Reactivity Inc released XOS 4.1, the latest version of its patent-pending XML operating system software. Running on the Reactivity Gateway 2400 Series platform, XOS 4.1 sets new industry benchmarks for Web services security performance, delivering comprehensive enterprise scalability while accelerating time to market for secure XML Web services.

XOS 4.1 enables the Reactivity Gateway 2400 Series platform to achieve GigE (gigabit Ethernet) throughput and eliminate potential bottlenecks in deploying secure XML Web services. Using XOS 4.1, the Reactivity Gateway 2400 Series appliance also sets performance records for message parsing, cryptographic functions and schema validation, enabling enterprises to offload these power-robbing operations from their application servers and achieve significantly improved performance and security.

"We've listened to our customers, and the Reactivity Gateway 2400 Series with XOS 4.1 delivers the most comprehensive enterprise Web services security functionality with industry-leading performance," said Glenn Osaka, CEO and president of Reactivity. "The bottom line for our customers is they can confidently deliver secure XML Web services, offload critical but costly security related operations to Reactivity Gateways, and ensure scalability across the enterprise with unprecedented time to market."

According to Osaka, Reactivity accelerates the performance across the entire XML Web services application. Unique performance and security reporting diagnostics provided by Reactivity make it easy for enterprises to identify application performance bottlenecks and security "costs" end-to-end from client requests to service responses, and optimize their entire system for maximum performance and security.

The breakthrough wire-speed performance was independently verified by Network Testing Labs. The tests were run by first generating requests using Parasoft's SOAPTest, and then generating load volumes using a multi-threaded cURL-based load tester. More than 12 different operations were tested employing multiple message sizes, and the tests were run over several weeks to assure sustained reliability at maximum load.

"The Reactivity Gateway appliance is clearly the most scalable XML Web services security system, establishing new industry benchmarks for raw throughput, parsing, encryption and schema validation," said Barry Nance of Network Testing Labs. "The Reactivity System delivers scalability with high message throughput. Customers will find that the Reactivity System drastically reduces the time to deliver robust, secure Web services. Reactivity's lifecycle and organizational scalability features will ensure sustained security and stability with expanded use of XML Web services."

XOS 4.1 also includes several new XML schema management, SAML interoperability and advanced SOAP header management features in addition to its greater performance. Schema bundling allows several different schema documents to be uploaded to the Reactivity Gateway and managed together as a bundle. XOS 4.1 offers full support for all four interoperability scenarios given in the Web Services Security: SAML Token Profile, and supports SAML audience restrictions. Advanced SOAP Header Processing enables enterprises to require, reject, filter and transform SOAP Headers in any namespace. The Web service test harness enables administrators to send test messages to specific back-end services and view results of the requests for rapid testing of both the Reactivity Gateway and the back-end services.

Network Testing Labs performs independent technology research and product evaluations. Its network laboratory connects myriads of types of computers and virtually every kind of network device in an ever-changing variety of ways. Its authors are networking experts who write clearly and plainly about complex technologies and products.

The Reactivity Gateway 2400 series (formerly the Reactivity XML Firewall) is part of the Reactivity Secure Deployment System, a suite of next-generation products enterprises can use to secure, provision and operate XML and Web services more efficiently and effectively, and accelerate their time to market. The XOS 4.1 also enhances the Reactivity Manager to delivers unprecedented improvements in the creation, approval and deployment of enterprise Web services security policies, automating workflows to help coordinate activities across organizational boundaries within the enterprise. It also enhances the Reactivity Gatekeeper, enabling standards-based last-mile security for the enterprise, and the Gateway-D, the only developer appliance to deliver comprehensive XML Web services security functionality.