Configuring the WSM using Device Manager

About direct server return

Some clients need direct access to real servers, for example, to monitor a real server from a management workstation. Direct Server Return (DSR) lets the server respond directly to the client. This is useful for sites where large amounts of data flow from servers to clients, such as content providers or portal sites with asymmetric traffic patterns. DSR and content-intelligent Layer 7 switching cannot be performed at the same time because content-intelligent switching requires that all frames go back to the switch for connection splicing.

Note: For DSR, you must set up the server to receive frames that have a destination IP address equal to the virtual server IP address.

The figure below illustrates the following DSR operation.

1. A client request is forwarded to the WSM.
2. Because only MAC addresses are substituted, the WSM forwards the request to the best server, using the configured load-balancing policy.
3. The server responds directly to the client, bypassing the WSM, and using the virtual server IP address as the source IP address.

See also:

• Configuring direct server return
• Direct server return health checking