Cost Reduction with Simplicity
Virtualization refers to the abstraction of computer resources or a technique for hiding the physical aspects of computing resources from systems, applications or end users’ interactions. In this way, a single physical resource (such as a server or storage device) can function as multiple logical resources or multiple physical resources can function as a single logical entity.
Virtualization is often implemented by deploying multiple operating systems or applications on the same physical server. While the benefits of this approach are obvious (i.e., a reduction of capital equipment and expenses), the challenges are not. Applications are meant to serve end users. When a single server is not working, it could mean two things.
- Multiple mission-critical applications (ERP, CRM) are not serving the intended users
- Revenues are not being generated
Though software-based, high availability capabilities are integrated in many server virtualizations, there are still shortcomings including
- Lack of detection of a network connection failure to the server
- Scalability in a virtualized dynamic business enviroment
- Response time and performance issues in a virtual application
- Security concerns in a virtual application
- Managing a virtual application enviroment
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According to an Infonetics Research Report from March 2006, the average loss due to server and application outages of a mid-size enterprise with annual revenues of US$150M is $535,000. And in companies with annual revenues of $400M, the average loss grows to $5.14M. Any cost savings achieved by server consolidation within a data center cannot justify the cost of downtime and lost productivity in today's business environment.
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Radware’s Application Delivery devices, part of the APSoluteTM product suite, provide applications with full availability, enhanced performance and maximum security while offering additional layers of application resource virtualization. These solutions transform a virtual server environment into a real application virtualization environment, enabling further cost savings as well as flexibility and ease of data center consolidation.
Radware’s Application Delivery devices include AppDirector and AppXML:
- AppDirector: This intelligent application delivery controller (ADC) for the data center enables high local and global server availability, optimized application performance, application security and infrastructure scalability.
- AppXML: This Web services and XML gateway provides unmatched application delivery solution for SOA-based environments, delivering a complete security, performance acceleration, and interoperability solution for companies that are deploying Web services XML
Transparent Integration into a Virtual Server Environment
Radware’s devices seamlessly integrate into virtual server environments, regardless of the virtualization technology in use. In typical virtual server solutions, each virtual machine has its own Internet Protocol (IP) and the applications running on top of each virtual machine have standard or proprietary ports. Radware’s design supports such application environments; it also supports multiple instances of the same applications running on the same virtual machine. By maintaining session persistency, a user transaction starting on one virtual machine will continue being served by the same virtual machine, as long as the virtual machine and the application on top of it are up and running.
In addition, Radware’s Application Delivery devices abstract the entire infrastructure where the enterprise application service is running, transforming a virtual server into a manageable virtual application environment. A Radware Application Delivery device as a front end to a virtualized environment realizes the following results
- Advanced health monitoring
- Transparent failure bypassing for 24×7 availability
- Full disaster recovery and business continuity
- Seamless and transparent maintenance operations
- Dynamic, scalable business growth
- Virtual application performance and response time acceleration
Complete Application Security
Radware’s Application Delivery devices also provide integrated security against Denial of Service (DoS) attacks, such as SYN floods and other application-level floods that can paralyze critical applications and prevent legitimate users from accessing the application for the length of the attack. This application security capability is available for virtualized environments.
Radware’s Security Solution uses adaptive behavioral analysis capabilities to provide zero-day protection from DoS attacks without any human intervention. This self-learning mechanism proactively scans network traffic for anomalous traffic patterns. When the mechanism detects an attack, it characterizes the attack’s specific behavior, establishes filter criteria and executes the appropriate countermeasure. The closed feedback mechanism dynamically changes filtering criteria according to the ongoing development of the attack, accurately mitigating the damage caused by these highly sophisticated attacks.
In summary, Radware Application Delivery devices ensure full application availability, dynamic and transparent scalability, accelerated response time, integrated application security and optimized management. This solution overcomes the gaps and challenges of a virtual server environment, while also eliminating the costs associated with application downtime and improving employee productivity.