Web OS supports a virtually unlimited number of VIP addresses, with up to 256 services allowed per VIP address. For maximum flexibility, real servers can be associated with any number of virtual servers. The switches distribute load by assigning each application request to the most available real server associated with the destination VIP address and tracking each session from start to finish. Effective load balancing algorithms tailor request distribution based on application and server types. These algorithms include least connections and round robin, with per server weighting and maximum load thresholds, plus hashing to ensure server persistence.
Excess load is directed to designated overflow servers that can be located anywhere in the network.
The Alteon Web OS API also allows users to design custom server-based scripts and agents to dynamically control load distribution on Alteon Web switches. Web OS directs user requests to the appropriate server or server group based on URL or URL sub-string matches. Application Redirection and Web-Cache Redirection Provide High Performance Policy Routing and Load Balancing With application redirection, powerful filtering rules are used to intercept any type of IP traffic and redirect it to a designated server, server farm or IP interfaces. Filters can be set by source and destination MAC and IP addresses, protocols, Layer 4 source and destination port numbers, as well as URLs and cookies. Any or all filters can be applied dynamically to each switch port to allow, deny or redirect packets.