Features & Benefits of Barracuda Load Balancer 340

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The Barracuda Load Balancer is designed to provide fast and comprehensive IP load balancing capabilities to any IP-based application, including:

Many security technologies are integrated into the Barracuda Load Balancer. The set-and-forget, best of breed Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) helps secure your network, even if you miss a patch or if an exploit manages to get past your existing security. In addition to the Denial of Service (DDoS) protection provided for all load balanced servers by the built-in IPS, the Barracuda Load Balancer will also automatically block any exploits that are detected across multiple protocols, with no extra configuration required. Exploit signatures are regularly updated at Barracuda Central, and are automatically delivered to your Barracuda Load Balancer via Energize Updates.

All models of the Barracuda Load Balancer support Auto-Discovery of Real Servers and Services, to ensure quick and easy deployment of new servers. For common services, there's no need to manually configure each port. The Barracuda Load Balancer automatically detects which services are running on a specified server, which saves on deployment and configuration time.

The Barracuda Load Balancer supports technology that directs clients back to the same server to establish session server persistence. In environments where session persistence is required, Layer 4 IP persistence provides a fast and reliable solution for most configurations including most encrypted e-commerce traffic, database, and Terminal Services configurations. The timeout is fully configurable and can be enabled on a service level.

Multiple scheduling technologies are supported by the Barracuda Load Balancer, including server weighting, Weighted Least Connection (WLC), and Weighted Round Robin (WRR).

A fully integrated service monitor is available on all Barracuda Load Balancers, which allows for easy re-configuration of your servers based on the availability of your upstream and downstream infrastructure components. Downed servers are automatically removed from the farm within seconds of server failure.

The Barracuda Load Balancer supports three different operating modes for the most flexibility of any load balancer on the market. Route-path offers the most flexibility, while Bridge-path allows deployment without changes to existing IP infrastructure. Direct Server Return allows up to 10GB throughput, ideal for content delivery networks.

High Availability is easy to set up with the Barracuda Load Balancer's Web interface. Simply point the secondary (backup) Barracuda Load Balancer to the primary Load Balancer's management IP address, and the load balancer synchronizes configurations to establish a highly available network that brings your server farm to enterprise grade availability.

The Barracuda Load Balancer configuration is executed through an intuitive Web interface. With features such as quick server and service adding, health monitoring, and Auto-Discover, the Barracuda Load Balancer is easy to use -- a typical configuration can be performed in less than ten minutes!

Barracuda Load Balancer can route traffic to different server based on incoming content. Routing of traffic based on content can be enforced either based on different parameters such header values, cookies, domain name and URL.

Barracuda Load Balancer Demo Video

Model Comparison of Barracuda Load Balancer

Model Comparison	Model 240	Model 340	Model 440	Model 640
CAPACITY*
Maximum Throughput	95 Mbps	950 Mbps	950 Mbps	950 Mbps
Real Server Support	10	35	50	250
SSL Offloading/Acceleration		150 TPS	200 TPS	2,000 TPS
HARDWARE
Rackmount Chassis	1U Mini	1U Mini	1U Mini	1U Fullsize
Dimensions (in.)	16.8x1.7x14	16.8x1.7x14	16.8x1.7x14	16.8x1.7x22.6
Dimensions (cm.)	42.7x4.3x35.6	42.7x4.3x35.6	42.7x4.3x35.6	42.7x4.3x57.4
Weight (lbs. /kg.)	12 / 5.4	12 / 5.4	12 / 5.4	26 / 11.8
Ethernet	2 x 10/100	2 x Gigabit	2 x Gigabit	14 x Gigabit
AC Input Current (Amps)	1.0	1.2	1.4	1.8
ECC Memory
FEATURES
Layer 4 Load Balancing
Direct Server Return
Intrusion Prevention
High Availability
VLAN
Layer 7 Load Balancing
Cookie Persistence
SSL Offloading
Content Routing
SNMP
Programming Interface/API
Global Server Load Balancing

Load Balancer Buyer's Guide

The purpose of this article is to help you determine which Barracuda Load Balancer would be best for your organization. When figuring out which Load Balancer would be best, you should ask yourself the following questions.

Once you’ve figured out the answers to those questions, the following chart should be a useful guide to helping you make your decision.

Subscriptions

Energize Updates- Must be purchased with the device and is required for the first year. This provides for Intrusion Prevention updates, firmware updates, and basic technical support. After the first year, purchasing the Energize Updates is optional. If you choose not to renew then you are likely to see a significant decrease in performance.

Instant Replacement- Optional subscription that extends the hardware warranty on the device. This will also give you enhanced 24x7 support with Barracuda.

Premium Support- Available only on the model 640. This provides for the fastest response time, a dedicated support team that is familiar with your environment, and advanced notification of new repairs and features in upcoming software releases.

Phillip Petit
T: 1-866-9255 (ext=122)

Barracuda Load Balancer FAQs:

• Why use a load balancer?
  
• How easy is the Barracuda Load Balancer to configure?
  
• Does the Barracuda Load Balancer have any security features?
  
• How does the Barracuda Load Balancer’s internal IPS work?
  
• What protocols does the Barracuda Load Balancer support?
  
• What is a real server?
  
• How many real servers does the Barracuda Load Balancer support?
  
• Do I need any additional hardware to be able to load balance?
  
• When should I use Layer 4 IP persistence?
  
• Is it easy to add new servers to the server farm?
  
• What can I use the Barracuda Networks API for?
  
• What is the Service Monitor?
  
• How does the Barracuda Load Balancer handle failed servers?
  
• What protocols and applications are supported by the Barracuda Load Balancer?
  
• What sort of configuration flexibility does the Barracuda Load Balancer offer?
  
• What is Direct Server Return?
  
• What is a VIP (Virtual IP)?
  
• What is a Service?
  
• What is included in the Energize Updates subscription for the Barracuda Load Balancer?
  
• Can the Barracuda Load Balancer send traffic to a set of backend servers based on the URL or a header?
  

Why use a load balancer?

Deploying a load balancer helps achieve constant server availability as well as simple scalability. It allows administrators to easily perform server maintenance, and a painless way to add systems to a load balanced server farm.

How easy is the Barracuda Load Balancer to configure?

The Barracuda Load Balancer provides the industry’s easiest configuration via an intuitive Web interface. Normal setup can be performed in a few simple steps. Most customers are able to set up their load balancing configurations within 10 minutes.

Does the Barracuda Load Balancer have any security features?

The Barracuda Load Balancer has a built-in Intrusion Prevention System (IPS), as well as Access Control Lists (ACL) and a SSL-secured Web user interface.

How does the Barracuda Load Balancer’s internal IPS work?

The Barracuda Load Balancer’s integrated Intrusion Prevention System uses a refined set of constantly updated vulnerability definitions to automatically block malicious attacks as they happen. When an attack is detected, the Barracuda Load Balancer simply sends a TCP RESET in both directions (server and client).

What protocols does the Barracuda Load Balancer support?

The Barracuda Load Balancer supports any TCP or UDP service.

What is a real server?

A “real server” is the actual physical server which holds the content or runs the application that is delivered to the client via the Barracuda Load Balancer. It's a much more efficient measurement to size a cluster for load balancing, as estimating the number of transactions per second can be difficult.

How many real servers does the Barracuda Load Balancer support?

The entry-level Barracuda Load Balancer 240 supports up to 10 real servers, while a higher-end Barracuda Load Balancer 640 can support up to 250 real servers.

Do I need any additional hardware to be able to load balance?

You may need additional switches depending on your deployment configuration. The Barracuda Load Balancer includes two ports: a WAN and LAN interface.

When should I use Layer 4 IP persistence?

Client IP persistence is useful in applications which require session persistence. For example, Web-based shopping carts or any service which requires a login and/or uses multiple requests would be a good candidate for IP persistence.

Is it easy to add new servers to the server farm?

Real servers can be added to the configuration with one step using the Barracuda Load Balancer’s Web interface.

What can I use the Barracuda Networks API for?

Available on the Barracuda Load Balancer 440, the Application Programming Interface (API)facilitates scripted implementation of any setting available in the Web interface. Most often used by ISPs and MSPs, this allows for load balanced services (including intrusion prevention) to be integrated into existing customer build scripts.

What is the Service Monitor?

The Service Monitor actively watches all real servers, their connections and performance.

How does the Barracuda Load Balancer handle failed servers?

When the Service Monitor detects a downed real server, the Barracuda Load Balancer automatically removes the server from the load-balanced cluster. If the real server becomes available, it will automatically place the server back in the distribution queue.

Real servers may also be placed in “maintenance mode,” which gracefully removes them from any bound services in order to facilitate server maintenance or upgrades. When the real server is available again, administrators simply enable the server through the Barracuda Load Balancer’s Web interface.

What protocols and applications are supported by the Barracuda Load Balancer?

The Barracuda Load Balancer works with any TCP/UDP service or application.

What sort of configuration flexibility does the Barracuda Load Balancer offer?

The Barracuda Load Balancer supports route-path, bridge-path and direct server return configurations. Server weights are fully configurable along with flexible scheduling options, such as round-robin and least connections.

What is Direct Server Return?

Ideal for high bandwidth and content delivery networks, Direct Server Return is a load balancing configuration which facilitates responses to server requests being delivered directly to the network rather than being routed back through the load balancer. This configuration can be used to deliver 10x bandwidth throughput versus route-path or bridge-path modes.

Configuration of Direct Server Return is easy, and uses the built-in non-ARPing loopback adapter which is included in all Windows and Linux servers.

What is a VIP (Virtual IP)?

The VIP, or Virtual IP Address, is the IP address that is used to access load-balanced services.

What is a Service?

A “Service” is the combination, or binding, of a Virtual IP address, ports and real server IP addresses.

What is included in the Energize Updates subscription for the Barracuda Load Balancer?

The Energize Updates subscription provides the Barracuda Load Balancer with security updates for protection against the latest Internet threats, delivers firmware updates, and includes basic support via email and phone. Definitions are automatically delivered for intrusion prevention and security updates.

Can the Barracuda Load Balancer send traffic to a set of backend servers based on the URL or a header?

The content routing capability of the Barracuda Load Balancer can be utilized to route traffic based on content rules. These rules can be configured based on the content of the incoming requests such as domains, cookies and HTTP headers.