DNS Load Balancing
Whether an organization simply uses a centralized business network for local application distribution, or it is utilizing a wide area network (WAN) for global distribution, balancing user traffic is an important factor for optimal transaction performance. One of the most important techniques of managing network traffic is the process of Domain Name Service (DNS) load balancing. When a user attempts to access a particular domain via a text-based URL address, that domain request needs to be resolved into an IP address that a DNS server can read. DNS load balancing performs this essential function, translating readable text domain names into IP addresses and subsequently redirecting requests to appropriate servers.
Organizations that implement a DNS load balancing solution will benefit from the many advantages it can provide. Utilizing this method of traffic management to distribute domain requests to relevant servers, companies will be able to maximize the way networks, and supporting data centers deliver information to end-users. Through predetermined scheduling strategies such as round-robins or geographical scheduling, organizations can use DNS load balancing to effectively direct requests. To further increase this process, once a request is designated to a specific server, DNS load balancing sends all additional user requests from the same local caching DNS to the previously selected server. As an essential component to optimizing the functionality of a network, this process can also store information on the mail exchange where servers accept certain domain email.
Server Load Balancing
Along with managing increased traffic of company-wide DNS requests, maintaining the amount of resources the servers in a data center handle is also crucial to business performance. As network traffic increases, user requests to access and utilize business applications and information grow as well. The solution to this additional data center strain is server load balancing. Distributing the work that an individual server is required to perform can increase application retrieval times and overall network performance. Server load balancing is a technique where the comprehensive workload of a network is evenly distributed across selected servers within a data center. Utilizing server load balancing, organizations can decrease the strain put on individual servers and optimize the performance of data and application retrieval within its network.
Radware Solutions
Standard DNS global load balancing solutions can't recognize DNS requests from different DNS servers, which may in fact be originating from the same user. The new request is treated as if it is coming from a new user and the user is redirected to the wrong data center which causes the transaction to fail. Radware's AppDirector application delivery controller resolves this shortcoming with an Anycast DNS service. Anycast is part of Radware's patented, 3-tier global traffic redirection technology, offered via the DNS Resolution Tier. Radware's 3-tier global redirection technology provides transaction completion by enabling application/ transaction persistency. The DNS Resolution Tier enables user persistency among DNS servers, resulting in enhanced user accuracy and intelligently completed transactions. The Global Distribution Tier maintains the complete site information, including the capacity, load, content and application health of the sites. The Server Front End Tier handles local availability and acceleration of a server site.
This solution, which is integrated with the local redirection module in the same box, includes
- Patented proximity and load measurement for best site selection
- Widest range of redirection methods (DNS, HTTP, RTSP, SIP and patented global triangulation redirection) which guarantees session persistency and transaction completion
- Patented triangulation redirection for global redirection for any IP-based service
By solving the problems of DNS-only solutions, AppDirector lets customers create true global networks while ensuring maximum uptime and optimized service delivery to globally dispersed users.
For questions or more information about our DNS and server load balancing solutions, please contact us and a knowledgeable Radware representative will answer promptly.
Radware also provides load balancing solutions for a variety of other applications. Learn more about these options.