Acceleration

Deployments

March 2003

Acceleration 1

Objectives
When you have completed this module
you will be able to do the following:

Define reverse proxying or acceleration

Configure NetCache for acceleration
Describe Server Load Balancing
Explain Acceleration Deployments

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What is Acceleration?
NetCache can be configured as
Web accelerator
Streaming accelerator

Acceleration is referred to as reverse

proxying
Typically located close to origin servers

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Advantages of Acceleration
Offloads traffic from servers
Exploit NetCache speed
Improved security
Isolates servers from the outside world
Protects servers from hacker attacks

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Accelerator Request Flow

www.x.com

1
Client

2
3

NetCache
Accelerator

www-origin.x.com

Origin
Server

Accelerator request flow

1. Client sends request to server.
2. NetCache accelerator receives the request.
3. If the requested object is in the NetCache, it is returned to the client.
4. If the requested object is not in the NetCache, the appliance requests it from the
origin server, caches the response (if cacheable), and returns the object to the
client.

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Typical Acceleration Deployment

Switch or router provides

server load balancing

Typical Acceleration Deployment

In the NetCache deployment illustrated, requests for non-cacheable content is routed by
the switch or router directly to the origin servers while cacheable content is obtained
from the NetCache.

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Distributed Web Site

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Multiple NetCaches - Single Server

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Single NetCaches Multiple Servers

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Name Resolution for Acceleration

10
.10
.10
.c
x
.10
.
DNS Name Server
w
ww

om

Client

www.x.com

www-origin.x.com

NetCache
Accelerator
10.10.10.10

Client query for www.x.com

Origin
Server
10.10.10.20

the accelerator

NetCache queries for www-origin.x.com

origin server

the

HTTP Acceleration: Name Resolution Configuration

Name server for x.com domain is configured so that:

A query for www.x.com gives the IP address of the accelerator

NetCache generates a query for www-origin.x.com and gives the IP address of the
origin server

Accelerator is configured to use www-origin.x.com as the origin server

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HTTP Acceleration
HTTP Acceleration: Possible configuration
Name server for x.com domain is configured so
that:
A query for www.x.com gives the IP address of
the accelerator
NetCache generates a query for wwworigin.x.com and gives the IP address of the
origin server
Accelerator is configured to use www-origin.x.com
as the origin server

HTTP AccelerationTo accelerate a second web site with the same accelerator the
above procedure could be followed again, e.g., a DNS query for www.y.com would give
the same IP address as the one for www.x.com. The Host header allows the accelerator to
distinguish between the requests.

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Acceleration Configuration

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Setup > HTTP > Web Server Acceleration

Web Server Acceleration

Options on the Setup > HTTP > Web Server Acceleration page are used to enable the
NetCache appliance as a Web accelerator.
Refer to the On Line Help for configuration information.

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Web Acceleration Rules

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Web Acceleration Rule Edit

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Acceleration
Rule

Options on the Setup > HTTP > Web Server Acceleration > New Web Server
AccelerationRule page and the Setup > HTTP > Web Server Acceleration > Edit a
Web Server Acceleration Rule page allow you to create or edit a Web server
acceleration rule. Web server acceleration rules configure the Web accelerator to fetch
and cache requested HTTP objects from specific Web servers based on the IP address,
port number, or host name contained in the received HTTP request.

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Streaming
Acceleration
Rule

Options on the Setup > Streaming > Streaming Server Acceleration > New
Streaming Server Acceleration Rule page and the Setup > Streaming > Streaming
Server Acceleration > Edit a Streaming Server Acceleration Rule page allow you to
create or edit a streaming server acceleration rule. Streaming server acceleration rules
configure the streaming accelerator to fetch, serve and sometimes cache requested
streaming data from specific streaming servers based on the IP address, port number, or
host name contained in the received streaming request.

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Acceleration Exercise
Configure name resolution
Configure a web accelerator

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Acceleration Exercises

15 minutes in length
Utilizing Breakout rooms
Instructor will visit all rooms
Broadcast announcement 5 minutes
prior to regroup
Stay focussed, start telnet, start GUI
Share microphones, or no one else can
be heard

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Acceleration 19

Server Acceleration
Objective
When you have completed this module, you will be able to configure the NetCache to act
as a reverse proxy for an HTTP server

Exercise Overview
Configure and test NetCache to accelerate an HTTP server

Time Estimate: 15 minutes

Required Hardware, Software, and Tools
Hardware

NetCache appliance

HTTP server

Workstation

Software

NetCache 5.4 or later

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Acceleration 20

Exercise: Configure Web Accelerator

Configure Name Resolution
Configure NetCache
1.

Use local /etc/hosts file of client to simulate editing the DNS name server
c:\winnt\system32\drivers\etc\hosts

2.

Open host file on your PC client and type an entry directing your URL
request to your NetCache servers IP address.
Enter 64.94.95.11 pdc.blue.netapp.com
Note:

This step replaced the actual editing of the DNS table to resolve the
web server to the IP address of the NetCache

Configure NetCache
1.

Access the NetCache Manager web acceleration page Setup > HTTP > Web
Server Acceleration.

2.

Enable acceleration.

3.

Enter the server information.

Step

Action

Accelerator IP address

10.32.69.1XX XX=Your
NetCache

Accelerator Port

3128

Accelerator host name

netcache10X (X= your NetCache)

Accelerator path name

Server IP address

10.32.70.10

Server Port

80 and 3128

Server host name

pdc

Server host path

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4.

Commit the changes.

5.

Open a command window on you workstation

Test the configuration

8.

Open a browser and access http://pdc/acls/blue.htm.

9.

In a different browser window, access the NetCache manager and observe the
activity in the statistics and logs.

10.

How can you tell that the accelerator is working properly?

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