ACE vs CSS

[Bryan Middleton]

Hi All,

I have a customer who has an existing data centre that does basic server load-balancing using CSS11500's. They are now looking to implement another data centre to give them redundancy and the abaility to load-balance the traffic betweenthe sites. At the new site they will need similar load-balancing functionality to what they already have (apologies for lack of detail here - I have just been told its 'basic'). I am currently designing the network and would like to know how the CSS switches compare to the 6500 ACE module, what are the pro's and cons of each?

Any help would be really appreciated - I don't have any knowledge/experience of CSS/ACE aside from knowing that they can distribute traffic amongst servers :-(

Thanks in advance

Dangbry

[huw.morgan · Accepted solution]

I think it's probably safe to say that the ACE does everything that the CSS does.

What you do find though is that, as the ACE is much more security-aware, you have to configure explicitly some things that would have been permitted by default by the CSS.

I think the CSS is end-of-life anyway.

[Bryan Middleton]

Hi Huw,

Thanks for your info, much appreciated.

[Gilles Dufour · Accepted solution]

The CSS will soon be end of life.

ACE4710 is its replacement.

This is the same software as in the ACE module (inside a cat6k) but in a standalone box.

Gilles.

[Bryan Middleton]

Hi Giles,

Thanks for confirming that for me, really appreciate it