establishing a connection to the VIP through an optimizer

[axfalk]

We're atttempting to optimize a connection to a VIP on the ACE load balancer from the client PC. We have an optimizer in the Data Center that peers with an optimizer in each client site. The back-end servers that the ACE load balances the connection to are directly connected to the ACE. My question is when the connection is established, should we be seeing on the client side optimizer the connection between the client PC and the back-end server or the client PC and the VIP?

Thanks...

[axfalk]

We're atttempting to optimize a connection to a VIP on the ACE load balancer from the client PC. We have an optimizer in the Data Center that peers with an optimizer in each client site. The back-end servers that the ACE load balances the connection to are directly connected to the ACE. My question is when the connection is established, should we be seeing on the client side optimizer the connection between the client PC and the back-end server or the client PC and the VIP?

Thanks...

[Gilles Dufour]

Not sure to understand the question.

But on ACE you should see 2 entries.  One flow client-> VIP and another flow server->client

Gilles.

[axfalk]

Thanks for your response. How come we're seeing the server-client flow? - wouldn't the ACE "hide" the server's real address with the VIP on the return flow?

thanks again...

[Cesar Roque]

Do you have Router mode or One-Arm?  Please upload your configuration to have a better picture.

[axfalk]

This is a routed mode and I could upload the config, but this is a pretty ordinary question and I don't want to take anymore of your time than necessarry: when I do a capture, I am seeing 2 flows - one is client-VIP and the other is server-client. I was just wondering why I was seeing the server-client flow as the ACE would NAT the real server's IP address back to the VIP on the return flow.

Thanks..

[Gilles Dufour]

ACE is only listing the flows that come in.

So, on the backend (server side), the flow that will come in is a response from the server to the client.

ACE will interecpt that flow and nat the server address with the vip address.

So for the client, the response comes from the vip.

Gilles.

[axfalk]

Gilles, thanks for your response. That makes perfect sense. However, on a capture that I have taken of the initial 3 way handshake, in addition to seeing a flow from the VIP to the client, I am seeing the flow from the server to the client. If  ACE will intercept that flow and nat the server address with the vip address, how come I am seeing the real server address?

thanks again...