See every packet and resolve issues faster
Packet-level visibility and network forensics for hybrid enterprise networks
Key takeawaysKey takeaways are generated with AI assistance. Because automated summaries can occasionally contain errors or miss important context, always refer to the full blog post for complete information.The article describes BlueCat LiveWire, a packet capture and network forensics platform that delivers packet-level visibility across hybrid enterprise networks to solve gaps left by flow records, metrics, and logs. It addresses real-world problems of distributed applications and users across data centers, cloud, SD-WAN, and remote sites by enabling NetOps and SecOps to capture, retain, and analyze packets for faster root-cause analysis, validated application behavior, and stronger security investigations, reducing mean time to resolution. The platform is available as physical, virtual, and cloud appliances with centralized management via LiveWire Grid and flexible licensing to scale for branches, data centers, and WAN edges.
What operational benefits does LiveWire provide when integrated with LiveNX?
When integrated with LiveNX, LiveWire automatically converts packet captures into enriched flow records, enabling seamless navigation between high-level flow analytics and packet-level forensics. This workflow lets network teams pivot from trend-based or anomaly detection in LiveNX to packet evidence in LiveWire to validate application behavior, establish precise timelines, and confirm root cause without requiring intermittent reproductions. The combined solution accelerates troubleshooting, reduces mean time to resolution, and improves operational efficiency by correlating flow telemetry with full packet data and expert-guided analysis.
What deployment options and management features are available for LiveWire?
LiveWire supports physical, virtual, cloud, and remote capture appliances (Remote Packet Capture Engine for Windows and Linux) with subscription or pay-as-you-go licensing to scale to organizational needs. Physical appliances offer high performance for large data centers and WAN edges, while virtual and cloud offerings provide flexible scaling; LiveWire Edge targets small or remote offices with a small-form-factor, no-moving-parts appliance for simple deployment. Centralized administration is provided by LiveWire Grid, a SaaS management layer that offers single-console configuration, mass updates, cloud backup and restore, single sign-on, and centralized wireless configuration and packet capture management to lower TCO and simplify operations.
What packet capture, forensic, and security capabilities does LiveWire offer for investigations and compliance?
LiveWire provides lossless packet capture and deep Layer 2–7 inspection with the ability to capture, retain, and analyze large packet repositories across data centers, cloud, SD-WAN, branches, and remote sites. It includes expert-guided investigations with advanced visualizations and built-in workflows to quickly identify application, network, and security issues, supports searching large archives for incident investigation and compliance, and enables analysis of both encrypted and unencrypted traffic using packet-driven analytics. Forensic capture capacities vary by device (capture-to-disk rates and effective storage), enabling teams to build timelines, understand impact, and accelerate forensic investigations with complete packet evidence.
The solution: LiveWire
BlueCat LiveWire is a packet capture and network forensics platform that delivers deep packet visibility across hybrid enterprise environments. It enables NetOps and SecOps teams to investigate application, network, and security issues using packet-level evidence, accelerating troubleshooting and improving operational effciency.
Available as physical, virtual, and cloud-based appliances, LiveWire captures and retains packet data across critical network segments. Integrated with LiveNX, it transforms packets into enriched flow records and enables teams to move seamlessly between flow analytics and packet-level forensics, reducing mean time to resolution.
Features
Packet capture and analysis
Capture, retain, and analyze packet data across physical, virtual, and cloud environments with lossless recording and deep Layer 2–7 inspection.
Expert-guided investigations
Accelerate troubleshooting using advanced visualizations, correlation capabilities, and built-in workflows that help identify application, network, and security issues quickly.
LiveNX integration
Convert packet data into enriched flow records automatically and move seamlessly between network observability and packet-level forensic analysis.
Flexible deployment and management
Deploy packet capture wherever visibility is needed using physical appliances, virtual instances, cloud marketplaces, and Remote Packet Capture Engine for Windows and Linux. Centrally manage deployments through LiveWire Grid.
Security and compliance
Search large packet repositories to investigate incidents, support compliance requirements, and analyze encrypted and unencrypted traffic using packet-driven analytics.
LiveWire Grid
LiveWire Grid is a software-as-a-service solution that simplifies and scales the management and administration of LiveWire devices,
no matter how many are deployed. With LiveWire Grid, you get:
- Centralized management for physical, virtual, or cloud devices
- Simple installation and low total cost of ownership
- Single console for configuration and mass updates
- Cloud-based backup and restore
- Single sign-on and improved user experience
- Centralized wireless configuration management and packet capture across large-scale wireless environments
Tuned for your specific needs
LiveWire includes physical, virtual, and cloud offerings and can be deployed based on your network’s specific needs. LiveWire physical appliances offer massive scalability and performance to support network operations for the largest networks, from branch offices to large data centers to the WAN edge. LiveWire virtual and cloud offerings scale with your needs and deliver the flexibility required in these networking environments.
For organizations with many branch locations, such as banks and retailers, LiveWire Edge is a small-form-factor appliance with no moving parts, making it simple to install and manage. It is ideal for organizations with an already-stretched IT department.
BlueCat’s Intelligent Network Operations (NetOps)
BlueCat’s Intelligent NetOps solutions provide the analytics and intelligence needed to enable, optimize, and secure the network to achieve business goals. With an Intelligent NetOps suite, organizations can more easily change and modernize the network as business requirements demand.
