Around Citrix NetScaler ADC. Part 1
It is difficult to find a specialist in corporate networks who would not know what Citrix NetScaler ADC is. NetScaler ADC is deployed in thousands of corporate networks - and this means that this solution constantly interacts with the network solutions of other vendors. In the upcoming materials I will discuss the possibilities of integration with Cisco and Microsoft.
NetScaler ADC is a multifunctional solution that, in its maximum edition, provides three major network functions - load balancing of network applications, security of applications and resources, and organization of remote access to the corporate network of an enterprise. For customers who need only part of the full functionality of the balancer, there are separate products that represent only the capabilities needed by the customer - NetScaler as a load balancer (ADC), NetScaler Web Application Firewall to protect the traffic of web applications, the web applications themselves and network resources, and NetScaler Gateway for organizing a virtual private network. The various product variants, NetScaler MPX, NetScaler VPX, NetScaler SDX and NetScaler CPX, are designed to provide different levels of services, but have the same enterprise-level NetScaler platform functionality, the same REST API code base and the same NetScaler ADC operations interface, but different zoom level. All this makes the NetScaler ADC platform extremely convenient for integration with solutions from other companies.
The Citrix and Cisco partnership has existed for a long time, and in 2014, Cisco announced the completion of sales of its balancers, and recommended Citrix NetScaler ADC to its customers. So how does Citrix support this partnership?
')
Now, many customers view this approach to building data networks as software-defined networks (SDN), in which the network management level is separated from data transfer devices and is implemented by software. In simple terms, SDN is a set of devices (more or less “smart”) that are controlled from a single controller. Applications in this concept are ahead of everything, and regardless of how the network is structured, it should provide the best conditions for applications to work.
Many suppliers play on the SDN field, some of them develop their own SDN networks, others offer solutions that integrate with various manufacturers. Citrix does not release its own SDN solution, but tries to offer customers a product that can be used with software-defined networks of various suppliers - why compete with other manufacturers when you can work with them?
For example: Netscaler ADC can be integrated with Neutron's SDN component from OpenStack, managed through a single controller and work as a service — automatically allocate resources, configure them, and launch them. Integration exists with other suppliers. If we talk about SDN from Cisco, then the main component is integration with Cisco ACI.
Cisco ACI is a technology that works with certain models of equipment, namely with a line of Cisco 9000 switches, which can work either separately or under control of a single Cisco APIC controller. Netscaler ADC balancer is integrated into this network of switches, where each switch is connected to each. And now the controller itself instructs all network devices - what should they configure in order to best connect all points of the network among themselves. There is no need to rebuild the network to recreate the classic representation of the network, and the concept of a software-defined network works to its full potential. Citrix Netscaler ADC integrates with and is controlled from the Cisco APIC controller. To do this, a special driver is installed on the controller, after which the controller can interpret the API commands from Cisco into API commands that are understandable by Netscaler.
The Netscaler ADC – Cisco ACI bundle provides virtually any degree of bandwidth scalability. NetScaler scalability is provided for both hardware and virtual devices. For hardware devices in the same series, you can go from the "junior" model to the "older" one without replacing the hardware. If the bandwidth of the older model is not enough, several Citrix Netscaler ADC complexes can be assembled into a cluster, thus expanding the bandwidth. There can be up to 32 nodes in such a cluster. The highest-throughput Citrix model today can handle stream up to 160 Gb / s — multiply this by 32 times.
Customers with multiple data centers, thanks to the capabilities of Netscaler ADC, can provide a single point of entry for their users. Netscaler supports the so-called global load balancing technology of GSLB servers (Global Server Load Balancing), which is capable of solving the balancing problem for arbitrarily located server farms, for example, given their distance from the end user. This system can support several different load balancing algorithms and provide optimal customer service scattered throughout the world. For administrators, the system enables the formation of a flexible resource management policy.
This technology is based on DNS, and Netscaler ADC acts as a DNS server for a specific zone, but using a non-static (according to the domain name-IP address) record, and a dynamic (the domain name plays the main role, the IP address is determined by the balancer). Thus, the solution allows us to designate a single entry point for end users, and already Netscaler ADC, using GSLB technology, determines which data center should handle user requests. The technology allows you to prescribe a number of rules, for example: depending on proximity to the data center, depending on the load on the channel, depending on server load, and also to designate the data center as the main or backup.
It is clear from the above that the partnership of Citrix and Cisco is not limited to mutual recommendations - this is a technology partnership with the joint development and implementation of equipment interaction protocols. First, the first proprietary Cisco vPath protocol appeared on Citrix Netscaler ADC, then the RISE protocol, with which Citrix also provides the ability to work with Cisco equipment. Finally, Netscaler ADC became a member of the Cisco ACI ecosystem, and not just a member. In terms of functionality that can be configured through the Cisco Controller API - and these are dozens of functions - Citrix Netscaler ADC is the leader, and will remain for a long time.
NetScaler ADC is a multifunctional solution that, in its maximum edition, provides three major network functions - load balancing of network applications, security of applications and resources, and organization of remote access to the corporate network of an enterprise. For customers who need only part of the full functionality of the balancer, there are separate products that represent only the capabilities needed by the customer - NetScaler as a load balancer (ADC), NetScaler Web Application Firewall to protect the traffic of web applications, the web applications themselves and network resources, and NetScaler Gateway for organizing a virtual private network. The various product variants, NetScaler MPX, NetScaler VPX, NetScaler SDX and NetScaler CPX, are designed to provide different levels of services, but have the same enterprise-level NetScaler platform functionality, the same REST API code base and the same NetScaler ADC operations interface, but different zoom level. All this makes the NetScaler ADC platform extremely convenient for integration with solutions from other companies.
Citrix and Cisco Software Defined Networks
The Citrix and Cisco partnership has existed for a long time, and in 2014, Cisco announced the completion of sales of its balancers, and recommended Citrix NetScaler ADC to its customers. So how does Citrix support this partnership?
')
Now, many customers view this approach to building data networks as software-defined networks (SDN), in which the network management level is separated from data transfer devices and is implemented by software. In simple terms, SDN is a set of devices (more or less “smart”) that are controlled from a single controller. Applications in this concept are ahead of everything, and regardless of how the network is structured, it should provide the best conditions for applications to work.
Many suppliers play on the SDN field, some of them develop their own SDN networks, others offer solutions that integrate with various manufacturers. Citrix does not release its own SDN solution, but tries to offer customers a product that can be used with software-defined networks of various suppliers - why compete with other manufacturers when you can work with them?
For example: Netscaler ADC can be integrated with Neutron's SDN component from OpenStack, managed through a single controller and work as a service — automatically allocate resources, configure them, and launch them. Integration exists with other suppliers. If we talk about SDN from Cisco, then the main component is integration with Cisco ACI.
Cisco ACI is a technology that works with certain models of equipment, namely with a line of Cisco 9000 switches, which can work either separately or under control of a single Cisco APIC controller. Netscaler ADC balancer is integrated into this network of switches, where each switch is connected to each. And now the controller itself instructs all network devices - what should they configure in order to best connect all points of the network among themselves. There is no need to rebuild the network to recreate the classic representation of the network, and the concept of a software-defined network works to its full potential. Citrix Netscaler ADC integrates with and is controlled from the Cisco APIC controller. To do this, a special driver is installed on the controller, after which the controller can interpret the API commands from Cisco into API commands that are understandable by Netscaler.
The Netscaler ADC – Cisco ACI bundle provides virtually any degree of bandwidth scalability. NetScaler scalability is provided for both hardware and virtual devices. For hardware devices in the same series, you can go from the "junior" model to the "older" one without replacing the hardware. If the bandwidth of the older model is not enough, several Citrix Netscaler ADC complexes can be assembled into a cluster, thus expanding the bandwidth. There can be up to 32 nodes in such a cluster. The highest-throughput Citrix model today can handle stream up to 160 Gb / s — multiply this by 32 times.
Customers with multiple data centers, thanks to the capabilities of Netscaler ADC, can provide a single point of entry for their users. Netscaler supports the so-called global load balancing technology of GSLB servers (Global Server Load Balancing), which is capable of solving the balancing problem for arbitrarily located server farms, for example, given their distance from the end user. This system can support several different load balancing algorithms and provide optimal customer service scattered throughout the world. For administrators, the system enables the formation of a flexible resource management policy.
This technology is based on DNS, and Netscaler ADC acts as a DNS server for a specific zone, but using a non-static (according to the domain name-IP address) record, and a dynamic (the domain name plays the main role, the IP address is determined by the balancer). Thus, the solution allows us to designate a single entry point for end users, and already Netscaler ADC, using GSLB technology, determines which data center should handle user requests. The technology allows you to prescribe a number of rules, for example: depending on proximity to the data center, depending on the load on the channel, depending on server load, and also to designate the data center as the main or backup.
It is clear from the above that the partnership of Citrix and Cisco is not limited to mutual recommendations - this is a technology partnership with the joint development and implementation of equipment interaction protocols. First, the first proprietary Cisco vPath protocol appeared on Citrix Netscaler ADC, then the RISE protocol, with which Citrix also provides the ability to work with Cisco equipment. Finally, Netscaler ADC became a member of the Cisco ACI ecosystem, and not just a member. In terms of functionality that can be configured through the Cisco Controller API - and these are dozens of functions - Citrix Netscaler ADC is the leader, and will remain for a long time.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/315516/
All Articles