whitepaper radware and enterasys networks · page 2 of 6 • whitepaper introduction the aim of...

Radware and Enterasys NetworksLayer 4-7 Switching for Enterprises and Data Centers

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Whitepaper

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Introduction

The aim of this whitepaper is to outline how the combination of Radware IntelligentApplication Switching (IAS) together with the Enterasys Matrix family of switches canprovide enterprises and data centers alike with a high-capacity solution that guaranteeshigh availability, QoS for mission-critical applications, protection against maliciousattacks and performance optimization of network servers for local as well as global networks.

Enterprise Solution

The ChallengeDay-to-day enterprise operations rely heavily on the availability and reliability of the orga-nization’s communication infrastructure. Downtime of mission-critical applications canhave severe financial implications both in terms of employee productivity, as well as lossof revenue due to the inability to access content and applications. This creates the needfor a solution that will guarantee continuous operation of these applications, while identifying not only resource failures, but also degradation of services. It must also handletraffic bursts quickly and efficiently, and be completely transparent to the user.

The SolutionAs can be seen in Figure 1, enterprise servers are connected to high-capacity Matrix E1switches. Radware’s Web Service Director (WSD) aggregates traffic arriving to and fromthese switches at multi-Gigabit rates. Deployment of WSD provides real-time Layer 4-7content switching at multi-Gigabit speeds, redirecting traffic to the best available server foroptimal performance. An advanced health monitoring mechanism quickly and effectivelyidentifies failures, as well as degradation of services, thereby guaranteeing non-stop reliability and high availability of all services.

The solution provides bandwidth management capabilities enabling management of serverfarm bandwidth allocation by IP address, application and content. These bandwidth management capabilities ensure optimal service levels by guaranteeing mission-criticalapplications and prioritizing traffic of all enterprise operations.

Protecting enterprise networks from malicious attacks and illegal access to their computersystems is obtained with WSD’s security modules: Application Security and DoS Shield.Application Security provides real-time protection from over 1,000 known attack signatures,providing an additional layer of security for your valuable resources. DoS Shield, on the other hand, provides fully configurable and unmatched protection, atmulti-Gigabit speed, from harmful Denial of Service (DoS) attacks. Together, these modules provide the fastest and most effective application-level protection available andsafeguard the integrity of your applications.

The Matrix E1 switches are ideal for workgroup environments that require both high-bandwidthconnections and high port density. Supporting 10/100, Gigabit and 10-Gigabit Ethernet,these high-performance switches can handle the requirements of bandwidth-intensiveenterprise applications such as videoconferencing, distance learning and enterprise resource planning.

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Web/Application Servers Mail Servers Database Servers

WSD WSD

Matrix E1 Matrix E1 Matrix E1

Figure 1. Enterprise solution

Benefits• High availability for IP-based transactions, guaranteeing continuous operation of

mission-critical applications.

• A performance optimized solution via wire-speed forwarding and redirection of service requests to the best-performing server.

• Low-entry-cost solution enabling transparent scalability with incremental investmentas server connectivity needs grow.

• Quality of Service through the enforcement of business policies on network trafficaccording to client, application flow and content.

• Real-time protection from over 1,000 malicious attack signatures.

• Fully configurable, multi-Gigabit speed protection from Denial of Service (DoS) attacks.

• Return on investment after preventing the first five minutes of downtime.

WSD WSD

Matrix N3

Servers

Matrix N3

Servers

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Data Centers/Collocation Solution

The ChallengeMany organizations are now outsourcing various applications and IT functions. As a result,key applications are often hosted by a collocation company, hosting company or ApplicationService Provider. The following solution provides the availability, performance and trans-parent scalability required for the uninterrupted delivery of those key applications.

The SolutionIn this configuration, high-capacity, high-port-density and reliability requirements of datacenters are met through the use of Matrix N3 switches. The Matrix N3 modular chassissupports high-density 100/1000Base-X and 10-Gigabit Ethernet connectivity modules,enabling incremental investment as server connectivity demand grows. DistributedForwarding Engine (DFE) modules provide high availability through stateful failover capa-bilities as well as support of Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP).

As in the Enterprise solution, deployment of WSD provides real-time Layer 4-7 contentswitching at multi-Gigabit speeds. An advanced health monitoring mechanism quicklyand effectively identifies failures, as well as degradation of services, thereby guaranteeingnon-stop reliability and high availability of all services.

Figure 2. Data center / Collocation solution

Benefits• High availability for full application fault tolerance.

• Performance optimization by redirecting each request to the best-performing server.

• Advanced QoS guarantees application responsiveness during peak traffic periodsaccording to client, applications and content.



• Wire-speed traffic prioritization and rate limiting based on ports, servers, VLANs, andapplication flows.

• Hosting services with full load balancing and high-availability capabilities for 500-2,000 customers over the same infrastructure.

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Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity for Data Centers

The ChallengeOrganizations recognize the need to establish a reliable backup network service, and thisissue has been given more precedence since the September 11th disasters. Positioning thebackup service at a distant physical location is necessary to protect it since whatever disasterbefalls the primary network must not be able to reach the secondary network.

Carriers can provide data centers at dispersed locations to be used as backup networks forthe client. However, customers need to be ensured that when a site goes offline, service ismaintained. This means that entire infrastructures must be duplicated, information mustbe constantly mirrored, availability of each site must be monitored, failover and trafficredirection must occur, integrity of each site’s security must be maintained and it must allbe transparent to end users. Most importantly, it must be able to be deployed under themost adverse conditions.

The challenge, therefore, is to provide the means whereby a backup location can be providedfor the customer as effortlessly as possible, while taking into account these restrictions.

The SolutionAs in the previous example, deployment of Matrix N3 switches meet the high-capacity,high-port-density and reliability requirements of each data center.

WSD units in each data center frequently exchange information on the available capacityin each site and the proximity (in terms of latency and hops) of each data center to differentusers subnets. Based on this information, WSD transparently redirects user requests to thebest available site for optimal performance. These unique global capabilities allow for thesimultaneous usage of both data centers, ensuring that even under the most severe condi-tions, users will get the best available service. QoS and security services supported bothon the Matrix network switch as well as on WSD units provide end-to-end enforcement ofbandwidth management policies, security and the highest site-wide performance.

Figure 3. Business continuity for data centers

WSD WSD

Matrix N3

Servers

Matrix N3

Servers

WSD WSD

Matrix N3

Servers

Matrix N3

Servers

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Benefits• Seamless integration of a customer’s backup site, ensuring full availability, disaster

recovery and continued service for the customer’s clients.

• Local and global high availability for full application fault tolerance and applicationresponse times.

• Performance optimization by redirecting each request to the best-performing site.

• Quality of Service by enforcing the business policy on the networked traffic accordingto client, applications and content.



Matrix is a trademark or registered trademark of Enterasys Networks. All other productsor services mentioned are identified by the trademarks or service marks of theirrespective companies or organizations. NOTE: Enterasys Networks reserves the rightto change specifications without notice. Please contact your representative to confirm current specifications.

All contents are copyright © 2004 Enterasys Networks, Inc. All rights reserved.

Lit. #9013652 5/04

whitepaper radware and enterasys networks · page 2 of 6 • whitepaper introduction the aim of...

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