NetScaler SDX

Redefining traditional Application Delivery Controllers (ADCs)

Citrix Systems have announced NetScaler® SDX, a groundbreaking new virtualized networking platform designed from the ground up to serve as the “front door” for virtual datacenters and clouds. With the new NetScaler SDX platform, customers can now run numerous virtualized NetScaler instances on a single purpose-built physical appliance with full multi-service, multi-tenant support. This innovative new architecture helps customers move from traditional application delivery to far richer “service delivery” required by the adoption of cloud computing, and growing user demand for new services delivered to a wide range of consumer devices.

Creating a service delivery fabric requires understanding and redefining traditional application delivery controllers (ADCs), such as Citrix® NetScaler®, in a services context. For example, application availability becomes service availability, while application optimization becomes service optimization.

More than just a name change, the transition to a service delivery fabric needs infrastructure and user-centric delivery capabilities that enable the delivery of services as well as applications. Since this fabric will become the foundation of enterprise IT and an essential element of an organization’s competitive differentiation, it needs enterprise-class power, flexibility and manageability too.

In some instances developers will be able to meet the new requirements by transforming an existing capability, typically by extending its scope of coverage. In other cases, though—such as with the need for broader and deeper visibility—developers are likely to have to create entirely new capabilities.

Highlights

NetScaler SDX is a groundbreaking new platform that uses advanced hardware and software virtualization to run multiple “virtual NetScaler instances” on a single hardware appliance – each optimized for different apps, services, sites and customers.
Each virtual instance is a complete NetScaler environment, incorporating all the functions needed to deliver apps and services with the best performance, security and reliability, including load balancing, caching, compression, SSL VPN, SSL offload, federated identity and app firewall.
NetScaler SDX provides full network, CPU, memory and SSL acceleration isolation for each virtual NetScaler instance, as well as per-instance (rather than per-appliance) high availability, version control and lifecycle management.
NetScaler SDX incorporates SR-IOV (single root I/O virtualization) capabilities from Intel to provide fast, multi-tenant, multi-service appliance capable of running at native wire speeds.
The next-generation NetScaler SDX architecture provides the foundation for further consolidation of adjacent service delivery capabilities such as WAN optimization, network security and virtual desktop delivery.
A single control plane within the NetScaler SDX platform provides unified provisioning, monitoring and management of all virtual NetScaler instances, while also enabling administrative privileges to be delegated per instance.
The NetScaler SDX 17500, 19500 and 21500 models share a common hardware platform with the existing NetScaler MPX 17500, 19500 and 21500 models, enabling MPX appliances to be easily upgraded in the field to all the new NetScaler SDX functionality.

Availability

NetScaler SDX platforms include the SDX-17500, SDX-19500 and SDX-21500, offering performance up to 50Gbps, and will be available in April 2011.

Overview

Architecture

Whitepapers:

How NetScaler supports Multi-Tenancy datacenters
NetScaler Service Delivery
Transform from application to service delivery
Compare NetScaler editions
Data sheet over NetScaler SDX, MPX, VPX editions