Slow Web Performance? Step On The Accelerator

Unlimited bandwidth alone cannot compensate for inefficient Web servers and cache servers that poorly manage network connections. EX Web I/O Accelerator is connected as a proxy in front of Web and cache servers, where it offloads I/O tasks and processes TCP and HTTP transactions at wire speed to optimize communication between the server and end users.

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MARC SPIWAK

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Technical Editor

Key acceleration techniques include I/O traffic aggregation and HTTP process scheduling, SSL acceleration and maintenance of persistent connections to clients. Other techniques include parallel handling of Web object requests, HTTP request balancing and filtering, and data compression for faster throughput. The EX Web I/O Accelerator can deliver SSL content faster than a standard server can deliver clear text, eliminating the need for separate SSL acceleration devices or load balancers. It also can increase transaction capacity up to five times without additional servers; reduce bandwidth requirements by at least 50 percent; enable existing Web and cache servers to handle 10 to 20 times more users and pages served; and speed server response times and content delivery to the end user by as much as 10 times. The net effect is that Web I/O acceleration can cut bandwidth costs in half.

Traditional cache servers hold data from Web servers in high-speed memory, where it can be accessed much quicker than by the server itself. While cache servers can lessen the burden on Web servers, they can't cache dynamic content.

The EX Web I/O Accelerator does not cache data. Instead, it manages browser requests and delivers them to servers over a small number of persistent TCP connections. The accelerator selects the appropriate servers for thousands of relatively slow user requests at LAN speeds, receives the requested information and serves it out to the customer's browsers at the highest possible speed, all in realtime.

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unit-1659132512259
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Sponsored post

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REDLINE NETWORKS EX WEB I/O ACCELERATOR

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Test Center Recommended

Standard security solutions tend to slow things down. Network administrators must therefore compromise between keeping networks secure and allowing reasonable access to them. The EX Web I/O Accelerator, on the other hand, enhances security while providing a performance boost. The Accelerator defends against attacks such as SYN flooding by maintaining separate sets of connections. HTTP protocol scrubbing guarantees that only valid requests pass to the servers. The unit delivers SSL content faster than a standard server by rewriting requests, which requires browsers to automatically ask for secure content, securing sites and applications with no decrease in performance.

With built-in failover functionality, the EX Web I/O Accelerator is never a single point of failure. Multiple units can be arranged in parallel for load balancing and redundancy. Parallel operation also enhances availability and maximum throughput. The maximum throughput of a single unit does not present a bottleneck to future network expansion or seasonal load spikes.

The EX Web I/O Accelerator can simultaneously manage inbound and outbound data for multiple Web servers. Multiple HTTP GET requests from a single client can be directed to multiple back-end servers, while maintaining persistent client connections. The accelerator can also filter and compress data on the fly, which can cut bandwidth use by up to half. Nonrenderable HTML comments and characters such as tabs, spaces, carriage returns and line feeds are stripped out, and page data is converted from clear text to a more compact binary format. A typical 30,000-byte HTML home page can be compressed to 6,000 bytes. Newer browsers automatically support compression, and browsers that don't support compression are sent uncompressed pages.

Solution providers familiar with networking can have the EX Web I/O Accelerator working in minutes. The installer must know basic site information such as IP address, subnet mask, DNS, the default gateway and the IP address of the server or servers that need accelerating. To set up the unit, an included null modem cable is connected between the accelerator's serial console port and the COM1 port of a computer running terminal emulation software. The accelerator's primary Ethernet interface must be connected to the network through a 100BaseT port. After a brief bootup period, a console link can be established and the configuration information can be entered via a wizardlike program that walks the installer through the process. At this point, the unit can be left to run on its own.

For solution providers looking for a robust tool to speed up Web performance, increase Web site capacity and provide security, Redline Networks' EX Web I/O Accelerator for the Enterprise is an excellent choice.

CHANNEL PROGRAM SNAPSHOTS
>REDLINE NETWORKS EX WEB I/O ACCELERATOR
PRICE: $29,995
MARGIN: 30 percent to 40 percent
WARRANTY: 1 year
AUTHORIZATION REQUIREMENTS: Technical and sales training required, must maintain inventory of current documentation
DISTRIBUTORS: Allaso, Cable & Wireless, Macnica
TECH RATING:


CHANNEL RATING:

CHANNEL OVERVIEW: Campbell, Calif.-based Redline Networks supplies excellent one-on-one support and rich online resources. The vendor's engineers provide comprehensive pre- and post-sales technical assistance, and help with product integration and long-term strategic planning. Case studies, technical documentation and other resources are available on Redline's Web site, along with sales tools, an ROI calculator and presentation materials. The vendor sponsors frequent webinars with solution providers and vendors of complementary technologies. Technical support is provided via phone or e-mail during business hours, and free on-site sales and technical training are available. --Michael Gros

Note: Vendors can earn up to five stars for technical merit and five for their channel program. If the average of these two scores is four stars or greater, the product earns CRN Test Center Recommended status.