Re: CSS and Multihoming

mbaschieri · ‎08-26-2003

Is it safe to configure a CSS to perform both server load balancing as well as ISP intelligent load balancing like the radware or the fatpipe boxes (thoretically) does?

Tnx, Max.

Gilles Dufour · ‎08-26-2003

if by ISP intelligent load balancing you mean make sure the return traffic goes back via the same ISP, the answer is NO - it is not safe.

The reason is that it could have an impact on performance if a lot of clients come from both ISP.

By that I mean if a client once come via ISP1 then ISP2 and then ISP1 again ... this will force the CSS to go through a lot of CPU.

But in practice, you can give it a try and see how it works.

Gilles.

mbaschieri · ‎08-26-2003

Tnx Gilles,

by "intelligent ISP load balancing" I mean routing toward the two isps with load and delay in "mind", either for inbound and outbound connections.

What the "other" boxes do is to become an authoritative dns that distribute dns records in such a manner that the client requests will be load balanced across the two isps, but not in a round-robin fashion, rather using some sort of a "busy check".

However each internal service is bound to as many VIPs as the ISPs involved in the dance.

It doesn't matter if the return path is the same as the inbound one, as long as the path is the best one in that precise moment (at least up to the isps networks).

Do you think the CSS can do a work like that?

About the cpu issue, is there some rule in order to calculate the model in function of the bandwidth available?

Tnx, Max.

Gilles Dufour · ‎08-30-2003

I don't think the CSS can do this alone.

But if you use a GSS-4480 combined with a CSS you surely can do this.

Gilles.