CAI Networks - WebMux Layer 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 Solid State Load Balancer and SSL Accelerator IPV4 and IPV6

Internet and intranet applications have become a critical part of today′s enterprises. High availability and peak performance for both internal and external IP client access are required for large and small businesses alike. Any IP information platform downtime can translate into huge losses in terms of opportunity, productivity, customer confidence, and goodwill.

In today’s market, high performance and high reliability are usually synonymous with high-priced. High-cost solutions are difficult to justify and often are out of reach for many businesses. The WebMux™ line of load balancers provides a number of scalable models that provide not only high performance and availability but also high value that fit a wide range of budgets.

WebMux load balancers′ flexibility and scalability lets a pool of servers (such as Web servers, FTP servers, email servers, Web 2.0 application servers, database servers, A/V servers, etc.) to be created and managed and budgeting to be done incrementally instead of making a large up-front capital outlay.

+ Multi-Layer Traffic Management (Layers 2/3/4/5/7)

One of the main reasons to use a load balancer is to increase the capacity of IP servers (such as Web servers, application servers, email servers, FTP servers, terminal servers, Citrix servers, etc). WebMux load balancers can share the transaction load among multiple servers, making them appear as one large virtual server.

In addition to transparently clustering multiple servers and automatically balancing traffic between them, WebMux is able to direct designated traffic to the appropriate servers based on content. This permits traffic to not only be distributed evenly between multiple content-identical IP servers but also traffic that must be routed to particular servers to be done so automatically.

Load balancing – which is done at OSI layers 2 (Data Link), 3 (Network), 4 (Transport), and 5 (Session) ensures maximum throughput and performance, while traffic management – which is done at OSI layer 7 (Application) – ensures that server-specific content is appropriately routed.

Application-level traffic management transparently routes transactions to appropriate servers based on URLs or cookies. Using this technology, different content can be located on various servers of different types, and WebMux can automatically direct traffic to the appropriate server or server – without requiring changes to web sites or applications. Load balancing can be accomplished without changes to server IP addresses, network routes, or other configurations, thereby WebMux’s presence in the network is effectively transparent.

WebMux’s sophisticated yet easy-to-implement traffic management capabilities and comprehensive OSI layer support for load balancing is in today’s market only found in products costing five to ten times more.

+ High Availability/Failover

WebMux ensures high availability for IP servers. If a server in a server pool fails, WebMux will automatically bypass the failed server and notify the appropriate parties by calling a pager or sending an email. WebMux has built-in high-level protocol and health checking which maintains communication with the services on the server to make sure they are running and healthy.

WebMux can be deployed in a paired configuration, thereby not only providing high availability via failover for inoperative IP servers but also for WebMux itself.

WebMux’s failover capability is invoked automatically and requires no user intervention.

+ High Performance

By employing a unique routing algorithm, WebMux achieves persistent connections without sacrificing performance. With NAT (in-path), Direct (out-of-path) or Transparent (bridged) load balancing, WebMux can handle huge amounts of traffic with ease. In Out-Of-Path mode, WebMux’s high-end model can handle up to 30,000,000 concurrent connections.

Built on an ultra-fast hardware platform, WebMux easily outperforms many devices that cost much more, including those that claim to offer run at “wire speed”. WebMux’s CPU speed is 10 to 30 times faster than most networked devices so that it can process more data packets per second.

Recent independent lab testing shows that WebMux model 481SD can handle over 15,000 new HTTP transactions per second and sustain more than 1,500,000 concurrent connections or more in NAT or Transparent mode (in out-of-path mode, throughput can be 100 times greater). WebMux’s low-end model can handle full 1GB load balancing, while the high-end model can handle up to 4GB/s full load balanced transactions.

(Unlike other vendors that use TCP/iP connection rates as their performance measurement, CAI Networks uses realistic HTTP transaction rate to measure WebMux performance, since users see actual HTTP transactions. Each HTTP transaction contains many TCP/IP connections, and a web site with one million page views a day typically experiences about 30 new connections per second and reaches about 500 concurrent connections during peak access.)

From a recent survey, 99% of Web site experiences less traffic than WebMux’s model 481S can handle. A Web site that has one million page views a day typically experiences about 30 new connections per second and reaches about 500 concurrent connections during peak access.

+ SSL Acceleration

For sites that handle significant volumes of SSL (Secure Socket Layer) transactions, WebMux has built-in SSL termination with optional CAI-RSA SSL acceleration cards. WebMux′s SSL handling meets FIPS 140-2 standard required by US government and banking industry standard. The optional dedicated card can offload the resource-intensive processing of SSL transactions from WebMux’s main processor to ensure optimum performance without burdening the WebMux processor.

CAI Networks’ CAI-RSA SSL acceleration cards are based on industry standards and use an market-leading high-performance chipset – the same found in dedicated SSL acceleration appliances. Thereby, WebMux is able to offer comparable quality and performance to dedicated SSL accelerators without requiring a separate appliance, saving both cost and complexity and increasing efficiency.

WebMux includes software-based SSL acceleration for environments in which hardware-based SSL acceleration is not required (either because SSL is not used or overall transaction volume is low enough that the WebMux processor can handle the load without negative performance impact).

+ Content-Based Traffic Management

WebMux is able to target content to disparate servers it load balances. This is accomplished by comparing URL or cookie content against customized configuration settings to determine which server or servers can handle the request and routing the call appropriately. Server by sending different content in cookie can cause WebMux to route the client to different server.

Content-based targeting does not require any scripting or programming: routing rules are configured via WebMux’s GUI-based configuration interface. These rules specify which URLs or cookies to filter, and the related server or servers to direct requests to.

+ HTTP Compression

WebMux supports HTTP compression in farm based configuration. With more network traffic in today′s Internet and Intranet, businesses continuously spend more money to upgrade network gears and purchase bigger network pipe. By deploying WebMux based load balancing solution, it can help business to reduce the bandwith cost up to 70%.

+ High Reliability (HA)

WebMux is built for maximum reliability and, unlike other’s products, uses solid-state flash memory instead of a PC hard disk drive. This substantially increases reliability, as hard disk failures are the most common cause of computer breakdown. WebMux passes the standard two-meter “drop test” and uses top-quality components, such as made-in-the-USA fans that have a lifetime of five to seven years (versus the typical two), to ensure that hardware failures are averted. WebMuxes delivered five years ago are still in operation today with no maintenance.

For mission-critical sites, WebMux offers “HA configuration" using a redundant hot standby WebMux to safeguard against the failure of WebMux itself. With dual configuration, if in the unlikely event the primary WebMux fails, the secondary WebMux will automatically take over and notify the administrator.

+ Enhanced Security

Since WebMux routes all IP traffic, it is able to offer several firewall features to ensure the integrity of data and protect servers from attack. These features include:

Network Address Translation (NAT and SNAT)
Port Mapping and default Deny Any Connections
Denial of Service (DoS) protection
TCP SYN protection
End-to-end SSL transactions
ICMP ECHO blocking
SSL termination/acceleration with SSLv2 blocking

WebMux is able to block the most common kinds of attacks before they ever reach any inside firewalls or servers. WebMux uses an embedded FIPS 140-2-validated cryptographic module (Certificate #642) per FIPS 140-2 Implementation Guidance section G.5 guidelines.

+ IPV4 and IPV6 Ready

In 2006, we received notice from White House for having WebMux IPV6 ready. Through extensive and advanced engineering, WebMux was ready for both IPV4 and IVP6 since begining of 2007. All currently shipping WebMux models work well for both IPV4 and IPV6.

+ Patent Pending Smart Grid Technology

WebMux since June 2008 has incorporated a unique patent pending smart grid power management technology. Working with its WebControl Power Module (due production soon), WebMux will be able to smartly power off idle servers and power them back on when network traffic increasing to set level. With billions of dollars spent each year in energy spending in US alone and electricity usage exceeding 5% of total electricity generated, this new technology will significantly reduce the green house pollution. Certain model of WebMux will be able to add this feature through firmware update.

+ Includes Proxy Capability

WebMux has multiple uplink load balancing function to route traffic through more than one ISP uplinks. WebMux also has built-in proxy capability that is required for the proper functioning of certain IP-based software, such as VOIP and online credit card processing. As successfully tested by CyberCash's engineers in 1999, CyberCash servers behind WebMux can initiate IP connections to CyberCash and other outside services. WebMux's firewall function blocks any connections initiated from outside.

WebMux also supports Skype, SipPhone, FWD, and Net2Phone services: if the servers behind WebMux are running the Skype software, they can make phone calls to any U.S. phone via WebMux without a requirement for phone lines.

+ Expandable and Flexible

The rapid expansion of the Internet often means traffic bottlenecks and product obsolescence. WebMux scales to provide an easy and flexible upgrade path, and can be upgraded to meet growing requirements at a nominal incremental cost. MAP™ feature allows user easily group services into virtual server to join a farm. That can greatly simplify the Web 2.0 application deployment.

WebMux requires only one real IP address for all kinds of traffic. If an ISP has assigned only one IP address to the hosting server, WebMux can direct out the SMTP, POP, FTP, DNS, and other services from this one real IP address to separate servers. There is no limit to how many IP addresses can be used with WebMux.

WebMux also supports multiple VLANs. With switch supports tagged based VLANs, WebMux can support multiple ISP uplinks providing multi-home functions that can further enhance the flexibility and availability.

+ Multiple Language Supports

WebMux allows user to select one of four languages to be used in its GUI: English, Chinese, Japanes, Portuguese. Other language supports are being developed and will be available in the future.

+ Easy and Secure Setup and Administration

Unlike all competitive products in its class, WebMux supports not only OSI layer 4 for load balancing but also layers 2, 3, and 7. This facilitates WebMux’s Transparent mode, which provides a major setup advantage for WebMux over other products since it means that IP addresses of IP servers and network routes do not need to be changed to use WebMux.

Management of the IP server pool is done via a browser-based interface, so configuration can be done from any place that has IP connectivity and secure access to WebMux. Configuration of an entire server pool typically takes no more than five or ten minutes with no training required.

The WebMux unit includes a front keypad interface and menu-driven LCD display, which is backlit for dark data centers or computer labs.

WebMux can be factory pre-configured as a free service.

+ One Years of Technical Support Included

Each WebMux comes with one year of technical support without charge. During the first yearsafter purchase, free advice and help with problems is provided at no cost. In addition, the following options are offered:

Factory pre-configuration
Maintenance contract for firmware update and troubleshooting
24x7 telephone and email support
One-day on-site installation and setup
Customized network design and training

+ 12 Months of Limited Warranty Included

The components of CAI Networks' hardware products are warranted against defects in materials and workmanship for a period of 12 months from the date the unit is received. During the warranty period, any defective component will be replaced at no charge. This warranty does not cover damage caused by accident or misuse, or because of service or modification by other than an authorized CAI Networks service facility.

Should a faulty WebMux unit be received, it can be returned to the factory for repair, update, for replacement at CAI Networks’ discretion. A 24-hour express exchange service is offered, under which a replacement unit is sent out before the defective one is returned .

+ Money-Back Guarantee

CAI Networks through participating resellers offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on its products, permitting WebMux to be tested in the actual usage environment without risk. Should the decision be made not to purchase, return and refund may be arranged through the point of purchase.