Cisco Cisco ACE Application Control Engine Module White Paper
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Single sign-on (SSO) optimizations—Many enterprises use SSO mechanisms such as Microsoft’s NT LAN Manager to authenticate users as they
log into enterprise applications. Authentication is a way of preventing user spoofing. Cisco improves overall application performance in SSO-
enabled environments by eliminating redundant authentication traffic associated with object validation requests.
enabled environments by eliminating redundant authentication traffic associated with object validation requests.
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XML transformation—Applications that output XML offer considerable flexibility in terms of connectivity and reuse. Translating XML on
the application server is inefficient and leads to significant back-end performance problems. Instead of the usual standalone XML transformation
appliance, Cisco offers integrated XML translation capability through an XML module built into the Cisco AVS 3120. The solution caches XML
objects to improve performance and throughput, offloads the transformation of XML from the back end and the client, and then performs all
appropriate optimizations to deliver to clients.
appliance, Cisco offers integrated XML translation capability through an XML module built into the Cisco AVS 3120. The solution caches XML
objects to improve performance and throughput, offloads the transformation of XML from the back end and the client, and then performs all
appropriate optimizations to deliver to clients.
Cisco ACE Services Module helps ensure availability and reliability of application services inside and outside corporate networks with a variety
of policy-based approaches:
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Load-balancing policies—Heavy server loads are distributed using policies based on criteria that identify the requests to be distributed, the
eligible devices capable of handling those requests, and the algorithms for distributing the requests. Examples of load-distribution algorithms
include round robin, weighted round robin, least connections, weighted least connections, least loaded, and predictive hash.
include round robin, weighted round robin, least connections, weighted least connections, least loaded, and predictive hash.
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Server-failure policies—When a server fails, what happens next is governed by the operator’s specific policy. For example, what should be done
when a server to which a client has a persistent connection mapped fails during a transaction? Possible options include resetting the connection,
issuing an HTTP redirect (perhaps to a server that displays an error message), rebalancing the connection to a new server using the load-balancing
policy, or directing it to a special “sorry server” that becomes active if there are no other eligible servers for this policy.
issuing an HTTP redirect (perhaps to a server that displays an error message), rebalancing the connection to a new server using the load-balancing
policy, or directing it to a special “sorry server” that becomes active if there are no other eligible servers for this policy.
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Content-specific policies—Different treatment can be specified for different types of content. For example, a policy might direct all requests for
cacheable content to a set of reverse-proxy caches that offload the processing of static images from application servers. Another might partition a
Web server farm into static and dynamic sections.
Web server farm into static and dynamic sections.
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Device-specific policies—Different treatment can be specified for different types of devices. For example, clients using a wireless device can be
directed to a set of servers that customize content for its format.
SUMMARY
With its latest additions to its data center solutions for Application Networking Services, Cisco Systems® helps businesses improve value across
widely distributed organizations by creating networks that optimally support application deployments. Specifically, Cisco data center solutions for
Application Networking Services deliver:
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Unprecedented control for IT over the deployment and management of application service, which can dramatically improve service and reduce
management overhead by creating virtual partitions and using role-based access control.
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High application and device performance, including 16-GB throughput and 4-MB bidirectional connections to handle large-scale operations, and
unique WAN latency and bandwidth reduction capabilities to improve end-user response times across the network.
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Rich levels of application and network security, including bidirectional support for content inspection, SSL encryption/decryption, and transaction
logging for application security forensics.
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Integration of multiple front-end services within a single processing path.
The Cisco’s data center solutions for Application Networking Services provide a new and solid foundation to help ensure that IT can adapt to a
changing and challenging business environment within budget and on time. They include the following:
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The new Cisco ACE module
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The new Cisco AVS software update for the Cisco AVS 3120 Application Velocity System
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Application load balancing and acceleration: Cisco CSS 11500 Content Services Switches
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Application load balancing: Cisco Content Switching Module for the Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Switch
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Application load balancing and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) off-load: Cisco Content Switching Module with SSL for the Cisco Catalyst 6500
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Cisco GSS 4400 Global Site Selector platforms
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HTTP(s) optimization: Cisco AVS 3120 Application Velocity System