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hardware load balancer?

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maillist at webjogger

Sep 6, 2007, 11:09 AM

Post #1 of 12 (900 views)
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hardware load balancer?

Hi,

We're looking to serve up some live flash media streams in a highly available way, by deploying a couple of flash media servers behind a hardware load balancer.

We do have a Cisco LocalDirector 416 acting as a boat anchor. We'll need to support anywhere from 5-20 Mbps in the short term through the device.

Not sure if we should try using the LocalDirector or look at another Cisco option, or just try a Foundry or F5 solution.

Thanks for any feedback,
Adam
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dean at eatworms

Sep 6, 2007, 11:29 AM

Post #2 of 12 (849 views)
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Re: hardware load balancer? [In reply to]

If its only 5-20Mb/s consider IOS SLB - especially if you have spare 7200s
available. (I know not everyone has "spare" kit but you never know)

-----Original Message-----
From: cisco-nsp-bounces [at] puck
[mailto:cisco-nsp-bounces [at] puck] On Behalf Of Adam Greene
Sent: 06 September 2007 19:09
To: cisco-nsp [at] puck
Subject: [c-nsp] hardware load balancer?

Hi,

We're looking to serve up some live flash media streams in a highly
available way, by deploying a couple of flash media servers behind a
hardware load balancer.

We do have a Cisco LocalDirector 416 acting as a boat anchor. We'll need to
support anywhere from 5-20 Mbps in the short term through the device.

Not sure if we should try using the LocalDirector or look at another Cisco
option, or just try a Foundry or F5 solution.

Thanks for any feedback,
Adam
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https://puck.nether.net/mailman/listinfo/cisco-nsp
archive at http://puck.nether.net/pipermail/cisco-nsp/

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dcp at dcptech

Sep 6, 2007, 12:08 PM

Post #3 of 12 (851 views)
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Re: hardware load balancer? [In reply to]

For 5 to 20Mbps you can use IOS SLB that is available in the 7200 and 6500.
Use it in dispatch mode so only connections to the servers are load balanced
and return traffic is sent directly by the server via a loopback using the
VIP. You'll have to check Feature Navigator to confirm where it is
supported. I believe it is also on the 3800's. The Local Director can do
dispatch mode as well, but not being supported anymore I would look at
something more recent.

David

--
http://dcp.dcptech.com

> -----Original Message-----
> From: cisco-nsp-bounces [at] puck
> [mailto:cisco-nsp-bounces [at] puck] On Behalf Of Adam Greene
> Sent: Thursday, September 06, 2007 2:09 PM
> To: cisco-nsp [at] puck
> Subject: [c-nsp] hardware load balancer?
>
> Hi,
>
> We're looking to serve up some live flash media streams in a
> highly available way, by deploying a couple of flash media
> servers behind a hardware load balancer.
>
> We do have a Cisco LocalDirector 416 acting as a boat anchor.
> We'll need to support anywhere from 5-20 Mbps in the short
> term through the device.
>
> Not sure if we should try using the LocalDirector or look at
> another Cisco option, or just try a Foundry or F5 solution.
>
> Thanks for any feedback,
> Adam
> _______________________________________________
> cisco-nsp mailing list cisco-nsp [at] puck
> https://puck.nether.net/mailman/listinfo/cisco-nsp
> archive at http://puck.nether.net/pipermail/cisco-nsp/

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jason.plank at comcast

Sep 6, 2007, 12:26 PM

Post #4 of 12 (849 views)
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Re: hardware load balancer? [In reply to]

I'll rank my order of preference:

1. CSS
2. F5
3. Citrix Netscalers
12. Foundry
99. Local Directors

--
Regards,

Jason Plank
CCIE #16560
e: jason.plank [at] comcast

-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Dean Smith" <dean [at] eatworms>
> If its only 5-20Mb/s consider IOS SLB - especially if you have spare 7200s
> available. (I know not everyone has "spare" kit but you never know)
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: cisco-nsp-bounces [at] puck
> [mailto:cisco-nsp-bounces [at] puck] On Behalf Of Adam Greene
> Sent: 06 September 2007 19:09
> To: cisco-nsp [at] puck
> Subject: [c-nsp] hardware load balancer?
>
> Hi,
>
> We're looking to serve up some live flash media streams in a highly
> available way, by deploying a couple of flash media servers behind a
> hardware load balancer.
>
> We do have a Cisco LocalDirector 416 acting as a boat anchor. We'll need to
> support anywhere from 5-20 Mbps in the short term through the device.
>
> Not sure if we should try using the LocalDirector or look at another Cisco
> option, or just try a Foundry or F5 solution.
>
> Thanks for any feedback,
> Adam
> _______________________________________________
> cisco-nsp mailing list cisco-nsp [at] puck
> https://puck.nether.net/mailman/listinfo/cisco-nsp
> archive at http://puck.nether.net/pipermail/cisco-nsp/
>
> _______________________________________________
> cisco-nsp mailing list cisco-nsp [at] puck
> https://puck.nether.net/mailman/listinfo/cisco-nsp
> archive at http://puck.nether.net/pipermail/cisco-nsp/

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maillist at webjogger

Sep 10, 2007, 6:02 AM

Post #5 of 12 (837 views)
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Re: hardware load balancer? [In reply to]

I wanted to thank all people who replied to my question about hardware load
balancers, both on and off list.

The feedback I received is very helpful in discerning options and best
practices.

Thanks again,
Adam

----- Original Message -----
From: <jason.plank [at] comcast>
To: <cisco-nsp [at] puck>
Sent: Thursday, September 06, 2007 3:26 PM
Subject: Re: [c-nsp] hardware load balancer?

> I'll rank my order of preference:
>
> 1. CSS
> 2. F5
> 3. Citrix Netscalers
> 12. Foundry
> 99. Local Directors
>
> --
> Regards,
>
> Jason Plank
> CCIE #16560
> e: jason.plank [at] comcast
>
> -------------- Original message ----------------------
> From: "Dean Smith" <dean [at] eatworms>
>> If its only 5-20Mb/s consider IOS SLB - especially if you have spare
>> 7200s
>> available. (I know not everyone has "spare" kit but you never know)
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: cisco-nsp-bounces [at] puck
>> [mailto:cisco-nsp-bounces [at] puck] On Behalf Of Adam Greene
>> Sent: 06 September 2007 19:09
>> To: cisco-nsp [at] puck
>> Subject: [c-nsp] hardware load balancer?
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> We're looking to serve up some live flash media streams in a highly
>> available way, by deploying a couple of flash media servers behind a
>> hardware load balancer.
>>
>> We do have a Cisco LocalDirector 416 acting as a boat anchor. We'll need
>> to
>> support anywhere from 5-20 Mbps in the short term through the device.
>>
>> Not sure if we should try using the LocalDirector or look at another
>> Cisco
>> option, or just try a Foundry or F5 solution.
>>
>> Thanks for any feedback,
>> Adam
>> _______________________________________________
>> cisco-nsp mailing list cisco-nsp [at] puck
>> https://puck.nether.net/mailman/listinfo/cisco-nsp
>> archive at http://puck.nether.net/pipermail/cisco-nsp/
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> cisco-nsp mailing list cisco-nsp [at] puck
>> https://puck.nether.net/mailman/listinfo/cisco-nsp
>> archive at http://puck.nether.net/pipermail/cisco-nsp/
>
> _______________________________________________
> cisco-nsp mailing list cisco-nsp [at] puck
> https://puck.nether.net/mailman/listinfo/cisco-nsp
> archive at http://puck.nether.net/pipermail/cisco-nsp/
>
>
>
>
>

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sethm at rollernet

Sep 10, 2007, 1:46 PM

Post #6 of 12 (838 views)
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Re: hardware load balancer? [In reply to]

Adam Greene wrote:
> I wanted to thank all people who replied to my question about hardware load
> balancers, both on and off list.
>
> The feedback I received is very helpful in discerning options and best
> practices.
>

Would you be willing to summarize for the list? I'm looking for some
load balancer recommendations as well. Thanks!

~Seth
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hohockjim at gmail

Sep 10, 2007, 2:25 PM

Post #7 of 12 (835 views)
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Re: hardware load balancer? [In reply to]

Recently evaluated this semi-new load-balancer by Crescendo Networks.
Performed strongly in TCP off-loading and http compression.

Rather impressive. YMMV.

cheers,
Jim

On 9/11/07, Seth Mattinen <sethm [at] rollernet> wrote:
> Adam Greene wrote:
> > I wanted to thank all people who replied to my question about hardware load
> > balancers, both on and off list.
> >
> > The feedback I received is very helpful in discerning options and best
> > practices.
> >
>
> Would you be willing to summarize for the list? I'm looking for some
> load balancer recommendations as well. Thanks!
>
> ~Seth
> _______________________________________________
> cisco-nsp mailing list cisco-nsp [at] puck
> https://puck.nether.net/mailman/listinfo/cisco-nsp
> archive at http://puck.nether.net/pipermail/cisco-nsp/
>
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maillist at webjogger

Sep 13, 2007, 6:52 AM

Post #8 of 12 (820 views)
Permalink

Re: hardware load balancer? [In reply to]

Hi all,

I received a couple requests to summarize the responses I received to this
inquiry.

I received many responses, on and off-list (and also from another mailing
list).

F5 was mentioned most frequently in a positive way
IOS SLB on 7200/6500 and Foundry were also mentioned positively and
frequently
Coyote Point received a number of very positive reviews on a mailing list
mainly populated by Windows networking professionals
Cisco CSS was mentioned as a favorite by one person and as a most-hated
solution by another
Local Directors seemed to have worked well in the past for a few people, but
they have since been replaced by newer gear
Citrix Netscalers and Crescendo Networks got one positive review each
PF on some flavor of BSD was also recommended as a very good solution
Barracuda Networks was mentioned, but does not do stateful failover

Someone also suggested that utilizing Akamai or Limelight for redundant
streaming services may be more cost-effective than trying to build out the
infrastructure ourselves.

I also received the suggestion to get used hardware and deploy it in
redundant failover configuration.

I appreciate the help!
Adam

----- Original Message -----
From: "Hock Jim" <hohockjim [at] gmail>
To: "Seth Mattinen" <sethm [at] rollernet>
Cc: "Cisco-nsp" <cisco-nsp [at] puck>
Sent: Monday, September 10, 2007 5:25 PM
Subject: Re: [c-nsp] hardware load balancer?

> Recently evaluated this semi-new load-balancer by Crescendo Networks.
> Performed strongly in TCP off-loading and http compression.
>
> Rather impressive. YMMV.
>
> cheers,
> Jim
>
> On 9/11/07, Seth Mattinen <sethm [at] rollernet> wrote:
>> Adam Greene wrote:
>> > I wanted to thank all people who replied to my question about hardware
>> > load
>> > balancers, both on and off list.
>> >
>> > The feedback I received is very helpful in discerning options and best
>> > practices.
>> >
>>
>> Would you be willing to summarize for the list? I'm looking for some
>> load balancer recommendations as well. Thanks!
>>
>> ~Seth
>> _______________________________________________
>> cisco-nsp mailing list cisco-nsp [at] puck
>> https://puck.nether.net/mailman/listinfo/cisco-nsp
>> archive at http://puck.nether.net/pipermail/cisco-nsp/
>>
> _______________________________________________
> cisco-nsp mailing list cisco-nsp [at] puck
> https://puck.nether.net/mailman/listinfo/cisco-nsp
> archive at http://puck.nether.net/pipermail/cisco-nsp/
>
>
>
>
>

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adrian at creative

Sep 13, 2007, 7:06 AM

Post #9 of 12 (829 views)
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Re: hardware load balancer? [In reply to]

On Thu, Sep 13, 2007, Adam Greene wrote:

> F5 was mentioned most frequently in a positive way
> IOS SLB on 7200/6500 and Foundry were also mentioned positively and
> frequently

Depending on the 6500 hardware you're using you might find SLB
to be slightly temperamental.

I'm not sure whether it was just our local Cisco rep trying to have
us bust out the cheque book or not, but the feedback we got was
"IOS SLB on Supervisor 2 is a miracle and not really intended
for use." I'm not sure if any of my coworkers ever filed TAC
bugs when the 6500 would "forget" things and require a reboot.

Adrian

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avayner at cisco

Sep 13, 2007, 7:18 AM

Post #10 of 12 (821 views)
Permalink

Re: hardware load balancer? [In reply to]

Guys,

One thing I did not see in the thread are the HW load balancers you can
install inside the 6500.
You could use either the somewhat older CSM or the newer ACE modules:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/modules/ps2706/ps780/index.html
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps6906/index.html

Arie

-----Original Message-----
From: cisco-nsp-bounces [at] puck
[mailto:cisco-nsp-bounces [at] puck] On Behalf Of Adrian Chadd
Sent: Thursday, September 13, 2007 17:07 PM
To: Adam Greene
Cc: Cisco-nsp
Subject: Re: [c-nsp] hardware load balancer?

On Thu, Sep 13, 2007, Adam Greene wrote:

> F5 was mentioned most frequently in a positive way IOS SLB on
> 7200/6500 and Foundry were also mentioned positively and frequently

Depending on the 6500 hardware you're using you might find SLB to be
slightly temperamental.

I'm not sure whether it was just our local Cisco rep trying to have us
bust out the cheque book or not, but the feedback we got was "IOS SLB on
Supervisor 2 is a miracle and not really intended for use." I'm not sure
if any of my coworkers ever filed TAC bugs when the 6500 would "forget"
things and require a reboot.

Adrian

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archive at http://puck.nether.net/pipermail/cisco-nsp/
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dean at eatworms

Sep 13, 2007, 9:10 AM

Post #11 of 12 (820 views)
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Re: hardware load balancer? [In reply to]

There's probably a good reason no-one recommended the ACE

Give it another year and the code might be fit for public use.

-----Original Message-----
From: cisco-nsp-bounces [at] puck
[mailto:cisco-nsp-bounces [at] puck] On Behalf Of Arie Vayner
(avayner)
Sent: 13 September 2007 15:18
To: Adrian Chadd; Adam Greene
Cc: Cisco-nsp
Subject: Re: [c-nsp] hardware load balancer?

Guys,

One thing I did not see in the thread are the HW load balancers you can
install inside the 6500.
You could use either the somewhat older CSM or the newer ACE modules:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/modules/ps2706/ps780/index.html
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps6906/index.html

Arie

-----Original Message-----
From: cisco-nsp-bounces [at] puck
[mailto:cisco-nsp-bounces [at] puck] On Behalf Of Adrian Chadd
Sent: Thursday, September 13, 2007 17:07 PM
To: Adam Greene
Cc: Cisco-nsp
Subject: Re: [c-nsp] hardware load balancer?

On Thu, Sep 13, 2007, Adam Greene wrote:

> F5 was mentioned most frequently in a positive way IOS SLB on
> 7200/6500 and Foundry were also mentioned positively and frequently

Depending on the 6500 hardware you're using you might find SLB to be
slightly temperamental.

I'm not sure whether it was just our local Cisco rep trying to have us
bust out the cheque book or not, but the feedback we got was "IOS SLB on
Supervisor 2 is a miracle and not really intended for use." I'm not sure
if any of my coworkers ever filed TAC bugs when the 6500 would "forget"
things and require a reboot.

Adrian

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jim.bartus at gmail

Sep 13, 2007, 2:36 PM

Post #12 of 12 (807 views)
Permalink

Re: hardware load balancer? [In reply to]

Its also crushing an ant with a nuke if you only need 5 - 20mbps.

-jim

On 9/13/07, Dean Smith <dean [at] eatworms> wrote:
>
> There's probably a good reason no-one recommended the ACE
>
> Give it another year and the code might be fit for public use.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: cisco-nsp-bounces [at] puck
> [mailto:cisco-nsp-bounces [at] puck] On Behalf Of Arie Vayner
> (avayner)
> Sent: 13 September 2007 15:18
> To: Adrian Chadd; Adam Greene
> Cc: Cisco-nsp
> Subject: Re: [c-nsp] hardware load balancer?
>
> Guys,
>
> One thing I did not see in the thread are the HW load balancers you can
> install inside the 6500.
> You could use either the somewhat older CSM or the newer ACE modules:
> http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/modules/ps2706/ps780/index.html
> http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps6906/index.html
>
> Arie
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: cisco-nsp-bounces [at] puck
> [mailto:cisco-nsp-bounces [at] puck] On Behalf Of Adrian Chadd
> Sent: Thursday, September 13, 2007 17:07 PM
> To: Adam Greene
> Cc: Cisco-nsp
> Subject: Re: [c-nsp] hardware load balancer?
>
> On Thu, Sep 13, 2007, Adam Greene wrote:
>
> > F5 was mentioned most frequently in a positive way IOS SLB on
> > 7200/6500 and Foundry were also mentioned positively and frequently
>
> Depending on the 6500 hardware you're using you might find SLB to be
> slightly temperamental.
>
> I'm not sure whether it was just our local Cisco rep trying to have us
> bust out the cheque book or not, but the feedback we got was "IOS SLB on
> Supervisor 2 is a miracle and not really intended for use." I'm not sure
> if any of my coworkers ever filed TAC bugs when the 6500 would "forget"
> things and require a reboot.
>
>
>
>
> Adrian
>
> _______________________________________________
> cisco-nsp mailing list cisco-nsp [at] puck
> https://puck.nether.net/mailman/listinfo/cisco-nsp
> archive at http://puck.nether.net/pipermail/cisco-nsp/
> _______________________________________________
> cisco-nsp mailing list cisco-nsp [at] puck
> https://puck.nether.net/mailman/listinfo/cisco-nsp
> archive at http://puck.nether.net/pipermail/cisco-nsp/
>
> _______________________________________________
> cisco-nsp mailing list cisco-nsp [at] puck
> https://puck.nether.net/mailman/listinfo/cisco-nsp
> archive at http://puck.nether.net/pipermail/cisco-nsp/
>
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