March 2003 Acceleration 1

AccelerationDeployments

March 2003 Acceleration 2

Objectives

When you have completed this module you will be able to do the following:

• Define reverse proxying or acceleration• Configure NetCache for acceleration• Describe Server Load Balancing• Explain Acceleration Deployments

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What is Acceleration?

• NetCache can be configured as– Web accelerator– Streaming accelerator

• Acceleration is referred to as reverse proxying

• Typically located close to origin servers

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Advantages of Acceleration

• Offloads traffic from servers• Exploit NetCache speed• Improved security

– Isolates servers from the outside world– Protects servers from hacker attacks

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Accelerator Request Flow

NetCacheAccelerator

ClientOriginServer

www.x.com www-origin.x.com1

3

2 4

Accelerator request flow

1. Client sends request to server.

2. NetCache accelerator receives the request.

3. If the requested object is in the NetCache, it is returned to the client.

4. If the requested object is not in the NetCache, the appliance requests it from the origin server, caches the response (if cacheable), and returns the object to the client.

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Typical Acceleration Deployment

Switch or router provides server load balancing

Typical Acceleration Deployment

In the NetCache deployment illustrated, requests for non-cacheable content is routed by the switch or router directly to the origin servers while cacheable content is obtained from the NetCache.

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Distributed Web Site

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Multiple NetCaches - Single Server

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Single NetCaches – Multiple Servers

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Name Resolution for Acceleration

• Client query for www.x.com the accelerator

• NetCache queries for www-origin.x.com the origin server

NetCacheAccelerator10.10.10.10

ClientOriginServer

10.10.10.20

www.x.com www-origin.x.com1

3

2 4DNS Name Server

www.x.com10.10.10.10

HTTP Acceleration: Name Resolution Configuration

• Name server for x.com domain is configured so that:

• A query for www.x.com gives the IP address of the accelerator

• NetCache generates a query for www-origin.x.com and gives the IP address of the origin server

• Accelerator is configured to use www-origin.x.com as the origin server

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HTTP Acceleration

HTTP Acceleration: Possible configuration

• Name server for x.com domain is configured so that:

− A query for www.x.com gives the IP address of the accelerator

− NetCache generates a query for www-origin.x.com and gives the IP address of the origin server

• Accelerator is configured to use www-origin.x.comas the origin server

HTTP AccelerationTo accelerate a second web site with the same accelerator the above procedure could be followed again, e.g., a DNS query for www.y.com would give the same IP address as the one for www.x.com. The Host header allows the accelerator to distinguish between the requests.

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Acceleration Configuration

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Setup > HTTP > Web Server Acceleration

Web Server Acceleration

Options on the Setup > HTTP > Web Server Acceleration page are used to enable the NetCache appliance as a Web accelerator.

Refer to the On Line Help for configuration information.

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Web Acceleration Rules

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Web Acceleration Rule Edit

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Acceleration Rule

Options on the Setup > HTTP > Web Server Acceleration > New Web Server AccelerationRule page and the Setup > HTTP > Web Server Acceleration > Edit a Web Server Acceleration Rule page allow you to create or edit a Web server acceleration rule. Web server acceleration rules configure the Web accelerator to fetch and cache requested HTTP objects from specific Web servers based on the IP address, port number, or host name contained in the received HTTP request.

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StreamingAcceleration

Rule

Options on the Setup > Streaming > Streaming Server Acceleration > New Streaming Server Acceleration Rule page and the Setup > Streaming > Streaming Server Acceleration > Edit a Streaming Server Acceleration Rule page allow you to create or edit a streaming server acceleration rule. Streaming server acceleration rules configure the streaming accelerator to fetch, serve and sometimes cache requested streaming data from specific streaming servers based on the IP address, port number, or host name contained in the received streaming request.

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Acceleration Exercise

• Configure name resolution• Configure a web accelerator

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Acceleration Exercises

• 15 minutes in length• Utilizing Breakout rooms• Instructor will visit all rooms• Broadcast announcement 5 minutes

prior to regroup• Stay focussed, start telnet, start GUI• Share microphones, or no one else can

be heard

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Server Acceleration

Objective When you have completed this module, you will be able to configure the NetCache to act as a reverse proxy for an HTTP server

Exercise Overview Configure and test NetCache to accelerate an HTTP server

Time Estimate: 15 minutes

Required Hardware, Software, and Tools

Hardware

• NetCache appliance

• HTTP server

• Workstation

Software

• NetCache 5.4 or later

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Exercise: Configure Web Accelerator

Configure Name Resolution

Configure NetCache 1. Use local /etc/hosts file of client to simulate editing the DNS name server

c:\winnt\system32\drivers\etc\hosts

2. Open host file on your PC client and type an entry directing your URL request to your NetCache server’s IP address.

Enter 64.94.95.11 pdc.blue.netapp.com

Note: This step replaced the actual editing of the DNS table to resolve the web server to the IP address of the NetCache

Configure NetCache 1. Access the NetCache Manager web acceleration page Setup > HTTP > Web

Server Acceleration.

2. Enable acceleration.

3. Enter the server information.

Step Action Accelerator IP address 10.32.69.1XX – XX=Your

NetCache

Accelerator Port 3128

Accelerator host name netcache10X (X= your NetCache)

Accelerator path name *

Server IP address 10.32.70.10

Server Port 80 and 3128

Server host name pdc

Server host path *

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4. Commit the changes.

5. Open a command window on you workstation

Test the configuration 8. Open a browser and access http://pdc/acls/blue.htm.

9. In a different browser window, access the NetCache manager and observe the activity in the statistics and logs.

10. How can you tell that the accelerator is working properly?