This book brings together all the information you need to design and deploy scalable, transparent application acceleration, WAN optimization, and branch virtualization solutions with dramatically improved Wide Area Application Services (WAAS) 4.1 products from Ciscoยฎ.Cisco WAAS insiders Joel Christner, Zach Seils, and Nancy Jin systematically cover new WAAS software enhancements that enable far better performance, simplified workflow, and improved manageability. They introduce powerful new solution components including application-specific acceleration techniques, hardware form factors, and virtualization. They also thoroughly explain recent architectural improvements that provide a solid foundation for future WAAS solutions.The authors begin by reviewing the underlying technologies that comprise todayโs Cisco WAAS solution. Next, drawing on extensive personal experience, they walk through collecting requirements, designing effective solutions, integrating WAAS into existing networks, and configuring WAAS 4.1 software.This book is replete with real-world implementation examples and case studiesโ including extensive coverage of network, branch office, and data center integration. One step at a time, youโll learn how to deploy Cisco WAAS in a scalable, transparent, and seamless fashion: one that addresses both your business and technical challenges.Thoroughly understand WAAS 4.1โs capabilities, and learn how to use and manage it effectivelyUnderstand both the Cisco WAAS appliance and router-integrated network module hardware familyQuickly deploy WAAS in lab or production pilot environments to quantify its potential benefitsSize, design, and deploy Cisco WAAS for maximum performance and value in your enterprise networkCompare and select design options for branch office and data center network integrationDeploy the WAAS Central Manager and accelerator WAAS devicesImplement centralized authentication, authorization, alarm management, monitoring, and reportingConfigure WAN optimization with the Application Traffic Policy ManagerConfigure, verify, and manage application accelerationLeverage WAAS 4.1โs powerful new branch office virtualization capabilitiesQuickly troubleshoot WAAS problems using Ciscoโs own best practices