Introduction
Kemp LoadMaster provides industry leading performance as a Load Balancer and as an Application Delivery Controller. In addition LoadMaster provides functions such as SSL Offloading, web application firewall functionality, and Reverse Proxy for applications such as Microsoft Exchange. Protecting application servers from malicious threats on the Internet is vital. Deploying reverse proxy servers to face the Internet, handle requests from external sources, validate the requests, and then pass them to protected internal servers is a core part of protecting application servers like Microsoft Exchange. Many organizations used to use the Reverse Proxy components of Microsoft Threat Management Gateway (TMG) but it has been discontinued.
Kemp LoadMaster is an ideal replacement as reverse proxy functionality is included in the core Kemp LoadMaster software. The Exchange Server 2016 model architecture includes load balancers as core components. Deploying Kemp LoadMaster as load balancers also provides free reverse proxy functionality. Additionally, LoadMaster also provides additional Exchange Server specific and other general features.
Features
LoadMaster, when coupled with the Web Application Firewall (WAF) module, and when the Edge Security Pack functionality is enabled provides these features:
- Support for Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) – Load balance and protect access to multi-site Active Directory authentication services.
- Layer 4 load balancing at the network level.
- Layer 7 load balancing – builds on layer 4 transport level load balancing by introducing packet routing based on the target applications and content of the network packets.
- Content Caching – LoadMaster can store recently accessed content in a local storage location.
- Compression engine – Data stored on and transmitted by a LoadMaster can be compressed.
- Intrusion Protection Engine – LoadMaster includes an Intrusion Prevention Engine (IPS).
- Web Application Firewall – Optional subscription to rule updates ensures protection against emerging threats.
- RESTful API – LoadMaster configuration and management functionality is exposed via a comprehensively documented RESTful API.
- PowerShell Management API – PowerShell management cmdlets.
- Preconfigured virtual service templates – Templates with all the common settings for various applications preconfigured are available to use with LoadMaster.
The Free Loadmaster version is limited to throughput of 20 Mb/s and doesn’t include these features found in the commercial offerings:
- No commercial Web Application Firewall rules are provided.
- No GEO load balancing (this requires an extra license for all LoadMaster products).
- No High Availability as the free LoadMaster can’t be paired with other LoadMaster instances.
Use Cases
Every Exchange Server deployment needs to have reverse proxy servers to handle client requests from the Internet. Every Exchange Server 2016 deployment should be using load balancers. Combining these core requirements in a Kemp Loadmaster provides a single, robust, enterprise ready solution that also includes the other features outlined above. Start with our downloadable Free LoadMaster to trial the reverse proxy functionality, and then if required step up to one of our commercial LoadMaster solutions.
Download Free LoadMaster and try it out today.