The Barracuda Load Balancer integrates server load balancing and network intrusion prevention into an affordable and easy-to-use solution. The Barracuda Load Balancer provides distribution of traffic across multiple servers, integrated protection from network intrusions and comprehensive failover capabilities in case of server failure.
With no per server or per port license fees, the Barracuda Load Balancer offers the most affordable solution for scaling and protecting mission-critical data centers.
How Are You Currently Load Balancing Your IP-Based Applications?
It is no secret that organizations are becoming highly reliant on networked applications and therefore must ensure that access to these applications is reliable, scalable and fault-tolerant. Application failure or slowdown may result in one or all of the following:
- Inability for local and remote users to access critical resources, complete processes and transactions
- Measurable decline in business productivity
- Negative impact on revenue and profits
It is therefore safe to say that application performance matters!
Achieve Your High Availability Objectives
Designed to help organizations achieve their availability objectives, the Barracuda Load Balancer integrates IP load balancing and network intrusion prevention. The appliance has indepth failover abilities (in case of server failure) and provides distribution of network traffic across multiple servers. Some implementations include load balancing traffic from:
- Internet sites with high traffic requirements, including Web, FTP, media streaming, and content delivery networks
- Hosted applications using thin-client architectures, such as Citrix or Windows Terminal Services
- Other IP services requiring optimal performance, including SMTP, DNS, RADUIS, TFTP, and more
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Fast, Reliable and Secure Traffic Management Solution
The Barracuda Load Balancer combines an extremely fast and stable Layer 4 and Layer 7 Load Balancing solution with gigabit interfaces and built-in security to provide:
- TCP / UDP service load balancing
- IP Persistence or Server Affinity
- Automatic fail over and recovery of servers
- Built-in security for all load balanced services
- Second to none ease of use via a Web GUI
- Speed, reliability and excellent support
- Support for over 100 Real Servers even in our smallest model
- No per server licensing fees
- A fully featured API is available that is great for ISPs
We were determined to build a product that can scale with your needs, and deliver it at a price point that allows you to deploy load balancing not only where you absolutely need it, but wherever it can be of assistance. Why spend all your load balancing budget addressing one project, when those same funds can address your current need and all the many IT projects that deserve a boost or some redundancy? Request a Load Balancer evaluation unit today!
Quick Installation and Easy-to-Use
The Barracuda Load Balancer is extremely easy to use. This quality is exceedingly rare in an industry that normally requires a Network Expert to even attempt configuration. It normally takes about ten minutes and a good idea of what you want to load balance to setup the Barracuda Load Balancer. Even backups, persistence, and testing are effortless.
Key Features
The Barracuda Load Balancer is designed to provide fast and comprehensive IP load balancing capabilities to any IP-based application, including:
- HTTP
- HTTPS (SSL)
- SSH
- SMTP
- IMAP
- POP3
- NNTP
- ASP
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- RDP (Citrix/ Terminal Services)
- Streaming Media
- DNS
- LDAP
- RADIUS
- TFTP
- Other TCP/UDP Services
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Since the Barracuda Load Balancer solution is based on Layer 4 rather than Layer 7 switching, performance can exceed most Layer 7 switches in any price range, and you do not need a CSE to set one up. Just 10 minutes, and a good idea of what you want to load balance.
Integrated and Updated Intrusion Prevention
As security becomes a growing concern globally, Barracuda Networks has been hard at work preparing perhaps the world's first "No-Fuss" Intrusion Prevention System. This is not a typical IDS or Active Intrusion Prevention system using sensors that create a virtual storm of messages and alerts. Instead, only potentially damaging exploits are filtered.
The set-and-forget, best of breed Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) helps secure your network, even if you miss a patch or if an exploit manages to get past your existing security. In addition to the Denial of Service (DDoS) protection provided for all load balanced servers by the built-in IPS, the Barracuda Load Balancer will also automatically block any exploits that are detected across multiple protocols, with no extra configuration required. Exploit signatures are regularly updated at Barracuda Central, and are automatically delivered to your Barracuda Load Balancer via Energize Updates.
Auto-Discover Mode
All models of the Barracuda Load Balancer support Auto-Discovery of Real Servers and Services, to ensure quick and easy deployment of new servers. For common services, there's no need to manually configure each port. The Barracuda Load Balancer automatically detects which services are running on a specified server, which saves on deployment and configuration time.
IP Persistence
If your application needs to establish persistence, or server affinity, this is no problem. Simply enter the number of seconds you want clients to persist for, and it is handled. We offer IP persistence, which is automatic. No need to determine the right configuration settings with application developers or expensive consultants.
Scheduling Policy
Multiple scheduling technologies are supported by the Load Balancer, including server weighting, Weighted Least Connection (WLC), and Weighted Round Robin (WRR).
Automated Service Monitor
A fully integrated service monitor is available on all Barracuda Load Balancers, which allows for easy re-configuration of your servers based on the availability of your upstream and downstream infrastructure components. Downed servers are automatically removed from the farm within seconds of server failure.
Multiple Deployment Modes
The Barracuda Load Balancer supports three different operating modes for the most flexibility of any load balancer on the market. Route-path offers the most flexibility, while Bridge-path allows deployment without changes to existing IP infrastructure. Direct Server Return allows up to 10GB throughput, ideal for content delivery networks.
High Availability
High Availability is easy to set up with the Barracuda Load Balancer's Web interface. Simply point the secondary (backup) Barracuda Load Balancer to the primary Load Balancer's management IP address, and the load balancer synchronizes configurations to establish a highly available network that brings your server farm to enterprise grade availability.
Web Administrative Interface
The Barracuda Load Balancer configuration is executed through an intuitive Web interface. With features such as quick server and service adding, health monitoring, and Auto-Discover, the Barracuda Load Balancer is easy to use - a typical configuration can be performed in less than ten minutes!
Deployment Configurations
The Barracuda Load Balancer supports 3 different operating modes for the most flexibility of any load balancer on the market.
- Route-path offers the most flexibility
- Bridge-path allows deployment without changes to existing IP infrastructure
- Direct Server Return allows up to 10GB throughput, ideal for content delivery networks
Load Balancer Topology Requirements by Mode
| (WAN/LAN Interfaces) |
Logical Networks |
Physical Networks |
| Route Path |
2 |
1+ |
| Bridge Path |
1+ |
2 |
| Direct Server Return |
1 |
1 |
Route-path
Route-path provides the most flexibility, allowing load balancing of servers that are downstream from the Barracuda Load Balancer. In this configuration, the WAN and LAN interfaces of the Barracuda Load Balancer must be on separate logical networks.
Bridge-path
Bridge-path is the simplest deployment to configure. Users may place the Barracuda Load Balancer in line with their existing IP infrastructure, and add load balanced servers as required without changing IP addresses. With this type of deployment, the WAN and LAN interfaces must be on physically separate networks, with the LAN interface on the same logical switch as the servers being load balanced.
Direct Server Return
Direct Server Return (DSR) provides an optimal throughput configuration, while allowing existing servers to maintain their original IP addresses. With DSR, requests come through the WAN interface of the Barracuda Load Balancer and are handed off directly to the real servers via the WAN port, while the servers respond directly to the request through their own interfaces. This implementation requires the use of a Loopback adapter placed on the load balanced servers.
Load Balancer Documentation
DataSheets
Guides:
Load Balancer Screenshots
The following screenshots illustrate the Web interface of the Barracuda Load Balancer.
Basic > Status
Basic status screen.
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Basic > Intrusion Prevention
Intrusion prevention management.
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Services > Services
Services
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Basic > Event Logs
Event Logs
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Advanced > Backup
Backup Management
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Basic > Health
Health Monitor
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