OCS-Office Communications Server Exposed - New Ideas "Inside" – Load Balancing

Microsoft recommends the implantation of a "Load Balancer" based on enterprise network requirements.   The functions of an IP load balancer include:

- Provide scalability (seamless growth without "stair-step" problems) and availability across one or more servers connected to the centralized SQL Server 2005 database.

- Provide access to a single virtual IP address in order than clients do not directly access individual OCS servers.

- Provide new client device requires to various OCS servers by using metric tools such as round robin, least connections and WFQ-Weighted Fair Queuing.

- Provide TCP-Transmission Control Protocol (connection-oriented) connections with a specific OCS server and route all TCP calls to the same server.

- Provide IP forwarding and NAT-Network Address Translation functions. This would include firewall and other enterprise security policies.

 

Planning extra capacity for VoIP is important to avoiding voice/data "log jams" and voice "stuttering" problems. Adding extra bandwidth is expensive and may not be necessary.   Network optimizers and equalizers are hardware/software devices that give the network administrator control over every type of packet and TCP port. These and other techniques are critical as video, gaming, video mail and other complex systems such as virtual reality emerge.

 

Data networks are called "bursty" networks because data arrives randomly and in large amounts often causing "traffic jams." This is not a problem for traditional networks where, if your email gets delayed by seconds or even minutes, no one knows or cares.

 

However, certain large file email attachments, web surfing and other applications create an "unequal" balance in the way the network performed.

 

With the introduction of VoIP-Voice Over Internet Protocol or IPT-Internet Telephony, any congestion can cause "stutter" delays, "voice skips" from packet loss or "jitter" in the conversation.

 

Network balancing/ equalizing is the balancing of traffic allowing for time-sensitive (delay-sensitive) voice, video and streaming data to receive an "equal share" of the available bandwidth.

 

Network equalizing is a dynamic process which can respond to changes in network conditions. In addition, as more and more applications are placed on the network, network equalizing is critical to "filling the pipe" and not paying for idle bandwidth.

 

Network equalizing works through a series of mathematical equations called algorithms or "rules-of thumb." Like an automatic traffic light ramp system along many interstate highways, the onramp lights monitor traffic equalizing how vehicles enter the highway to reduce traffic jams, reduce the need for additional expensive highway lanes, reduce accidents (data errors from packet collisions which also cause packets to be retransmitted) and improve overall performance.