Cabletron Systems SmartSwitch - Manual (Page 233)

SmartSwitch Router User Reference Manual 233
Chapter 15
Web Hosting
Configuration
Guide
Overview
Accessing information on Websites for both work or personal purposes is becoming a
normal practice for an increasing number of people. For many companies, fast and
efficient Web access is important for both external customers who need to access the
company Websites, as well as for users on the corporate intranet who need to access
Internet Websites.
The following features on the SSR provide ways to improve Web access for external and
internal users:
• Load balancing allows incoming HTTP requests to a company’s Website to be
distributed across several physical servers. If one server should fail, other servers can
pick up the workload.
• Web caching allows HTTP requests from internal users to Internet sites to be redirected
to cached Web objects on local servers. Not only is response time faster since requests
can be handled locally, but overall WAN bandwidth usage is reduced.
Note: Load balancing and web caching can be performed using application software,
however, the SSR can perform these functtion much faster as the redirection is
handled at lower levels.