Chapter 12 - Server Load Balancing; Understanding Server Load Balancing; Identifying Your Network Needs - Radware Alteon Application Manual

Chapter 12 – Server Load Balancing
Server Load Balancing (SLB) lets you configure Alteon to balance user session traffic among a pool
of available servers that provide shared services.
This chapter includes the following sections:
• Understanding Server Load Balancing, page
operation.
• Implementing Server Load Balancing, page
reliability, performance, and ease of maintenance on the network.
• Extending Server Load Balancing Topologies, page
real to virtual ports, monitoring real server ports, and delayed binding.
• Session Timeout Per Service, page
timeout per service feature.
• IPv6 and Server Load Balancing, page
SLB and IPv6.
• Source Network-Based Server Load Balancing, page
management of network classes.
• HTTP/HTTPS Server Load Balancing, page
SLB, content-intelligent application services, advanced content modifications, content-based
redirection and content-based acceleration.
For additional information on SLB commands, refer to the Alteon Application Switch Operating
System Command Reference.

Understanding Server Load Balancing

SLB benefits your network in the following ways:
• Increased efficiency for server utilization and network bandwidth—With SLB, Alteon is
aware of the shared services provided by your server pool and can then balance user session
traffic among the available servers. Important session traffic gets through more easily, reducing
user competition for connections on overused servers. For even greater control, traffic is
distributed according to a variety of user-selectable rules.
• Increased reliability of services to users—If any server in a server pool fails, the remaining
servers continue to provide access to vital applications and data. The failed server can be
brought back up without interrupting access to services.
• Increased scalability of services—As users are added and the server pool's capabilities are
saturated, new servers can be added to the pool transparently.

Identifying Your Network Needs

SLB may be the right option for addressing these vital network concerns:
• A single server no longer meets the demand for its particular application.
• The connection from your LAN to your server overloads server capacity.
• When servers hold critical application data and must remain available even in the event of a
server failure.
• Your Web site is being used as a way to do business and for taking orders from customers. It
must not become overloaded or unavailable.
• You want to use multiple servers or hot-standby servers for maximum server uptime.
Document ID: RDWR-ALOS-V2900_AG1302
165—Discusses the benefits of SLB and its
167—Discusses how implementing SLB provides
189—Discusses proxy IP addresses, mapping
207—This section discusses the configuration of the session
208—Discusses the configuration and management of
214—Discusses the configuration and
217—Discusses the implementation of content-based
165