Table 1 Supported IP Application Services Features
Release
|
Feature Name
|
Feature Description
|
Where Documented
|
Cisco IOS Release 15.0
|
15.0(1)M
|
WCCP VRF Support
|
The WCCP VRF Support feature provides enhancements to the existing WCCPv2 protocol which support VRF awareness.
|
Configuring WCCP
|
Cisco IOS Release 12.2S
|
12.2(25)S
|
IP Precedence Accounting
|
The IP Precedence Accounting feature provides accounting information for IP traffic based on the precedence of any interface. This feature calculates the total packet and byte counts for an interface that receives or sends IP packets and sorts the results based on the IP precedence. This feature is supported on all interfaces and subinterfaces and supports CEF, dCEF, flow, and optimum switching.
|
Configuring IP Services
|
WCCP Bypass Counters
|
The WCCP Bypass Counters feature allows you to display a count of packets that have been bypassed by a web cache and returned to the originating router to be forwarded normally.
|
Configuring WCCP
|
WCCP Outbound ACL Check
|
The WCCP Outbound ACL Check feature enables you to ensure that traffic redirected by WCCP at an input interface is subjected to the outbound ACL checks that may be configured on the output interface prior to redirection.
This feature is supported by WCCP Version 1 and Version 2.
|
Configuring WCCP
|
12.2(14)S
|
AAA Load Balancing
|
IOS SLB provides RADIUS load-balancing capabilities for RADIUS authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) servers.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
Backup Server Farms
|
A backup server farm is a server farm that can be used when none of the real servers defined in a primary server farm is available to accept new connections.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
DFP Agent Subsystem Support
|
IOS SLB supports the Dynamic Feedback Protocol (DFP) Agent Subsystem feature, also called global load balancing, which enables client subsystems other than IOS SLB to act as DFP agents. With the DFP Agent Subsystem, you can use multiple DFP agents from different client subsystems at the same time.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
GPRS Load Balancing: Support for GPRS Tunneling Protocol (GTP) v0
|
IOS SLB supports both GTP Version 0 (GTP v0) and GTP Version 1 (GTP v1). Support for GTP enables IOS SLB to become "GTP aware," extending IOS SLB's knowledge into Layer 5.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
Multiple Firewall Farm Support
|
The Multiple Firewall Farm Support feature enables you to configure more than one firewall farm in each load-balancing device.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
Probes: DNS, Routed, and TCP Probes
|
IOS SLB probes determine the status of each real server in a server farm and of each firewall in a firewall farm.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
12.2(14)S
|
RADIUS Load Balancing: CDMA2000
|
IOS SLB provides RADIUS load balancing in mobile wireless networks that use service gateways, such as the Cisco Service Selection Gateway (SSG) or the Cisco Content Services Gateway (CSG). IOS SLB supports RADIUS load balancing for Simple IP CDMA2000 networks and Mobile IP CDMA2000 networks.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
RADIUS Load Balancing: General packet radio service (GPRS) networks
|
IOS SLB provides RADIUS load balancing in mobile wireless networks that use service gateways, such as the Cisco Service Selection Gateway (SSG) or the Cisco Content Services Gateway (CSG). IOS SLB supports RADIUS load balancing for GPRS networks. In a GPRS mobile wireless network, the RADIUS client is typically a gateway general packet radio service (GPRS) support node (GGSN).
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
RADIUS Load Balancing: Multiple Service Gateway Server Farms
|
IOS SLB provides RADIUS load balancing in mobile wireless networks that use service gateways, such as the Cisco Service Selection Gateway (SSG) or the Cisco Content Services Gateway (CSG). IOS SLB supports RADIUS load balancing for multiple service gateway server farms (for example, one farm of SSGs and another of CSGs).
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
Route Health Injection
|
By default, a virtual server's IP address is advertised (added to the routing table) when you bring the virtual server into service (using the inservice command). If you have a preferred host route to a website's virtual IP address, you can advertise that host route, but you have no guarantee that the IP address is available. However, you can use the advertise command to configure IOS SLB to advertise the host route only when IOS SLB has verified that the IP address is available. IOS SLB withdraws the advertisement when the IP address is no longer available. This function is known as route health injection.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
Static NAT
|
With static NAT, address translations exist in the NAT translation table as soon as you configure static NAT commands, and they remain in the translation table until you delete the static NAT commands.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
VPN Server Load Balancing
|
IOS SLB can balance Virtual Private Network (VPN) flows.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
Cisco IOS Release 12.2SB
|
12.2(31)SB2
|
Clear IP Traffic CLI
|
The Clear IP Traffic CLI feature introduced the clear ip traffic command to clear all IP traffic statistics on a router instead of reloading the router. For added safety, you will see a confirmation prompt when entering this command.
|
Configuring IP Services
|
ICMP Unreachable Rate Limiting User Feedback
|
The ICMP Unreachable Rate Limiting User Feedback feature enables you to clear and display packets that have been discarded because of an unreachable destination, and to configure a threshold interval for triggering error messages. When message logging is generated, it displays on your console.
|
Configuring IP Services
|
TCP Application Flags Enhancement
|
The TCP Applications Flags Enhancement feature enables you to display additional flags with reference to TCP applications. There are two types of flags: status and option. The status flags indicate the status of TCP connections, such as retransmission timeouts, application closed, and synchronized (SYNC) handshakes for listen. The additional flags indicate the state of options such as whether or not a virtual private network (VPN) routing and forwarding (VRF) identification is set, whether or not a user is idle, and whether or not a keepalive timer is running.
|
Configuring TCP
|
TCP Explicit Congestion Notification
|
The TCP Explicit Congestion Notification (ECN) feature provides a method for an intermediate router to notify the end hosts of impending network congestion. It also provides enhanced support for TCP sessions associated with applications that are sensitive to delay or packet loss including Telnet, web browsing, and transfer of audio and video data. The benefit of this feature is the reduction of delay and packet loss in data transmissions.
|
Configuring TCP
|
TCP Show Extension
|
The TCP Show Extension feature introduces the capability to display addresses in IP format instead of hostname format and to display the virtual private network (VPN) routing and forwarding (VRF) table associated with the connection.
|
Configuring TCP
|
12.2(31)SB2
|
TCP Window Scaling
|
The TCP Window Scaling feature adds support for the Window Scaling option in RFC 1323. A larger window size is recommended to improve TCP performance in network paths with large bandwidth, long-delay characteristics that are called Long Fat Networks (LFNs). This TCP Window Scaling enhancement provides that support.
|
Configuring TCP
|
Cisco IOS Release 12.2SR
|
12.2(33)SRE
|
WCCP VRF Support
|
The WCCP VRF Support feature provides enhancements to the existing WCCPv2 protocol which support VRF awareness.
|
Configuring WCCP
|
12.2(33)SRC1
|
Access Service Network (ASN) R6 Load Balancing
|
IOS SLB provides load balancing across a set of ASN gateways. The cluster of gateways appears to the base station as a single ASN gateway.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
12.2(33)SRC
|
Connection Rate Limiting
|
IOS SLB enables you to specify the maximum connection rate allowed for a real server in a server farm.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
INOP_REAL State for Virtual Servers
|
The INOP_REAL State for Virtual Servers feature enables you to configure a virtual server such that, if all of the real servers that are associated with the virtual server are inactive, the following actions occur:
• The virtual server is placed in the INOP_REAL state.
• An SNMP trap is generated for the virtual server's state transition.
• The virtual server stops answering ICMP requests.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
KeepAlive Application Protocol (KAL-AP) Agent Support
|
KAL-AP agent support enables IOS SLB to perform load balancing in a global server load balancing (GSLB) environment. KAL-AP provides load information along with its keepalive response message to the KAL-AP manager or GSLB device, such as the Global Site Selector (GSS), and helps the GSLB device load-balance client requests to the least-loaded IOS SLB devices.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
| |
RADIUS Load Balancing Accelerated Data Plane Forwarding
|
RADIUS load balancing accelerated data plane forwarding, also known as Turbo RADIUS load balancing, is a high-performance solution that uses basic policy-based routing (PBR) route maps to handle subscriber data-plane traffic in a CSG environment. When Turbo RADIUS load balancing receives a RADIUS payload, it inspects the payload, extracts the framed-IP attribute, applies a route map to the IP address, and then determines which CSG is to handle the subscriber.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
12.2(33)SRB
|
GPRS Load Balancing: GPRS Load Balancing Maps
|
GPRS load balancing maps enable IOS SLB to categorize and route user traffic based on access point names (APNs).
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
RADIUS Load Balancing: RADIUS Load Balancing Maps
|
RADIUS load balancing maps enable IOS SLB to categorize and route user traffic based on RADIUS calling station IDs and usernames. RADIUS load balancing maps is mutually exclusive with Turbo RADIUS load balancing and RADIUS load balancing accounting local acknowledgement.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
12.2(33)SRA
|
IP Precedence Accounting
|
The IP Precedence Accounting feature provides accounting information for IP traffic based on the precedence of any interface. This feature calculates the total packet and byte counts for an interface that receives or sends IP packets and sorts the results based on the IP precedence. This feature is supported on all interfaces and subinterfaces and supports CEF, dCEF, flow, and optimum switching.
|
Configuring IP Services
|
TCP MSS Adjust
|
The TCP MSS Adjust feature enables the configuration of the maximum segment size (MSS) for transient packets that traverse a router, specifically TCP segments in the SYN bit set.
|
Configuring TCP
|
WCCP Increased Services
|
The WCCP Increased Services feature increases the number of services supported by WCCP to a maximum of 256.
|
Configuring WCCP
|
Cisco IOS Release 12.2SX
|
12.2(33) SXH1
|
IP Precedence Accounting
|
The IP Precedence Accounting feature provides accounting information for IP traffic based on the precedence of any interface. This feature calculates the total packet and byte counts for an interface that receives or sends IP packets and sorts the results based on the IP precedence. This feature is supported on all interfaces and subinterfaces and supports CEF, dCEF, flow, and optimum switching.
|
Configuring IP Services
|
12.2(33) SXH
|
TCP MSS Adjust
|
The TCP MSS Adjust feature enables the configuration of the maximum segment size (MSS) for transient packets that traverse a router, specifically TCP segments in the SYN bit set.
|
Configuring TCP
|
WCCP Increased Services
|
The WCCP Increased Services feature increases the number of services supported by WCCP to a maximum of 256.
|
Configuring WCCP
|
12.2(18)SXF13
|
IP Precedence Accounting
|
The IP Precedence Accounting feature provides accounting information for IP traffic based on the precedence of any interface. This feature calculates the total packet and byte counts for an interface that receives or sends IP packets and sorts the results based on the IP precedence. This feature is supported on all interfaces and subinterfaces and supports CEF, dCEF, flow, and optimum switching.
|
Configuring IP Services
|
12.2(17d) SXE
|
GTP IMSI Sticky Database
|
IOS SLB can select a gateway general packet radio service (GPRS) support node (GGSN) for a given International Mobile Subscriber ID (IMSI), and forward all subsequent Packet Data Protocol (PDP) create requests from the same IMSI to the selected GGSN.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
Interface Awareness
|
Some environments require IOS SLB on both sides of a farm of CSGs, SSGs, or firewalls. For example, you might want IOS SLB to perform RADIUS load balancing on one side of a farm and firewall load balancing on the other, or firewall load balancing on both sides of a firewall farm.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
RADIUS Load Balancing: RADIUS Load Balancing IMSI Sticky Database
|
The IOS SLB RADIUS International Mobile Subscriber ID (IMSI) sticky database maps the IMSI address for each user to the corresponding gateway. This function enables IOS SLB to forward all subsequent flows for the same user to the same gateway.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
12.2(17d) SXD
|
DFP and the Home Agent Director
|
For the Home Agent Director, you can define IOS SLB as a DFP manager and define a DFP agent on each home agent in the server farm, and the DFP agent can report the weights of the home agents. The DFP agents calculate the weight of each home agent based on CPU utilization, processor memory, and the maximum number of bindings that can be activated for each home agent.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
12.2(17d) SXB1
|
GGSN-IOS SLB Messaging
|
This feature enables a GGSN to notify IOS SLB when certain conditions occur. The notifications enable IOS SLB to make intelligent decisions, which in turn improves GPRS load balancing and failure detection.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
Cisco IOS Releases 12.2T, 12.3, 12.3T, 12.4, and 12.4T
|
12.4(20)T
|
FHRP - EOT Deprecation of rtr Keyword
|
Effective with Cisco IOS Release 12.4(20)T, the track rtr command is replaced by the track ip sla command.
|
Configuring Enhanced Object Tracking
|
SCTP Release 4, Phase 2
|
Phase 2 of the SCTP Release 4 introduced the SCTP Add-IP feature. The SCTP Add-IP feature enables the ability to add or delete an IP address for an endpoint of an existing SCTP association and to communicate this change to the remote end.
|
Stream Control Transmission Protocol
|
WCCP Layer 2 Redirection / Forwarding
|
The WCCP Layer 2 Redirection/Forwarding feature allows directly connected Cisco Content Engines to use Layer 2 redirection, which is more efficient than Layer 3 redirection via GRE encapsulation.
|
Configuring WCCP
|
WCCP L2 Return
|
|
Configuring WCCP
|
WCCP Mask Assignment
|
The WCCP Mask Assignment feature introduces support for ACNS/WAAS devices using mask assignment as a cache engine assignment method.
|
Configuring WCCP
|
12.4(15)T
|
SCTP Release 4
|
SCTP Release 4 introduced the SCTP Stream Reset and Authentication features.
|
Stream Control Transmission Protocol
|
12.4(11)T
|
SCTP Show/Clear CLI Enhancements
|
The Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) Show/Clear CLI Enhancements feature provides access to additional SCTP information that can help with troubleshooting potential problems. These enhancements also make the updated SCTP show and clear commands consistent with the CLI of other transport protocols.
|
Stream Control Transmission Protocol
|
Show and Clear Commands for IOS Sockets
|
The Show and Clear Commands for IOS Sockets feature introduces the show udp, show sockets, and clear sockets commands. These new commands are useful for monitoring and managing the Cisco IOS Socket library.
|
Configuring IP Services
|
12.4(2)T
|
Clear IP Traffic CLI
|
The Clear IP Traffic CLI feature introduced the clear ip traffic command to clear all IP traffic statistics on a router instead of reloading the router. For added safety, you will see a confirmation prompt when entering this command.
|
Configuring IP Services
|
ICMP Unreachable Rate Limiting User Feedback
|
The ICMP Unreachable Rate Limiting User Feedback feature enables you to clear and display packets that have been discarded because of an unreachable destination, and to configure a threshold interval for triggering error messages. When message logging is generated, it displays on your console.
|
Configuring IP Services
|
TCP Application Flags Enhancement
|
The TCP Applications Flags Enhancement feature enables you to display additional flags with reference to TCP applications. There are two types of flags: status and option. The status flags indicate the status of TCP connections, such as retransmission timeouts, application closed, and synchronized (SYNC) handshakes for listen. The additional flags indicate the state of set options, such as whether or not a virtual private network (VPN) routing and forwarding (VRF) identification is set, whether or not a user is idle, and whether or not a keepalive timer is running.
|
Configuring TCP
|
TCP Show Extension
|
The TCP Show Extension feature introduces the capability to display addresses in IP format instead of hostname format and to display the virtual private network (VPN) routing and forwarding (VRF) table associated with the connection.
|
Configuring TCP
|
12.3(14)T
|
WCCP Increased Services
|
The WCCP Increased Services feature increases the number of services supported by WCCP to a maximum of 256.
|
Configuring WCCP
|
12.3(7)T
|
TCP Congestion Avoidance
|
The TCP Congestion Avoidance feature enables the monitoring of acknowledgment packets to the TCP sender when multiple packets are lost in a single window of data. Previously the sender would exit Fast-Recovery mode, wait for three or more duplicate acknowledgment packets before retransmitting the next unacknowledged packet, or wait for the retransmission timer to slow start. This could lead to performance issues.
|
Configuring TCP
|
TCP Explicit Congestion Notification
|
The TCP Explicit Congestion Notification (ECN) feature provides a method for an intermediate router to notify the end hosts of impending network congestion. It also provides enhanced support for TCP sessions associated with applications that are sensitive to delay or packet loss including Telnet, web browsing, and transfer of audio and video data. The benefit of this feature is the reduction of delay and packet loss in data transmissions.
|
Configuring TCP
|
WCCP Bypass Counters
|
The WCCP Bypass Counters feature allows you to display a count of packets that have been bypassed by a web cache and returned to the originating router to be forwarded normally.
|
Configuring WCCP
|
WCCP Outbound ACL Check
|
The WCCP Outbound ACL Check feature enables you to ensure that traffic redirected by WCCP at an input interface is subjected to the outbound ACL checks that may be configured on the output interface prior to redirection.
This feature is supported by WCCP Version 1 and Version 2.
|
Configuring WCCP
|
12.2(8)T
|
SCTP Release 2
|
SCTP Release 2 introduced updated output for SCTP commands.
|
Stream Control Transmission Protocol
|
TCP MSS Adjust
|
The TCP MSS Adjust feature enables the configuration of the maximum segment size (MSS) for transient packets that traverse a router, specifically TCP segments in the SYN bit set.
In 12.2(8)T, the command that was introduced by this feature was changed from ip adjust-mss to ip tcp adjust-mss.
|
Configuring TCP
|
TCP Window Scaling
|
The TCP Window Scaling feature adds support for the Window Scaling option in RFC 1323. A larger window size is recommended to improve TCP performance in network paths with large bandwidth, long-delay characteristics that are called Long Fat Networks (LFNs). This TCP Window Scaling enhancement provides that support.
|
Configuring TCP
|
12.2(4)T
|
SCTP, Release 1
|
Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) is a reliable datagram-oriented IP transport protocol specified by RFC 2960.
|
Stream Control Transmission Protocol
|
TCP MSS Adjust
|
The TCP MSS Adjust feature enables the configuration of the maximum segment size (MSS) for transient packets that traverse a router, specifically TCP segments in the SYN bit set.
|
Configuring TCP
|
TCP MSS Adjust
|
The TCP MSS Adjust feature enables the configuration of the maximum segment size (MSS) for transient packets that traverse a router, specifically TCP segments in the SYN bit set.
|
Configuring TCP
|
Cisco IOS Releases 12.2
|
12.2(21)
|
IP Precedence Accounting
|
The IP Precedence Accounting feature provides accounting information for IP traffic based on the precedence of any interface. This feature calculates the total packet and byte counts for an interface that receives or sends IP packets and sorts the results based on the IP precedence. This feature is supported on all interfaces and subinterfaces and supports CEF, dCEF, flow, and optimum switching.
|
Configuring IP Services
|
12.2(15)
|
UDP Forwarding Support for IP Redundancy Virtual Router Group
|
User Datagram Protocol (UDP) forwarding is a feature used in Cisco IOS software to forward broadcast and multicast packets received for a specific IP address. Virtual Router Group (VRG) support is currently implemented with the Hot Standby Routing Protocol (HSRP) and it allows a set of routers to be grouped as a logical router that answers to a well known well-known IP address. The UDP Forwarding Support for IP Redundancy Virtual Router Groups feature enables UDP forwarding to be VRG aware, resulting in forwarding only to the active router in the VRG.
|
Configuring UDP Forwarding Support for IP Redundancy Virtual Router Groups
|
12.2(1)
|
Active Standby
|
Active standby enables two IOS SLBs to load-balance the same virtual IP address while at the same time acting as backups for each other.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
Algorithms for Server Load Balancing
|
IOS SLB provides Weighted Round Robin, Weighted Least Connections and Route Map load-balancing algorithms
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
Alternate IP Addresses
|
IOS SLB enables you to telnet to the load-balancing device using an alternate IP address.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
Audio and Video Load Balancing
|
IOS SLB can balance RealAudio and RealVideo streams via Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), for servers running RealNetworks applications.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
Automatic Server Failure Detection
|
IOS SLB automatically detects each failed TCP connection attempt to a real server, and increments a failure counter for that server. If a server's failure counter exceeds a configurable failure threshold, the server is considered out of service and is removed from the list of active real servers.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
Automatic Unfail
|
When a real server fails and is removed from the list of active servers, it is assigned no new connections for a length of time specified by a configurable retry timer. After that timer expires, the server is again eligible for new virtual server connections and IOS SLB sends the server the next qualifying connection. If the connection is successful, the failed server is placed back on the list of active real servers. If the connection is unsuccessful, the server remains out of service and the retry timer is reset. The unsuccessful connection must have experienced at least one retry, otherwise the next qualifying connection would also be sent to that failed server.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
| |
Avoiding Attacks on Server Farms and Firewall Farms
|
A highly secure site can take certain steps to protect its server farms and firewall farms from attacks.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
Bind ID Support
|
The bind ID allows a single physical server to be bound to multiple virtual servers and report a different weight for each one. Thus, the single real server is represented as multiple instances of itself, each having a different bind ID. Dynamic Feedback Protocol (DFP) uses the bind ID to identify for which instance of the real server a given weight is specified. The bind ID is needed only if you are using DFP.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
Client-Assigned Load Balancing
|
Client-assigned load balancing allows you to limit access to a virtual server by specifying the list of client IP subnets that are permitted to use that virtual server. With this feature, you can assign a set of client IP subnets (such as internal subnets) connecting to a virtual IP address to one server farm or firewall farm, and assign another set of clients (such as external clients) to a different server farm or firewall farm.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
Client NAT
|
If you use more than one load-balancing device in your network, replacing the client IP address with an IP address associated with one of the devices results in proper routing of outbound flows to the correct device. Client NAT also requires that the ephemeral client port be modified since many clients can use the same ephemeral port. Even in cases where multiple load-balancing devices are not used, client NAT can be useful to ensure that packets from load-balanced connections are not routed around the device.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
Content Flow Monitor Support
|
IOS SLB supports the Cisco Content Flow Monitor (CFM), a web-based status monitoring application within the CiscoWorks2000 product family. You can use CFM to manage Cisco server load-balancing devices. CFM runs on Windows NT and Solaris workstations, and is accessed using a web browser.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
| |
Delayed Removal of TCP Connection Context
|
Because of IP packet ordering anomalies, IOS SLB might "see" the termination of a TCP connection (a finish [FIN] or reset [RST]) followed by other packets for the connection. This problem usually occurs when there are multiple paths that the TCP connection packets can follow. To correctly redirect the packets that arrive after the connection is terminated, IOS SLB retains the TCP connection information, or context, for a specified length of time. The length of time the context is retained after the connection is terminated is controlled by a configurable delay timer.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
Dynamic Feedback Protocol for IOS SLB
|
IOS SLB supports the DFP Agent Subsystem feature, also called global load balancing, which enables client subsystems other than IOS SLB to act as DFP agents. With the DFP Agent Subsystem, you can use multiple DFP agents from different client subsystems at the same time.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
Firewall Load Balancing
|
As its name implies, firewall load balancing enables IOS SLB to balance flows to firewalls. Firewall load balancing uses a load-balancing device on each side of a group of firewalls (called a firewall farm) to ensure that the traffic for each flow travels to the same firewall, ensuring that the security policy is not compromised.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
IOS SLB, First Release on 12.2
|
The IOS SLB feature is an IOS-based solution that provides load balancing for a variety of networked devices and services.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
Maximum Connections
|
IOS SLB allows you to configure maximum connections for server and firewall load balancing.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
Port-Bound Servers
|
When you define a virtual server, you must specify the TCP or UDP port handled by that virtual server. However, if you configure NAT on the server farm, you can also configure port-bound servers. Port-bound servers allow one virtual server IP address to represent one set of real servers for one service, such as HTTP, and a different set of real servers for another service, such as Telnet.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
Probes: HTTP, Ping, and WSP Probes
|
IOS SLB probes determine the status of each real server in a server farm and of each firewall in a firewall farm.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
Protocol Support
|
IOS SLB supports a fixed set of protocols.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
| |
Server NAT
|
Server NAT involves replacing the virtual server IP address with the real server IP address (and vice versa).
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
Slow Start
|
In an environment that uses weighted least connections load balancing, a real server that is placed in service initially has no connections, and could therefore be assigned so many new connections that it becomes overloaded. To prevent such an overload, the Slow Start feature controls the number of new connections that are directed to a real server that has just been placed in service.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
Stateful Backup
|
Stateful backup enables IOS SLB to incrementally backup its load-balancing decisions, or "keep state," between primary and backup switches. The backup switch keeps its virtual servers in a dormant state until HSRP detects failover; then the backup (now primary) switch begins advertising virtual addresses and processing flows.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
Stateless Backup
|
Stateless backup provides high network availability by routing IP flows from hosts on Ethernet networks without relying on the availability of a single Layer 3 switch. Stateless backup is particularly useful for hosts that do not support a router discovery protocol (such as the Intermediate System-to-Intermediate System [IS-IS] Interdomain Routing Protocol [IDRP]) and do not have the functionality to shift to a new Layer 3 switch when their selected Layer 3 switch reloads or loses power.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
Sticky Connections
|
A client transaction can sometimes require multiple consecutive connections, which means new connections from the same client IP address or subnet must be assigned to the same real server. You can use the optional sticky command to enable IOS SLB to force connections from the same client to the same load-balanced server within a server farm. For firewall load balancing, the connections between the same client-server pair are assigned to the same firewall.
|
Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
|
| |
SynGuard
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SynGuard limits the rate of TCP start-of-connection packets (SYNchronize sequence numbers, or SYNs) handled by a virtual server to prevent a type of network problem known as a SYN flood denial-of-service attack. A user might send a large number of SYNs to a server, which could overwhelm or crash the server, denying service to other users. SynGuard prevents such an attack from bringing down IOS SLB or a real server. SynGuard monitors the number of SYNs handled by a virtual server at specific intervals and does not allow the number to exceed a configured SYN threshold. If the threshold is reached, any new SYNs are dropped.
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Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
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TCP Session Reassignment
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IOS SLB tracks each TCP SYN sent to a real server by a client attempting to open a new connection. If several consecutive SYNs are not answered, or if a SYN is replied to with an RST, the TCP session is reassigned to a new real server. The number of SYN attempts is controlled by a configurable reassign threshold.
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Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
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Transparent Web Cache Load Balancing
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IOS SLB can load-balance HTTP flows across a cluster of transparent web caches. To set up this function, configure the subnet IP addresses served by the transparent web caches, or some common subset of them, as virtual servers. Virtual servers used for transparent web cache load balancing do not answer pings on behalf of the subnet IP addresses, and they do not affect traceroute.
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Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
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WAP Load Balancing
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The Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) Load Balancing feature allows you to use IOS SLB to load-balance Wireless Session Protocol (WSP) sessions among a group of WAP gateways or servers on an IP bearer network.
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Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
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12.1(5)T15
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IP Precedence Accounting
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The IP Precedence Accounting feature provides accounting information for IP traffic based on the precedence of any interface. This feature calculates the total packet and byte counts for an interface that receives or sends IP packets and sorts the results based on the IP precedence. This feature is supported on all interfaces and subinterfaces and supports CEF, dCEF, flow, and optimum switching.
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Configuring IP Services
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Other Cisco IOS Releases
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12.2(18)ZU2
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TCP MSS Adjust
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The TCP MSS Adjust feature enables the configuration of the maximum segment size (MSS) for transient packets that traverse a router, specifically TCP segments in the SYN bit set.
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Configuring TCP
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12.2(14)ZA5
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Exchange Director Features
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IOS SLB supports the Exchange Director for the mobile Service Exchange Framework (mSEF) for Cisco 7600 series routers.
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Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
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Flow Persistence
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Flow persistence provides intelligent return routing of load-balanced IP flows to the appropriate node, without the need for coordinated hash mechanisms on both sides of the load-balanced data path, and without using Network Address Translation (NAT) or proxies to change client or server IP addresses.
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Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
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Stateful Backup of Redundant Route Processors
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When used with RPR+, IOS SLB supports the stateful backup of redundant route processors for mSEF for Cisco 7600 series routers. This feature enables you to deploy Cisco Multiprocessor WAN Application Modules (MWAMs) in the same chassis as IOS SLB, while maintaining high availability of load-balancing assignments.
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Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
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12.2(14)ZA4
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Automatic Server Failure Detection: Disabling Automatic Server Failure Detection
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IOS SLB automatically detects each failed TCP connection attempt to a real server, and increments a failure counter for that server. If a server's failure counter exceeds a configurable failure threshold, the server is considered out of service and is removed from the list of active real servers.
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Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
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12.2(14)ZA2
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GPRS Load Balancing: Support for GTP v0 and GTP v1
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IOS SLB supports both GTP Version 0 (GTP v0) and GTP Version 1 (GTP v1). Support for GTP enables IOS SLB to become "GTP aware," extending IOS SLB's knowledge into Layer 5.
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Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
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GPRS Load Balancing with GTP Cause Code Inspection
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GPRS load balancing with GTP cause code inspection enabled allows IOS SLB to monitor all PDP context signaling flows to and from GGSN server farms. This feature enables IOS SLB to monitor GTP failure cause codes, detecting system-level problems in both Cisco and non-Cisco GGSNs.
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Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
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Home Agent Director
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The Home Agent Director load balances Mobile IP Registration Requests (RRQs) among a set of home agents (configured as real servers in a server farm). Home agents are the anchoring points for mobile nodes. Home agents route flows for a mobile node to its current foreign agent (point of attachment).
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Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
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Probes: Custom UDP Probes
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IOS SLB probes determine the status of each real server in a server farm and of each firewall in a firewall farm.
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Cisco IOS Server Load Balancing
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12.1(27b)E1
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IP Precedence Accounting
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The IP Precedence Accounting feature provides accounting information for IP traffic based on the precedence of any interface. This feature calculates the total packet and byte counts for an interface that receives or sends IP packets and sorts the results based on the IP precedence. This feature is supported on all interfaces and subinterfaces and supports CEF, dCEF, flow, and optimum switching.
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Configuring IP Services
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12.1(3)T
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WCCP Redirection on Inbound Interfaces
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The WCCP Redirection on Inbound Interfaces feature enables interfaces to be configured for input redirection for a particular WCCP service. When this feature is enabled on an interface, all packets arriving at that interface are compared against the specified WCCP service. If the packets match, they will be redirected.
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Configuring WCCP
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12.0(3)T
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WCCP Version 2
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The WCCP Version 2 feature provides several enhancements and features to the WCCP protocol.
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Configuring WCCP
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10.0
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Flooding Packets Using Spanning-Tree
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Enables the forwarding of UDP broadcast packets using the spanning-tree forwarding table.
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Configuring IPv4 Broadcast Packet Handling
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IP Directed Broadcasts
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Enables the translation of a directed broadcast to physical broadcasts.
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Configuring IPv4 Broadcast Packet Handling
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Specifying an IP Broadcast Address
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Specifies the IP broadcast address for an interface.
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Configuring IPv4 Broadcast Packet Handling
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UDP Broadcast Packet Forwarding
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Enables the forwarding of UDP broadcast packets.
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Configuring IPv4 Broadcast Packet Handling
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