F5 Announces SEE/it, A Value-Added Application Suite for Its BIG/ip Series of Server Array Controllers.NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 7, 1998-- Simultaneous New Release Will Add Performance Upgrades and Gigabit Support F5 Labs, Inc., today announced a new application suite for its BIG/ip(R) Server Array Controller family of products that will make it the first and only load balancing The fine tuning of a computer system, network or disk subsystem in order to more evenly distribute the data and/or processing across available resources. For example, in clustering, load balancing might distribute the incoming transactions evenly to all servers, or it might redirect them system permitting real-time monitoring of server traffic and providing a forecasting mechanism to assist in network capacity planning Determining the required future configuration of hardware and software for a network, datacenter or Web site. There are numerous capacity planning tools on the market used to monitor and analyze the performance of the current hardware and software. . The suite will also offer configuration capabilities for F5's 3DNS (Domain Name System) A system for converting host names and domain names into IP addresses on the Internet or on local networks that use the TCP/IP protocol. For example, when a Web site address is given to the DNS either by typing a URL in a browser or behind the (TM) WAN High Availability Also called "RAS" (reliability, availability, serviceability) or "fault resilient," it refers to a multiprocessing system that can quickly recover from a failure. There may be a minute or two of downtime while one system switches over to another, but processing will continue. System for geographically distributed arrays of network servers. In addition, the company announced the pending release of new versions of BIG/ip2 and BIG/ip3 that will provide significant performance enhancements, as well as the option to upgrade to a gigabit or dual port 10/100 network interface. New SEE/it Application Suite The new application suite, called SEE/it, will consist of three browser-based modules that simplify the management of BIG/ip and leverage the controller's unique location between a network's routers and server array to deliver data crucial for traffic analysis and network planning. The modules include: -- BIG/config, an installation and configuration tool that permits simple point-and-click configuration of all BIG/ip and 3DNS features, including value-added features such as rate shaping and packet filtering See packet filter. . Administrators can use either BIG/config or the command-line setup process of the original product, which will continue to be available. BIG/config encrypts all communication between the administrator and BIG/ip using the Secure Socket Layer (SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) The leading security protocol on the Internet. Developed by Netscape, SSL is widely used to do two things: to validate the identity of a Web site and to create an encrypted connection for sending credit card and other personal data. ). -- BIG/picture, a real-time monitoring tool that displays key data on network traffic as easy-to-read pie charts and bar graphs. This enables administrators to quickly obtain information on server status, server traffic, number of connections, active and inactive IP addresses the availability of individual applications and related data at any time. -- BIG/analysis, a forward-looking trend and analysis tool that uses the information generated by BIG/picture to project future network needs. By inputting different user-defined thresholds to create "what if?" scenarios, network managers and system administrators can use this tool to help predict when the network will need additional servers, interface upgrades and other modifications related to network capacity. These traffic-monitoring and forecasting capabilities set BIG/ip apart from other load balancing products, and they are made possible by the fact that BIG/ip can gather metrics about bidirectional The ability to move, transfer or transmit in both directions. traffic patterns because of its strategic location between a network's routers and servers. BIG/config will be built into future shipments of BIG/ip starting in October. BIG/picture and BIG/analysis will be sold as a $9,990 add-on package. BIG/ip Release 2.0 In a separate development, F5 plans the October release of a new version of the BIG/ip series that will add support for gigabit and dual channel Ethernet interfaces for more demanding network environments. Customers with traffic loads greater than 100Mbs will now be able to choose from a gigabit or a dual port 10/100 interface. This expands the interface options from the 10Base-T, 100Base-TX and FDDI (Fiber Distributed Data Interface) Often pronounced "fiddy," it was a LAN and MAN access method that had its heyday in the mid-1990s. FDDI was an ANSI standard token passing network that transmitted 100 Mbps over optical fiber up to 10 kilometers. previously available. In addition, the new release will upgrade the mid-range BIG/ip2 model to a Pentium II The successor to the Pentium Pro from Intel. Pentium II refers to the CPU chip or the PC that uses it. Code named "Klamath," the Pentium II was a Pentium Pro with MMX multimedia instructions. 266MHz-64MB and the top-of-the-line BIG/ip3 to a Pentium II 450 MHz-128MB. The upgraded models have been benchmark-tested at throughputs as high as 170Mbs in an average network environment, up from the 40 to 50 Mbs of the earlier 166MHz (MegaHertZ) One million cycles per second. It is used to measure the transmission speed of electronic devices, including channels, buses and the computer's internal clock. A one-megahertz clock (1 MHz) means some number of bits (16, 32, 64, etc. BIG/ip2 and the 90 to 100 Mbs of the 333Mhz BIG/ip3. About BIG/ip and 3DNS BIG/ip Controllers intelligently allocate Internet and Intranet service requests across an array of network servers to ensure high availability of content and QoS for IP services for end users. Residing between a network's routers and server array, the controllers continually monitor each local server for application availability and performance automatically routing incoming queries to the most available server. This unique availability-based load balancing technology enables network administrators to balance Web, e-mail, database, FTP FTP in full file transfer protocol Internet protocol that allows a computer to send files to or receive files from another computer. Like many Internet resources, FTP works by means of a client-server architecture; the user runs client software to connect to and/or firewall traffic to provide high availability for client connections. In addition to verifying the availability of operating system operating system (OS) Software that controls the operation of a computer, directs the input and output of data, keeps track of files, and controls the processing of computer programs. resources and service processes, BIG/ip Controllers perform application layer testing to ensure that all the different processes involved in creating a dynamic page are thoroughly checked before service requests are routed to the client. The BIG/ip series also offers traffic prioritization capabilities for rate shaping and e-commerce applications; the ability to create logical service groupings to minimize error messages caused when one of a group of services is not available; IP packet filtering for enhanced security; and support for all TCP/IP TCP/IP in full Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol Standard Internet communications protocols that allow digital computers to communicate over long distances. protocols as well as any UDP UDP (uridine diphosphate): see uracil. (User Datagram Protocol) A protocol within the TCP/IP protocol suite that is used in place of TCP when a reliable delivery is not required. connectionless protocol, including live audio and video, streaming video, DNS and Internet phone communications. All BIG/ip Controllers are vendor- and platform-independent solutions that do not require additional software installation on servers. They function with all TCP/IP-based operating systems including Windows NT, all UNIX UNIX Operating system for digital computers, developed by Ken Thompson of Bell Laboratories in 1969. It was initially designed for a single user (the name was a pun on the earlier operating system Multics). platforms and Mac/OS. The series includes BIG/ip, a $9,900 entry-level field-upgradeable system licensed for two content servers; BIG/ip2, a $35,990 redundant two-chassis automatic failover solution with an unlimited server array license, on-site installation and integration, and a first-year 7x12 service plan; and BIG/ip3, a $44,990 turnkey solution that includes two chassis for redundant automatic failover, an unlimited server array license, on-site installation and integration, and a first-year Premium 7x24 maintenance agreement. 3DNS is a wide area load balancing system used in tandem with BIG/ip to intelligently allocate Internet and Intranet service requests across a geographically distributed array of network servers. |
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