Features and Benefits
top
Improve the performance of your Wide Area Network, and all the applications that it delivers to remote and on-site workers
* Master the tools required to improve the efficiency and delivery of applications that run on your Wide Area Network (WAN)
* Understand how application acceleration improves performance for remote users
* Learn how application protocols work, and how application acceleration works to improve behavior of application protocols
Table of Contents
top
Ch>
Managing Applications 3
Testing New Applications 4
Reducing Application Latency 5
Managing Distributed Servers 6
Protecting Data on Distributed Servers 6
Providing Timely Remote Service and Support 8
Using Centralized Management Methods 8
Facing the Unavoidable WAN 8
Changing the Application Business Model 9
Consolidating and Protecting Servers in the New IT Operational Model 10
Server Consolidation 11
Compliance, Data Protection, Business Continuity, and Disaster Recovery 15
Summary 18
Chapter 2
Barriers to Application Performance 21
Networks and Application Performance 21
Bandwidth 25
Latency 33
Throughput 45
Application and Protocol Barriers to Application Performance 50
Application Protocols 51
Network Stability 57
Operating System Barriers to Application Performance 61
Microsoft Corporation 61
Sun Microsystems 63
Red Hat 64
Hewlett-Packard 65
IBM 66
Hardware Barriers to Application Performance 67
Central Processing Unit 67
Random Access Memory 69
Disk Storage 70
File System Considerations 74
Network Interface Cards 79
Summary 81
Chapter 3
Aligning Network Resources with Business Priority 83
Viewing Network Utilization 84
NetFlow 84
Network Based Application Recognition 90
Employing Quality of Service 92
Packet Classification 95
Pre-Queuing Operators 96
Queuing and Scheduling 100
Post-Queuing Optimization 105
Understanding Accelerator Control Features and Integration 106
Overview of Accelerator Technology 106
Integrating Accelerators into the Network 117
Architecture of Accelerator Services 121
Summary 125
Chapter 4
Overcoming Application-Specific Barriers 127
Understanding Application-Specific Acceleration 128
Application-Specific Caching 128
Advantages of Application-Specific Caching 129
Cache Validation and Content Freshness 130
Streaming Media: RTSP, HTTP, and Flash 146
Web-Based Database Applications 149
Read-Ahead 154
Message Prediction 157
Pipelining and Multiplexing 159
Summary 161
Chapter 5
Content Delivery Networks 163
Evolution of Content Delivery Networks 164
Understanding CDN Solutions 165
A Common Content Distribution Scenario 166
Understanding CDN Components 168
Managing a CDN 173
Identifying Target Content 173
Understanding Protocol Requirements 173
Choosing Suitable Content Acquisition Methods 174
Managing Multiple Platforms Across Distributed Networks 178
Managing Costs 180
Usage Planning 181
Sharing the WAN 183
Using Desktop Management Suites with Content Delivery Networks 184
Combining Solutions 185
Combining Management Functions 185
Establishing Storage Requirements 187
Using Centralized Network Settings 188
Centralized Streaming Control 189
Centralized Administration of Authentication and Authorization 189
Centralized Access Control List Administration 191
Centralized SNMP Control 192
Centralized Monitoring 192
Centralized Edge Management 193
Understanding Content-Serving Protocols 194
CIFS 194
HTTP 195
HTTPS 196
FTP 197
RTSP 197
TFTP 199
Streaming Media Live or On Demand 199
Live Streaming 199
Video on Demand 200
Authenticating Requests for Prepositioned Content 200
Acquiring Content 202
Cookie-Based Acquisition 204
Origin Server Content Placement 204
Content Size Considerations 205
Department-Managed Portals 207
Understanding CDN Distribution Models 207
Direct Fetch 207
Distributed Hierarchy 210
Understanding Time-of-Day Distribution 215
Know the Network 216
Unicast Distribution 217
Multicast Distribution 218
Encrypted and In-the-Clear Distribution 223
Understanding Software-Based Content Delivery Networks 224
Native Protocol Playback of Streaming Media 226
Streaming Media and Executive Demand 228
Understanding Explicit and Transparent Proxy Modes 230
Using CDN Calculation Tools 231
General Content Storage 232
Streaming Media Storage 233
Calculating Content Delivery Times 234
Summary 235
Chapter 6
Overcoming Transport and Link Capacity Limitations 237
Understanding Transport Protocol Limitations 238
Understanding Transmission Control Protocol Fundamentals 240
Connection-Oriented Service 241
Guaranteed Delivery 242
Bandwidth Discovery 246
Overcoming Transport Protocol Limitations 250
Of Mice and Elephants: Short-Lived Connections and Long Fat Networks 251
Overcoming Packet Loss-Related Performance Challenges 258
Advanced TCP Implementations 261
Accelerator TCP Proxy Functionality 267
Overcoming Link Capacity Limitations 270
Accelerators and Compression 271
Accelerator Compression Architectures 281
Summary 289
Chapter 7
Examining Accelerator Technology Scenarios 291
Acme Data Corporation: Protecting Data and Promoting Global Collaboration 292
Observed Challenges 294
Accelerator Solution 295
C3 Technology LLC: Saving WAN Bandwidth and Replicating Data 302
Observed Challenges 303
Accelerator Solution 303
Command Grill Corporation: Improving HTTP Application Performance 308
First Attempts to Improve Application Performance 309
Accelerator Solution 309
Almost Write Inc.: Implementing Content Delivery Networking 314
Observed Challenges 316
Accelerator Solution 316
Summary 320
Appendix A Common Ports and Assigned Applications 323
Appendix B Ten Places for More Information 347
About the Authors
top
Ted Grevers, Jr. , is the solution manager of the Cisco Managed Media Solution (C-MMS) for the
Cisco Video/IPTV Systems Test and Architecture (C-VISTA) team, focused on Cisco service
provider customers. The C-MMS offering provides live streaming media and on-demand content
delivery to cable high-speed data subscribers, adding QoS to DOCSIS service flows, ensuring
an enhanced quality of experience. Ted joined Cisco via the SightPath acquisition in early 2000
as a systems engineer. The SightPath acquisition became the foundation for the Cisco Content
Networking product offering with the Content Engine (CE) and ultimately the Wide Area
Application Engine (WAE). Shortly after the acquisition, Ted transitioned to the Content
Networking Business Unit in 2001 as a technical marketing engineer and then became manager
of technical marketing in 2002. Currently attending Framingham State College, Ted is completing
his undergraduate degree. Milford, MA, is home to Ted, his wife, and three children.
Joel E. Christner, CCIE No. 15311, is the manager of technical marketing within the Application
Delivery Business Unit (ADBU) at Cisco. Joel and his team are responsible for the technical
marketing aspects associated with the Cisco Application Networking Services (ANS) advanced
technology products including Cisco Wide Area Application Services (WAAS) and Application
and Content Networking Services (ACNS). These responsibilities include creating white papers,
presentations, training, competitive analysis, and collateral; enabling sales; and driving product
requirements and strategic direction with the product management team. Before joining the
ADBU, Joel was a member of the storage networking advanced technology team within Cisco.
Joel is a graduate student at Columbia University working toward a master's degree in computer
science. He holds a bachelor of science degree in electronics engineering technology. Joel lives
with his wife in San Jose, CA.
