monitoring and reporting tools, providing administrators with a quick look at real-time data, performance, and bandwidth
Storage optimization
Accelerate and secure data replication with F5 WAN optimization By Fred Johnson, Ujjwal Rajbhandari, and Puneet Dhawan
Combining Dell™ EqualLogic™ PS Series storage with F5® BIG-IP® application delivery systems and WAN Optimization Module™ technology can have significant performance and security benefits for data replication over wide area networks (WANs), helping reduce WAN-related costs.
A
pplication availability, data center
equipment, and administration, these performance
capacity, and business continuity can
advantages can quickly lead to bottom-line savings.
all depend on the timely movement of applications and data between remote
F5 BIG-IP application delivery controllers provide
completion times typical of wide area networks
the flexibility to support multiple feature sets
(WANs) can make remote WAN replication difficult
on a single platform. For example, a BIG-IP
or even impossible. Additionally, the need to meet
device providing high availability, traditional
regulatory and compliance standards—including
load balancing, and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
controlled access to and encryption of replicated
offload can also incorporate WAN optimization,
data—is often a paramount consideration for
Web acceleration, application security, and other
enterprise storage administrators.
features without the need for additional dedicated
With these challenges in mind, Dell and F5
appliances—helping to simplify management
have completed proof-of-concept (POC) lab
and save on hardware, rack space, and power
testing to demonstrate how organizations can
consumption.
help accelerate and secure Dell EqualLogic PS
70
F5 BIG-IP WAN optimization features
sites. The low throughput and long data transfer
F5 BIG-IP WOM technology is designed to
Series Internet SCSI (iSCSI) storage area network
accelerate TCP traffic for data center applications,
(SAN) replication over WANs using version 10.1 of
with the ability to scale to meet high bandwidth
the F5 BIG-IP WAN Optimization Module (WOM).
requirements. The module includes special
By overcoming the effects of limited bandwidth,
acceleration profiles for Common Internet
high latency, and packet loss, WOM technology
File System (CIFS) and Messaging Application
helps to dramatically increase throughput, reduce
Programming Interface (MAPI), and supports Web
replication completion times, and enhance
Cache Communication Protocol version 2 (WCCPv2);
bandwidth utilization and efficiency. When taking
because it must be deployed symmetrically, it
into account the costs of WAN bandwidth,
requires two or more BIG-IP devices.
2010 Issue 02 | dell.com/powersolutions
Reprinted from Dell Power Solutions, 2010 Issue 2. Copyright © 2010 Dell Inc. All rights reserved.
Figure 1. F5 BIG-IP WOM performance dashboard
A variety of features help
• Symmetric encryption:
preventing redundant data
to boost performance, secure
iSessions can be secured by
patterns from crossing the
communications, and manage
controlling access, encrypting
WAN. A cache is built on
traffic, including the following:
the control channel, and
the device at each end, and
optionally encrypting the
when a duplicate pattern in
iSCSI replication traffic; the
the network traffic is found, a
network tunneling feature
SSL encryption is designed
small reference to the cache
integrates security,
to operate with only minimal
is transmitted instead of the
acceleration, and traffic
impact on performance.
entire pattern—an important
management. This feature
Administrators can easily
way to help reduce the
is designed to work through
enable encryption by
amount of WAN traffic. The
firewalls: for example, iSCSI
modifying the iSCSI virtual
Dell and F5 POC testing used
requires only TCP port 443 for
server using the Web
a memory deduplication data
the secure control channel
browser–based BIG-IP
store, an approach well suited
and TCP port 3260 for iSCSI,
management interface.
for replication traffic. The
• iSessions: The F5 iSessions
and iSessions encryption can
• Symmetric data
deduplication cache can also
be enabled without changes
deduplication: In the WOM
be stored on disk to support
to the port assignments.
context, deduplication means
increased cache sizes.
“The goal of WAN optimization is to increase
performance by minimizing latency—helping to increase the perceived bandwidth, seamlessly recover from packet loss, and enable WANs to provide performance characteristics similar to LANs.”
Reprinted from Dell Power Solutions, 2010 Issue 2. Copyright © 2010 Dell Inc. All rights reserved.
dell.com/powersolutions | 2010 Issue 02
71
Storage optimization
• Symmetric adaptive
to reduce TCP overhead
compression: As with
and increase network
symmetric deduplication, compression helps to reduce
performance and reliability. • Layer 7 (L7) quality-of-
the amount of WAN traffic
service (QoS) rate shaping:
and increase bandwidth usage
L7 QoS rate shaping allows for
efficiency. Adaptive means that
the enforcement of bandwidth
BIG-IP devices can intelligently
minimums and maximums per
select compression based on
application, including burst
the type of data. Compression
control, and supports terms-
can also be offloaded to
of-service and differentiated
hardware compression cards
services code point (DSCP)
on high-end F5 platforms to
features. For example, the
help reduce processor usage
bandwidth associated with an
and increase throughput. The
iSCSI BIG-IP virtual server can
Dell and F5 POC testing used
be limited, helping prevent
adaptive compression, yielding
iSCSI replication from affecting
a combination of Lempel-Ziv-
other critical applications that
Oberhumer (LZO) and Deflate
share the same WAN link.
(level 1) compression. Volume data set characteristics such as
The WOM performance
compressibility influence the
dashboard offers integrated
performance gains associated
monitoring and reporting tools,
with WOM technology.
providing administrators with
• TCP Express: The BIG-IP
a quick look at real-time data,
network stack implements a
performance, and bandwidth
variety of TCP optimization
gains for WOM-optimized traffic
techniques and performance-
(see Figure 1).
F5 BIG-IP configuration In this Dell TechCenter video, Fred Johnson demonstrates how to configure the F5 BIG-IP WAN Optimization Module for a central office.
related IETF Request enhancements designed to
Proof-of-concept test environment
offload and optimize TCP
The goal of the Dell and F5 POC
network traffic, helping
testing was to demonstrate Dell
for Comments (RFC)
delltechcenter.com/ video/9320147/ f5+big+ip+configuration
Simulated data center 1
Simulated data center 2
Dell PowerConnect 6248 switch
Dell PowerConnect 6248 switch
WAN emulator iSessions
Dell EqualLogic PS6000XV iSCSI SAN array
F5 BIG-IP 3600 devices with WOM technology
F5 BIG-IP 3600 devices with WOM technology
Dell EqualLogic PS6000XV iSCSI SAN array
Encryption, compression, symmetric deduplication, and TCP optimizations
Figure 2. Proof-of-concept test environment incorporating F5 BIG-IP WOM technology
72
2010 Issue 02 | dell.com/powersolutions
Reprinted from Dell Power Solutions, 2010 Issue 2. Copyright © 2010 Dell Inc. All rights reserved.
800 15m10s
Throughput (MB/min)
700
16m40s
17m20s
600
19m36s
500 400
1m20s
2m35s
13m55s
500 MB (1:1)
1 GB (1:1)
5 GB (1:1)
Figure 3. Dell EqualLogic replication throughput and completion times with F5 BIG-IP WOM acceleration over a 45 Mbps WAN with 100 ms of latency and 1 percent packet loss
300 200 100 0 10 GB (1:1)
10 GB (2:1)
10 GB (4:1)
10 GB (4:1 with encryption)
Volume size and data compressibility
EqualLogic iSCSI SAN replication
The test team used the Web
increase the perceived bandwidth,
throughput and completion
browser–based EqualLogic
seamlessly recover from packet
times when using F5 BIG-IP
Group Manager user interface
loss, and enable WANs to provide
WOM technology to accelerate
to configure the volumes,
performance characteristics
and encrypt iSCSI traffic as it
manage the replication jobs,
similar to LANs. Figure 3 shows
crossed a WAN. The tests were
and report throughput and
Dell EqualLogic iSCSI replication
performed in November 2009
completion times. The test
throughput and completion times
at the Dell Interoperability Lab in
runs included asynchronous
with F5 BIG-IP WOM acceleration
Round Rock, Texas.
full-volume replication jobs, with
over a 45 Mbps WAN with 100 ms
no incremental replications, and
of latency and 1 percent packet
lab configuration included two
each run was limited to single-
loss (10,000 packets per million)
EqualLogic PS6000XV iSCSI
volume replications.
across a variety of volume sizes.
As shown in Figure 2, the
SAN arrays with sixteen 420 GB,
Similarly, the Web
The WOM-accelerated tests for the
15,000 rpm Serial Attached SCSI
browser–based BIG-IP
10 GB volume additionally show
(SAS) hard drives in a RAID-50
management interface was
the throughput and completion
configuration connected by
used for WOM configuration,
times for 2:1 and 4:1 volume data
two Dell PowerConnect™
including endpoints, virtual
compressibility as well as 4:1
6248 L3 switches. F5 BIG-IP
servers, encryption profiles, and
compressibility with encryption.
3600 appliances with WOM
acceleration profiles and routing,
technology were connected
as well as an iSCSI acceleration
context, using WOM technology
to the switches at each
policy. The performance
enabled the WAN link at 45 Mbps
simulated site. A WAN emulator
dashboard was monitored to
with 100 ms of latency and
interconnected the switches;
observe WAN optimization
1 percent packet loss to provide
the emulator functions included
statistics, network throughput,
results roughly comparable to
limiting bandwidth, injecting
and processor and memory
what could be expected of a
latency, and dropping packets
utilization during the test runs.
100 Mbps LAN with no latency
to simulate two remote data
To put these results in
or packet loss, even when using encryption—helping make
The two arrays then replicated
F5 BIG-IP WOM acceleration test results
volumes over the emulated
The goal of WAN optimization
volumes possible in a much
WAN, benefiting from WOM
is to increase performance by
shorter period of time than it
acceleration and encryption.
minimizing latency—helping to
would otherwise require. As an
centers connected over a WAN.
Reprinted from Dell Power Solutions, 2010 Issue 2. Copyright © 2010 Dell Inc. All rights reserved.
remote replication of large data
dell.com/powersolutions | 2010 Issue 02
73
Storage optimization
“F5 BIG-IP WOM technology can help organizations reduce administration costs and avoid the need to purchase additional bandwidth while continuing to meet overall organizational and compliance requirements.” Typical latency range
Typical average latency
Regional within the United States or Europe
10–40 ms
30 ms
U.S. East Coast to West Coast
80–120 ms
100 ms
South America to North America
90–170 ms
150 ms
250–400 ms
300 ms
Asia Pacific to Europe
Figure 4. Typical latencies that might be expected across a variety of WAN link distances
additional point of reference when evaluating the
technology can help organizations reduce
results, Figure 4 shows typical latencies that might
administration costs and avoid the need to
be expected across a variety of WAN link distances.
purchase additional bandwidth while continuing
Organizations can further increase iSCSI WAN
to meet overall organizational and compliance
data transfer throughput by configuring concurrent
requirements. Combining WOM technology
replication of more than one volume at a time,
with Dell EqualLogic iSCSI SAN arrays enables
helping maximize overall bandwidth utilization.
organizations to create a shared storage solution
They can also enhance network efficiency by
supporting accelerated and encrypted site-to-site
using remote point-in-time replication, which helps
data transfers over WANs.
minimize the amount of data crossing the WAN by transferring only the changed volume data to the replication partner.
Fred Johnson is a strategic partner engineer at F5 Networks dedicated to Dell Labs.
Reduced costs through WAN acceleration
Ujjwal Rajbhandari is a product marketing consultant for Dell storage.
Because bandwidth, equipment, and administration for WAN operations can represent significant costs over time, the performance advantages of F5 BIG-IP WOM technology with Dell EqualLogic storage demonstrated by the
Learn more
Dell and F5 POC tests can lead to bottom-line
F5 and Dell:
savings. By accelerating data transfer times
f5.com/dell
over WANs, enabling encryption with minimal performance overhead, and providing an easyto-use management interface, F5 BIG-IP WOM 74
Puneet Dhawan is a technical marketing consultant for Dell storage.
2010 Issue 02 | dell.com/powersolutions
Dell EqualLogic PS Series: dell.com/psseries dell.com/equallogic
Reprinted from Dell Power Solutions, 2010 Issue 2. Copyright © 2010 Dell Inc. All rights reserved.