Foundry's New OS Targets Load Balancing, Security

Foundry Networks has launched new version of the TrafficWorks OS for its ServerIron and GT E-Series application switches that provides high-performance load balancing functionality for network security equipment.

According to Foundry, the TrafficWorks Firewall Load Balancing (FWLB) feature of the new operating system provides security system scalability while maintaining high-availability at critical points in the network. With the upgrade, ServerIron switches deliver highly scalable flow-based load balancing, allowing them to distribute traffic among multiple security devices. This complements the switches' existing security features, including the SYN-Guard denial of service (DOS) attack protection technology.

The FWLB-enhanced TrafficWorks OS also ensures high-availability and continuous uptime through rapid and automatic failure detection with stateful failover. The ServerIron switches support both active-active and active-square designs, ensuring security enforcement and availability even if the network infrastructure itself fails.

According to Foundry's product line manager for application traffic management products Gopala Tumuluri, firewall performance and reliability has matched network speed with this upgrade. "Foundry's field-proven ServerIron switches enable customers to implement high-performance, scalable and high-availability security solutions for their networks." he said in a statement. "With the capacity to load balance more than 10 gigabits per second, the ServerIron can be used in the most demanding environments."