Learn how network load balancing can maximize your network's throughput. Network load balancing allows your network to get the best in resource use. This is because network load balancing spreads the load between CPUs (central processing units), network links, and hard drives. You’ve heard colleagues talking about how load balancing has helped their network. Now you want to implement it in your business.

One of the important areas is learning how to use software to configure network load balancing. Various methods exist for obtaining the knowledge, such as taking courses or reading handbooks. Here are three options to getting load balancers education and training:

1. Take courses to understand server load balancers.

2. Obtain load balancers education and training by watching webcasts.

3. Understand web server load balancing through books from the Internet.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Learn about server load balancers by taking courses

The best way to get load balancers education and training is taking courses. Instructors won't just cover server balancing, but they'll have labs or demonstrations on how it works. You will learn how to configure network load balancing by using software. Instructors will also provide real-world examples which you might want to integrate in your company.

I recommend: Brocade has a course on web server load balancing. You will learn how to configure load balancing, including carrying out show server commands or describing filters. Genesys also provides a course on load balancers. One of the topics this course covers is learning about the pros and cons of server balancing.

Watch webcasts to acquire load balancers education and training

Are you tired of reading documentation on web server load balancers? Consider watching a webcast. This is a great learning tool. Webcasts can cover high-level topics, such as understanding the differences between network load balancing and clustering. Webcasts can also discuss topologies that involve server load balancers.

I recommend: You’ll want to check out TechRepublic. This website has a webcast that focuses on topologies. One of the things that the webcast talks about is load balancing. Microsoft also has a webcast on network load balancing. This webcast compares the difference between clustering and network load balancing.

Study books to understand web server load balancing

Search the Internet for books that can offer in-depth information on web server load balancing. You can learn about high-level topics, such as topologies or architecture. In addition, these books also provide step-by-step instructions on how to install and configure load balancers. If you're not sure which manufacturer to buy load balancers from, books can provide in-depth load balancer reviews.

I recommend: McGraw Hill Professional has a book, Windows Server 2003 Clustering and Load Balancing, that covers load balancing technology. You’ll learn how to build and configure network load balancing. Safari Books Online also has a handbook that focuses on firewall load balancing. You’ll learn about load balancing software and hardware.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Make up a checklist before you configure and implement network load balancing. Some of the items you will want in your checklist are host parameters, port rules, and cluster parameters.

Load balancers increase the speed of your network by spreading the workload over two or more computers, the network, CPUs, hard drives and other sources. You also gain redundancy through using network load balancing so there's less chance for failure. Load balancing is achieved through either dedicated software or hardware devices that boost the performance of your computer experience.

The best part is load balancers are a less expensive alternative to buying new, higher-end hardware. You'll want to make sure you buy the right load balancer for your needs today and ensure it can expand with your business. Also consider the ease of installment. Read load balancer reviews and then shop for the following:

1. Buy a Kemp LoadMaster 1500 network load balancer to create efficiency in your servers.

2. Choose a Barracuda Load Balancer 240 that can handle up to 10 real servers.

3. Add the Cisco CSS 11501 Content Services Switch Load Balancing Device for excellent transport and application services for your intranet and Internet data centers.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Buy a Kemp LoadMaster 1500 network load balancer to create efficiency in your servers

The Kemp LoadMaster 1500 network load balancer is a new generation server. It features a Layer 7 content switching appliance that has integrated SSL Acceleration capability. Kemp network load balancers distribute web traffic among your servers so no one gets overloaded. The LoadMaster 1500 provides the infrastructure needed for clustering and fault tolerance plus high availability to ensure your system is always running smoothly.

I recommend: To buy the Kemp Load Master, go to TheNerds.net and Keenzo.

Add Barracuda server load balancers for a robust way of handling up to 10 real servers

When you want to provide network load balancing, select the Barracuda Load Balancer 240 for 95 Mbit of throughput. These server load balancers integrate IP load balancing and network intrusion prevention in one piece of equipment that your company can afford. It also has failover safeties so even when a server fails, the other servers will take up the slack. Featuring 4/IP load balancing, capabilities include HTTP, HTTPS (SSL), SSH, SMTP, IMAP, RDP (Citrix/Terminal Services), POP3, NNTP, ASP, Streaming Media, DNS, LDAP, RADIUS and TFTP.

I recommend: Compare prices for the Barracuda server at PC Connection and Binary Technologies.

Choose Cisco from load balancer brands to provide reduced costs and optimize your data center

The Cisco CSS 11501 Content Services Switch Load Balancing Device combines award-winning Cisco Web Network Services with robust transport and application services. Perfect to balance loads on the Internet and intranet, you'll love the savings gained by optimizing your system. The Cisco load balancer promises to improve utilization, responsiveness, scalability, availability and security of websites, server farms, firewall systems and cache clusters.

I recommend: Select the best price for Cisco load balancers at CostCentral and SewellDirect.com.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Compare not only prices but shipping and warranty information for load balancers. Also, ask if there are service contracts to ensure your load balancer and your business are always up and running.

Designing and managing computer networks involves routing large amounts of data packets every second. This is where load balancers come in. Load balancing ensures that each resource is responsible for carrying its own load. For example, a network might consist of five routers. However, one is performing 80% of the work. As a result, this router is overworked and will likely malfunction. Load balancing ensures that each router carries 20% of the work.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Load balancing

Load balancing involves evenly distributing work between network devices, such as computers and routers. That way, no single device is heavily burdened with work. Load balancing is designed to help networks run more efficiently.

I recommend: TechTerms provides good information about how load balancing works.

Clusters

Clusters are multiple computers that work together in order to perform a task. Acting as one computer, clusters perform tasks that require a lot of processing power. Companies use clusters for performing computer rendering, simulations or scientific calculations. Clusters use load balancing to spread the work around.

I recommend: Learn how load balancing plays an important role for clusters by checking Instantlabs.

Layer 3 switch

A Layer 3 switch is a high-performance switch that can perform similar functions as a network router. Also known as a multi-layer switch, it can filter and forward packets based on network addresses and MAC addresses. It is an intelligent device because it can analyze an incoming packet and determine what's the best way to route it.

I recommend: Get a complete understanding of how Layer 3 switching works by reading the guide at Cisco. Cisco has a section that shows how the Layer 3 switching software supports load balancing.

Redundancy

Redundancy occurs when a second computer or network device takes over after the primary one fails. Redundancy plays a crucial role in that it helps to keep the network running smoothly.

I recommend: Visit TechRepublic to learn how redundancy and load balancing play important roles for the Fast EtherChannel.

Failover

Failover is the ability to switch over to the redundant network device once the primary one has failed. This function can either be set up manually or automatically.

I recommend: Microsoft discusses how to set up failover support for network load balancing.

RAID

RAID stands for Redundant Array of Independent Disks. This is a disk subsystem that is designed to enhance performance or fault tolerance. When the drives mirror each other, they perform 100 percent duplication. RAID drives come in different levels and perform different functions.

I recommend: Learn more about the different levels of RAID from Aspen Systems. RAID Level 0+1 uses striping, which offers load balancing, as well as enhancing read and write performance.