Green Data Cabinets Feature Editorial

Growing Web traffic from users means an increased need to spread the load amongst application servers to the best experience possible. This is provided with load balancing solutions.

 

KEMP Technologies, which makes the LoadMaster hardware-based load balancing solution, is now enabling managed hosting providers or MHPs and managed service providers “MSPs” to supply to its clients the same functionality at a more user-affordable pricepoint thanks to the software-based Virtual LoadMaster “VLM.” This new virtual-appliance application delivery controller “ADC (News - Alert)” will be sold under a Service Provider Licensing Agreement “SPLA” starting at $99 per license per month with no startup or setup fees. The SPLA pricing model enables the company to offer “a dedicated server load balancer with the same functionality as KEMP's hardware appliances at significantly reduced operating costs.”

 

As a 'virtual appliance,' the Virtual LoadMaster removes the need to maintain hardware and reduces or eliminates costs associated with power consumption, cooling, rack space constraints and other environmental dependencies of hardware-based appliances. That means greener and cleaner operations including less e-waste. The VLM can be quickly configured and deployed, accelerating service provisioning and simplifying ongoing management, which aids in further reducing operating expenses and increasing ROI.

 

MHPs and MSPs implementing the Virtual LoadMaster can reduce the risk associated with stranded investment when customers disconnect services and leave the provider with hardware that has not yet been fully depreciated. MHPs are better positioned it says for aggressive marketing with the lower-priced software-based solution compared with hardware-based ADCs. When deploying the VLM, MHPs can then maintain margins while pricing their high-value services low enough to attract a new base of customer such as small and medium-sized businesses “SMBs” that previously thought the benefit of ADCs were out of reach.

 

KEMP's LoadMaster products include Layers 4-7 load balancing, content switching and server persistence, SSL offload/acceleration, WTS (News - Alert) load balancing and persistence with Session Directory integration. They also have application front-end capabilities including caching, compression and intrusion prevention system plus one full year of product support.

 

“As businesses increasingly demand sophisticated application delivery solutions to maintain their competitive edge, managed hosting and service providers are trying to figure out how to offer these while keeping service pricing affordable and maintaining margins,” notes Matthias Machowinski, directing analyst, Enterprise Voice and Data at Infonetics.

 

“By decoupling the application from the hardware through a virtual machine, they can offer advanced application delivery functionality in a software-only application, which allows them to deliver cost-effective and profitable services.”

 

'The VLM offers the same functionality as our hardware appliances, including advanced Layer 7 content switching, health checking, persistence, caching, compression and SSL offloading,” also said Kevin Mahon, founder and president of KEMP Technologies. “As MHPs and MSPs consolidate and virtualize servers in order to reduce hardware and related management costs, the Virtual LoadMaster delivers high value at an incredible price point from which both the provider and its customer can benefit.”