RiOS performs packet-by-packet scalable data referencing (SDR) bandwidth optimization on TCP and UDP flows over both IPv4 and IPv6, using fixed-target, packet-mode optimization in-path rules. This type of in-path rule optimizes bandwidth for applications over any transport protocol.

Sometimes you might want to use the appliance optimization to reduce the amount of traffic traversing the WAN. Packet-mode optimization provides a simple approach where the appliance looks at a packet, or small group of packets, and performs SDR and LZ compression on the data payload for data reduction. The host and appliance do not create an individual TCP handshake, and the appliance reduces payload for packets as the traffic flows through.

The advantage of packet-mode optimization is that it is a universal method that applies data streamlining to diverse protocols. The disadvantage is the lack of performance benefits from transport streamlining or application streamlining, because the appliance does not proxy or perform intelligent application prediction.

Consider using the typical terminated TCP optimization to improve application latency instead of packet-mode for TCPv4 or TCPv6 traffic. RiOS includes TCP proxy-mode optimization for IPv6 traffic. To use terminated TCP optimization, you must change any existing in-path rule used for packet-mode IPv4 or IPv6 optimization to a terminated optimization rule.