LiveWire GEN3 device offerings
Deploy physically, virtually, in the cloud, or via small-form factor appliances based on your network’s needs
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 GEN3, a packet capture and network forensics platform that provides deep packet-level visibility across hybrid enterprise environments to aid NetOps and SecOps teams in investigating application, network, and security incidents. It explains deployment options—physical, virtual, cloud, and a small-form factor LiveWire Edge—for different network contexts such as branch offices, WAN edge, and data centers, and presents GEN3 device specifications (Edge, Core, PowerCore, Virtual) including ports, memory, storage, LiveFlow export, forensic capture rates, and form factors. The outcome is accelerated troubleshooting and improved operational efficiency by matching device performance and form factor to organizational scale and visibility requirements.
What deployment options are available for BlueCat LiveWire GEN3 and when should each be used?
BlueCat LiveWire GEN3 offers physical appliances, virtual images, cloud deployments, and a small-form factor LiveWire Edge. Physical appliances (Core, PowerCore) are suitable for large branches, data centers, or WAN edge locations requiring high scalability and throughput. Virtual and cloud offerings provide flexibility and scale for elastic or software-defined environments. LiveWire Edge is a compact, no-moving-parts appliance intended for small or remote offices and organizations with many branch locations (e.g., banks, retailers) or limited IT staff, where ease of installation and management is critical.
How do the GEN3 device specifications differ across Edge, Core, PowerCore, and Virtual models?
The GEN3 models differ in port density, memory, storage, export throughput, and capture capability. Edge targets small sites with 4x1G plus a pass-through, 32 GB memory, 1 TB SSD raw storage and up to 1 Gbps LiveFlow export and capture-to-disk. Core offers larger port options (including 10G), 128 TB configurable memory, 24 TB raw and 72 TB effective storage, up to 15 Gbps LiveFlow export and up to 40 Gbps capture. PowerCore supports very high throughput (10/25/40/100G ports), 256 TB memory, 240 TB raw and 720 TB effective storage, up to 75 Gbps LiveFlow export and up to 96 Gbps capture. Virtual devices support all-network use cases with a minimum of 8 GB memory and LiveFlow export up to 4 Gbps, with capture capacity dependent on hardware.
What operational benefits does LiveWire GEN3 provide for NetOps and SecOps teams?
LiveWire GEN3 delivers deep packet-level visibility and forensic capture-to-disk capabilities that enable NetOps and SecOps teams to investigate application, network, and security issues using packet-level evidence. This visibility accelerates troubleshooting by providing precise, evidence-based insights into incidents across hybrid environments (branch, data center, cloud), improving mean time to resolution and operational efficiency. Additionally, LiveWire’s range of form factors and scalable throughput lets organizations align monitoring capacity to business scale and resource constraints, reducing deployment complexity and management overhead.
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.
