Barracuda Networks Link Balancer 230

Barracuda Link Balancer 230 Overview:

The Barracuda Link Balancer is an affordable and powerful solution for routing and managing traffic across multiple Internet connections. Designed to scale for high bandwidth requirements and provide business continuity for an organization of any size, the Barracuda Link Balancer optimizes the use of multiple Internet links, such as T1s, T3s, DSL and cable connections from one or multiple Internet service providers. Capable of automatic failover in the event of link failure, the Barracuda Link Balancer helps assure that your network is always connected to the Internet.

• Aggregates Internet connection links
• Automated failover
• Bandwidth management
• Quality of Service (QoS) for Internet applications
• Traditional firewall

Powerful:

The Barracuda Link Balancer combines numerous features to ensure available bandwidth from Internet connections. By aggregating client and server Internet bandwidth, the Barracuda Link Balancer provides optimal access to multiple high speed connections while automatic failover ensures reliable connectivity to any of the available Internet links. With bandwidth management and Quality of Service (QoS) features, the Barracuda Link Balancer prioritizes bandwidth to mission critical requests for Internet connectivity.

Easy to Use:

The Barracuda Link Balancer features an easy-to-use Web user interface, creating an intuitive and cost-effective administration tool for the integrated hardware and software solution. The Web user interface allows administrators to define, manage and control bandwidth settings across the network.

Affordable:

By aggregating multiple Internet links from one or many ISPs, the Barracuda Link Balancer reduces the need to purchase multiple high speed and high cost links to handle the daily Internet usage.

Features:

The Barracuda Link Balancer is an affordable and powerful solution for routing and managing traffic across multiple Internet connections. Designed to scale for high bandwidth requirements and provide business continuity for an organization of any size, the Barracuda Link Balancer optimizes the use of multiple Internet links, such as T1s, T3s, DSL and cable connections from one or multiple Internet service providers. Capable of automatic failover in the event of link failure, the Barracuda Link Balancer helps assure that your network is always connected to the Internet.

Aggregating Link Bandwidth:

The Barracuda Link Balancer automatically aggregates Internet bandwidth from multiple connections. Administrators can choose multiple connections to the same or different ISPs for the purposes of consolidating access to affordable Internet bandwidth.

Link Failover:

In the event of Internet link failure, the Barracuda Link Balancer automatically sends traffic to an available Internet connections without administrator intervention. During a link failure, Barracuda Link Balancer regularly checks the health of a given connection, assuring fast reconnection when Internet service is restored. By automatically detecting link health and failure, the Barracuda Link Balancer assists administrators by providing a worry-free redundant connectivity to the Internet.

Bandwidth Management and Quality of Service (QoS):

The Barracuda Link Balancer provides administrators with tools to automatically prioritize critical Internet applications. For example, Web browsing and email can be guaranteed bandwidth while peer-to-peer applications and media streaming can be assigned a lower priority. The flexibility to manage priority of Internet usage ensures low-priority bandwidth-intensive applications never interfere with business-critical operations.

Traditional Firewall:

Installed at the network perimeter, administrators can deploy the Barracuda Link Balancer as a network firewall to consolidate the management of network security. The Barracuda Link Balancer incorporates firewall functionality, including:

• Network address translation (NAT). NAT allows the Barracuda Link Balancer to isolate internal network traffic from the Internet.
• 1:1 network address translation (NAT). The 1:1 NAT differs by allowing administrators to directly assign external addresses to internal clients. Ideal for hosting internal applications or services requiring regular outbound requests, such as SMTP, 1:1 NAT provides a secure method to facilitate approved traffic.
• Port forwarding. Port forwarding allows the same external addresses used for Internet and WAN bandwidth aggregation to be used for network access. This is designed for administrators to gain access to management interfaces, VPN gateways and terminal servers.
• IP access lists. The use of IP access lists enable administrators to allow or deny access, either inbound or outbound, to remote networks, clients, applications, services and ports.

Local Network Services:

Addressing common network needs for the mid-market organization, the Barracuda Link Balancer includes traditional network services.

• DHCP server. The Barracuda Link Balancer automatically assigns client IP addresses using the DHCP protocol. Along with defining traditional DHCP options, administrators view active leases in real time.
• DNS caching server. The Barracuda Link Balancer is configured to query the domain name server systems or proxy DNS requests to your ISP’s DNS servers. With DNS caching enabled, frequent DNS requests are served quickly and locally from the Barracuda Link Balancer’s internal DNS processes.

Model Comparison:

Available in three models, the Barracuda Link Balancer optimizes bandwidth usage to ensure reliable Internet access to and from the network. The entry level Barracuda Link Balancer 230 handles up to 2 Internet links. The higher capacity Barracuda Link Balancer 430 handles up to 6 Internet links. These specifications are not limits of the system, but are the recommended capacity.

Screenshots:

The following screenshots illustrate the Web user interface of the Barracuda Link Balancer.

Deployment and Administration:

Deployment:

Standard Deployment as a Network Firewall:

The standard deployment places the Barracuda Link Balancer as the default gateway for the client’s network. Sitting in between the Internet and switch, administrators can utilize the Barracuda Link Balancer to apply traditional network firewall rules, including DHCP and DNS services to local clients.

Optional Deployment with Existing Network Firewall:

An optional deployment configuration simply places the Barracuda Link Balancer at the perimeter between the Internet and a network firewall for local network address translation. The Internet connection links plug into the Barracuda Link Balancer’s multiple WAN ports and the firewall is connected to the Barracuda Link Balancer’s LAN port.

Administration:

Configuration of the Barracuda Link Balancer is accomplished by accessing a simple Web user interface. Requiring only a Web browser with network access to the Barracuda Link Balancer’s LAN interface, there is no additional software to install or configure.

The Web-based configuration screens are comprehensive, allowing full configuration of every feature and enables easy firmware and security upgrades. The configuration screens also provide access to easy-to-understand network traffic statistics, utilization and availability information.

Initial configuration is easy: simply plug multiple Internet connections into the Barracuda Link Balancer’s WAN ports, define the speed of each connection, then configure DHCP or static IP WAN IP addresses. The Barracuda Link Balancer automatically sends client requests to the link with the most available Internet bandwidth and send requests to links that are available and healthy in the network.

Bandwidth management and Quality of Service is easy to understand: simply assign high, medium or low priority to the required application.

Barracuda Link Balancer FAQ:

What is the Barracuda Link Balancer? How is it different from a Barracuda Load Balancer?

Available in three models, the Barracuda Link Balancer routes and manages traffic across multiple Internet connections from one or numerous Internet service providers. In contrast, the Barracuda Load Balancer distributes Internet traffic to multiple Web servers to maintain high availability for Web applications, FTP sites, media streaming and content delivery networks.

How does the Barracuda Link Balance help aggregate Internet traffic?

Without intervention from an administrator, the Barracuda Link Balancer combines Internet traffic from multiple high-speed Internet connections into one queue. When a client request is made, the Barracuda Link Balancer chooses the best available link for the ideal client experience. Clients and applications can also ensure compatibility with load balanced applications by setting up persistence to specific links on a permanent or automated period basis.

How does the Barracuda Link Balancer prioritize traffic?

Administrators can define traffic and applications which should have a higher or lower WAN priority, as required.

How does the Barracuda Link Balancer decide which link should handle the client request for Internet access?

The Barracuda Link Balancer automatically tracks connections by saturation, availability, latency and performance. In doing so, the Barracuda Link Balancer can make informed decisions to select the best link to handle the Internet traffic.

Can I connect multiple WAN connections with varied speeds?

Yes, administrators define the configuration each link upon initial setup including connection speed.

Does the Barracuda Link Balancer handle a failure from an Internet Service Provider (ISP) link?

Yes. By using a variety of automated algorithms and health checking methods, the Barracuda Link Balancer automatically detects failure and service restoration for Internet connections. Client requests will always be sent to an available link with the most available bandwidth.

Can the Barracuda Link Balancer connect to multiple connections from the same ISP?

Yes, the Barracuda Link Balancer allows administrators to connect multiple links from the same ISP for Internet connectivity. For added availability, the Barracuda Link Balancer can be connected to links from various ISPs. In the event of an outage from an ISP, the Barracuda Link Balancer by default will seek the next available link to provide an Internet connection.

What applications can the Barracuda Link Balancer apply Quality of Service (QoS) to?

For Barracuda Link Balancers 360 and above, Quality of Service can be applied to all applications. Administrators can choose from dozens of predefined applications or select custom port ranges to apply QoS.

Can I monitor bandwidth usage per link or on an aggregate basis?

Yes. By using the Web user interface, traffic statistics are available as graphs for a quick look at hourly, daily or monthly usage. Administrators can choose to monitor network traffic with SNMP or out of band.

Can the Barracuda Link Balancer manage DHCP and DNS requests?

Yes. The Barracuda Link Balancer integrates both DHCP and DNS caching servers to allow for simpler management of IP networks.

Can the Barracuda Link Balancer handle my VPN traffic?

Yes. At this time, the Barracuda Link Balancer can pass VPN traffic using 1:1 NAT or port forwarding.

Can I use the Barracuda Link Balancer at the perimeter as a firewall?

Yes. As an appliance designed for the perimeter, the Barracuda Link Balancer offers firewall functionality to maximize the number of active Internet connections. By offering traditional firewall features, such as network address translation (NAT), 1:1 NAT, port forwarding as well as DCHP and DNS caching services, the Barracuda Link Balancer increases the availability of Internet links to the network without the added costs of acquiring more bandwidth.

What if I have more questions or want to see an online demo of the Barracuda Link Balancer?

For answers to additional questions, please contact us.

Documentation: