While LocalDirector was designed to give existing Web sites round-the-clock reliability and optimal performance, the previous version fared poorly in our tests, showing deficiencies in many areas, including management and configuration (see "Seven Web Load-Balancers Score With Round the Clock Access,"). But tests in one of our Real-World Labs® at the University of Wisconsin show that Cisco Systems responded to our criticisms; the revision is much improved.

Redeeming Qualities LocalDirector 420 version 2.1 includes a new LocalDirector User Interface (LUI). Though technologically simple (it's really a telnet and serial client), the LUI provides administrators with one solution for both remote and local configuration of LocalDirector. Taking advantage of the Windows environment, configuration is faster and easier; I dragged and dropped real servers into virtual servers, while the LUI performed all configuration via a hidden telnet connection. Highlighting a real or virtual server points to a graphical presentation of the server or cluster in the LUI's right pane.

Using the LUI, I configured and began testing the LocalDirector in minutes. I defined the real back-end servers by specifying each IP address and the port number of the service I wanted to load balance (most commonly, port 80 for HTTP). After defining the test virtual server IP and load-balancing metric, I dragged each real server onto the virtual server icon. Subsequently, I placed servers in and out of service by clicking on each real server and marking/unmarking a checkbox. You can also change server time-outs for specific servers, fine-tuning load-balancing.

You can view changes as they are made in the LUI and then submit the changes to LocalDirector when complete. You no longer have to enter configuration information twice for redundant configurations. The LUI lets you load a configuration from a primary LocalDirector and then send it to the backup without performing any additional configuration. The LUI supports both telnet and serial connections to LocalDirector, eliminating the need for existing telnet and serial terminal configuration. I was somewhat disappointed that the LUI didn't offer more security--SSH (Secure Shell) instead of telnet, for instance--than previous versions.

LocalDirector also still lacks the real-time monitoring and analysis tools for on-the-fly troubleshooting and analysis. You can supplement it with Cisco's Site Activity Analyzer 2.0 (SAA), a separate Web server log file analysis tool. SAA's capabilities include 21 report types, providing information about Web-site usage, traffic and trending analysis. SAA does not work directly with LocalDirector, but it provides site-wide information to network administrators.

Like its predecessors, LocalDirector 420 acts as a bridge. Competing products often require that back-end servers reside on a different network or subnet for security. LocalDirector dissents, providing countermeasures for TCP-SYN attacks, as well as ping protection. Existing Web-site installations that wish to bring a load balancer into a production network without service delays can certainly benefit from LocalDirector's flexibility.

LocalDirector 420 is powered by an Intel Pentium II 300-MHz processor. To gauge its improved performance, I re-created our test environment from our earlier review: the 420 performed much better than its predecessor, nearly doubling its Fast Ethernet performance and shooting par on our T3 test.

Send your comments on this article to Gregory Yerxa at gyerxa@nwc.com.