-size organizations seeking high-performance, cost-effective packet capture and retention

Observer GigaStor is designed to maintain comprehensive network visibility in today’s hybrid IT environments providing back-in-time peace-of-mind for performance issues and investigating possible security breaches.

For on-premises, Observer GigaStor appliance and virtual editions are ideal. Appliances, designed in a standard rack form-factor are easy to install and are available in multiple capacities and capture speeds for deployment from the data center core to the edge. GigaStor Virtual, Software Edition (GSE) can be flexibly installed in Windows environment as a VM or on a laptop for on-demand troubleshooting anywhere.

GigaStor Virtual, Cloud Edition (GCE) is an AWS AMI and is tuned for AWS environments. Tuned specifically for easy deployment in AWS environments, GCE enables IT teams to maintain service visibility when moving applications to AWS.

For even more deployment flexibility, GigaStor M provides a high-performance, metadata-only option that extends packet-derived visibility from branch offices to the core. Designed to work alongside GigaStor and Observer Apex, GigaStor M supports end-user experience (EUE) scoring in remote or distributed locations and enhances write-to-storage performance when paired with GigaStor appliances.

Observer GigaStor tightly integrates with the entire Observer platform

Observer Platform Architecture
 

Choose the right Observer GigaStor for your organization's size and needs.

VIAVI offers multiple GigaStor options in various form factors, network speeds, port counts, and capacities that range from one terabyte to more than five petabytes. For more information beyond the appliance summary shown below, use the GigaStor Calculator, or contact a VIAVI Solutions sales expert.


All Observer GigaStor Appliances

GigaStor is designed to integrate with Observer Apex. In addition, the appliances include a local Observer Analyzer Expert Edition console and can connect to any Analyzer Expert or Suite Edition. To ensure the highest performance packet capture and mining, all appliance and portable models use VIAVI Solutions custom designed capture card. Note, depending on the model, appliances support gigabit, 10 Gb, 40 Gb, and 100 Gb network interfaces.

GigaStor Form Factor Storage Capacity
GigaStor Virtual 256 GB-64 TB
GigaStor Branch 8 TB (SSD)
GigaStor Appliance (2U) 24 TB to 1.2 PB
GigaStor Appliance (4U) 192 TB-1.2 PB
ObserverONE 72 TB

  • GigaStor Branch

    Packet level visibility for your remote sites.
    GigaStor Branch rack-based appliances are available in 1U with a capture rate of 2 Gbps and storage capacity of 22 TB of data.

  • GigaStor Appliance

    Scale up to a petabyte and beyond
    GigaStor rack-based appliances are available in 2U and 4U enclosures in a variety of capacities, port counts, and supported storage capacities from 24TB to 1.2PB and network speeds from 1Gb, 10Gb, 40Gb and 100Gb.

  • GigaStor Virtual

    GigaStor Virtual is now available in two types: GigaStor Cloud Edition (GCE) and GigaStor Software Edition (GSE).  Offering similar analytics and back-in-time capabilities of GigaStor appliances, GCE and GSE increases deployment flexibility. GSE, available in various capacities is for on-premises use cases such as branch offices (which may not require a GigaStor appliance) or for flexible troubleshooting anywhere when installed on a laptop.  GCE is an AWS AMI and is tuned for AWS environments, ensuring IT teams maintain service visibility when moving applications to the cloud.

  • ObserverONE

    The all-in-one VIAVI solution that enables IT teams to gain the powerful security and performance insights of the entire Observer 3D platform. This upgradable appliance combines Apex end-user experience scoring with GigaStor industry leading packet capture and GigaFlow enriched flow analysis, offering great network observability at a modest price point and minimal footprint

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