GSS and DRP agents for proximity

[douhanm]

Hello

We are deploying GSS boxes to achieve global load balancing and I would like to use DRP agents in order to scale the solution properly and I have a few questions.

1. What is the recommended HW platform for the DRP agent and should it be a dedicated box or can I enable DRP on my Internet routers for example?

2. What if Used something like adedicated 800 series router as a DRP agent in every hosting location would this work ?

3. WIch of 1 and 2 is the preferred method or is there another best practise solution I should use?

There is not so much docs around about the GSS so any help is greatly helpful.

rgds

Matt

[amritpatek]

Cisco protocol development efforts have given it a clear advantage in content routing applications. DFP provides Cisco solutions server and application metrics for better load-balancing decisions and the resulting increased availability and system capacity. DRP allows global load-balancing devices to share BGP and IGP routing information for optimal global load-balancing performance. Lastly, WCCP enables the seamless integration of Web cache redirection with significant benefits over traditional Layer 4-based cache redirection. These protocols allow distinct network elements to communicate and act in unison as a load-balancing system to provide levels of performance that cannot be matched by individual point products

[Syed Iftekhar Ahmed]

From the "Cisco-Supported Hardware and Software Compatiblity" section of the

GSS 1.2(2) Release notes:

For network proximity, use a Cisco IOS-based router that supports Director

Response Protocol (DRP) as the probing device in each proximity zone. DRP is

supported in the following Cisco IOS release trains: 12.1, 12.1E, 12.2T, 12.2,

12.3, and later releases. ICMP probing is only supported in Cisco IOS releases

12.2T, 12.3, and later releases.

The GSS operates with Cisco IOS-based routers using the following DRP RTT

probing methods: TCP ("DRP Server Agent") and ICMP ("ICMP ECHO-based RTT

probing by DRP agents"). "DRP Server Agent" and "ICMP ECHO-based RTT probing by

DRP agents" are the Cisco IOS feature names as shown in the Cisco Feature

Navigator.

I havent seen dedicated routers used for just GSS proximity. Usually drp agents are activated on running routers.

Syed