NX-Platform Hardware Installation and Safety
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Note:
The Core Controller can be used with the 2400E and 5000E IPS devices, and with all N-Platform
and NX-Platform devices.
High availability
TippingPoint devices are designed to guarantee that your network traffic always flows at wire speeds in the
event of internal device failure.
The TippingPoint System provides Network High Availability settings for Intrinsic Network HA (INHA)
and Transparent Network HA (TNHA). These options enact manually or automatically, according to
settings you enter using the clients (LSM and SMS) or LCD panel for IPS devices. Zero-Power High
Availability (ZPHA) is available for the IPS as an external modular device, as optional bypass I/O modules
on NX-Platform devices, and for the Core Controller as an optional Smart ZPHA module.
The IPS uses INHA for individual device deployment and TNHA for devices deployed in redundant
configurations in which one device takes over for another in the event of system failure. With INHA, a
failure puts the device into Layer-2 Fallback mode and permits or blocks traffic on each segment. In TNHA,
multiple IPS devices are synchronized so that when one device experiences a system failure, traffic is routed
to the other device with no interruption in intrusion prevention services.
SMS high availability provides continuous administration through an active-passive SMS system
configuration. A passive SMS is configured, synchronized with the active system, and waits in standby mode
and monitors the health of the active system. If the health or communications check of the active system
fails, the passive SMS will be activated.
The ZPHA modular device can be attached to an IPS to route traffic in the event of power loss. Smart
ZPHA modules, which are wired into the device, and bypass I/O modules, which are installed directly into
NX-Platform devices, perform the same function.
Threat Suppression Engine
The Threat Suppression Engine (TSE) is a line-speed hardware engine that contains all the functions needed
for Intrusion Prevention.
TSE features include:
• IP defragmentation
• TCP flow reassembly
• Statistical analysis
• Traffic shaping
• Flow blocking
• Flow state tracking
