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Enrich the user experience while keeping control of your network

Networking professionals: At last, comprehensive coverage of content switching technology is in your hands! Optimizing Network Performance with Content Switching: Server, Firewall, and Cache Load Balancing, by topic experts Matthew Syme and Philip Goldie, provides sharp insights into this wide- ranging , rapidly changing technology. You'll learn the concepts, the background, and the architectures of content switching, as well as how it works and where and why it should be deployed to maximize the performance of your networks and servers. Fueled by increasing bandwidth and ever-richer content, this technology is fast becoming a standard in enterprise and ISP networks. Inside you'll find:

• Full explanations of TCP/IP, HTTP, DNS, and other network fundamentals

• Vendor-independent coverage of the key content switching applications--server load balancing, Web cache redirection, application redirection, firewall load balancing, and more!

• Detailed diagrams that illustrate clearly the deployments and topologies for all applications and variations covered in the book

• A running fictional case study that translates theory into practice, with all applications demonstrated in example implementations

• Advanced topics including TCP/IP flows and sessions, delayed binding, URL parsing, cookie persistence, server health checking, and load balancing metrics

The advanced topics in Optimizing Network Performance with Content Switching are tailored for engineers with layer 2 and layer 3 experience looking for a comprehensive explanation of the inner workings of content switching. This book is also ideal for managers, application developers, security administrators, sales people, and other professionals who require a firm understanding of the basics of the technology.

	Table of Contents

Optimizing Network Performance with Content Switching: Server, Firewall, and Cache Load Balancing
By Matthew Syme, Philip Goldie
Publisher	: Prentice Hall PTR
Pub Date	: July 02, 2003
ISBN	: 0-13-101468-4
Pages	: 288

		Copyright
		Prentice Hall PTR Series in Computer Networking and Distributed Systems
		About Prentice Hall Professional Technical Reference
		Preface
			The Audience and Purpose of This Book
			Case Studies
			Explanation of Artwork
			About the Technical Reviewers
			Acknowledgments
			Summary
		Chapter 1.  Introduction to Content Switching
			The Evolution of Layer 2 and Layer 3 Networks
			Summary
		Chapter 2.  Understanding Layer 2, 3, and 4 Protocols
			The OSI Seven Layer ModelWhat Is a Layer?
			Switching at Different Layers
			Understanding Layer 4 Protocols
			Transport Control Protocol (TCP)
			User Datagram Protocol (UDP)
			Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP)
			Summary
		Chapter 3.  Understanding Application Layer Protocols
			HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP)
			File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
			Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP)
			Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
			Summary
		Chapter 4.  The Concepts of Content Switching
			Virtual Services and Application Redirection
			Resources and Real Servers
			Frames, Packets, and Sessions
			Deep Packet Inspection
			Summary
		Chapter 5.  Basic Server Load Balancing
			Why Load Balance Servers?
			Topologies of Server Load Balancing
			Layer 4 Load Balancing Metrics
			Server Health Checking
			Summary
		Chapter 6.  Content-Aware Server Load Balancing
			What Is Layer 7 Server Load Balancing?
			Why Use Layer 7 Server Load Balancing?
			Dealing with Layer 7 Traffic
			HTTP URL Parsing and Load Balancing
			HTTP Header Load Balancing
			HTTP Cookie Load Balancing
			Load Balancing FTP
			Load Balancing DNS at Layer 7
			Load Balancing RTSP Streaming Media
			Summary
			Case Study: Content-Aware Server Load Balancing
		Chapter 7.  Persistence, Security, and the Internet
			Internet Service ProvidersProxying and Traffic Volumes
			IP Address Hashing
			Cookie-Based Persistence
			SSL
			Summary
			Case Study: Persistence
		Chapter 8.  Application Redirection
			The Requirement for Application Redirection
			VIP-Based SLB vs. Application Redirection
			Web Cache Redirection (WCR)
			WCR
			Security Redirection
			Router/Link Load Balancing
			Summary
			Case Study: Application Redirection
		Chapter 9.  Firewall and VPN Load Balancing
			Why Load Balance Firewalls and VPN Switches?
			Firewall Overview
			Deploying Firewall Load Balancing
			Policy-Based Firewall Load Balancing
			VPN and MAC Persistence
			Summary
		Chapter 10.  The Architecture of a Content Switch
			Typical Layer 2 and Layer 3 Architecture Considerations
			Why Content Switching Is Different
			What Makes a Good Content Switch?
			Different Approaches
			Where To Next?
			Associated Hardware
			Summary