Version 1.3 delivers new licensing options and migration tools for ADC-as-a-Service Deployment
Brocade SteelCentral™ Services Controller (SSC) for SteelAppTM release 1.3 delivers new capabilities and licensing options that increase the flexibility and ease with which customers can deploy an application delivery infrastructure.
The new licensing options allow customers to easily incorporate advanced features into new or existing SSC deployments. In addition, tools have been introduced that improve the ease that customer can initially deploy SSC virtual appliances, migrate an existing SSC or SteelApp Traffic Manager (STM) micro-instance host to new versions and reduce the downtime associated with version upgrades.
Features include:
- Add-on licensing
- Micro-instance host virtual appliance image upgrade capability
- Micro-instance host virtual appliance migration tool
- SSC graphical setup wizard
- Community Enterprise Operating System (CentOS) support for SSC and STM micro-instance host
The following offers additional details regarding each of the new capabilities.
Add-On licensing offers flexible license options
SteelApp Traffic Manager supports a series of core licenses that have varying combinations of common features. Starting with this release we are shipping add-on licenses that enable a single feature that augments an existing core license. Two add-on licenses are available. The first is for Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) support and the second delivers web application firewall (WAF) capabilities.
These licenses work with both the existing cloud service provider and enterprise licensing models and have the following characteristics:
- Provide fixed bandwidth license, e.g. 5GB of WAF functionality
- Can be 'stacked' in a manner similar to existing bandwidth packs
- Are additive across all SSCs in a cluster
- For enterprise accounts, the add-on licenses are tied to base licenses and have start and end validity dates
- For cloud service providers (CSPs) the add-on licenses are tracked in metering logs and are charged for leveraging CSP usage-based pricing model
Simplify instance host upgrades with the image upgrade tool
This capability minimizes the downtime and complexity associated with a software upgrade of an SSC micro-instance host. It allows a virtual appliance-based micro-instance host deployment to download a new image and then flash the backup image partition while the micro-instance host continues to operate using the earlier version located on the primary image partition. Customers can then decide to boot into the backup image partition with the new image during a planned downtime or maintenance cycle.
Reduce downtime with the host migration tool
This command line-based tool assists customers move their SteelApp Traffic Manager deployments from an existing micro-instance host virtual appliance to a new micro-instance host that is operating with an updated release. This allows customers to benefit from features on new software versions with a rapid and easy process that reduces software upgrade downtime.
Ease deployment with the SSC setup wizard
The SSC graphical setup wizard delivers an intuitive step-by-step guide for customers to configure SSC from a simple, streamlined wizard instead of a command line interface (CLI) or graphical user interface (GUI) with multiple tabs, pages, and parameters.
The first time a user logs in to a newly deployed SSC, it will initiate the setup wizard that walks a customer through the deployment of a fully functional SSC environment. After the initial deployment, customers can manually activate the setup wizard from the MANAGE menu link.
Increase deployment flexibility with CentOS support
CentOS support is targeted at organizations that require SSC or the micro instance host deployments on a standardized RedHat-based operating system. CentOS 6.5 is required with the software available as a RPM package which includes all of the current functionality that is available under the shipping SSC or the micro instance hosts products for Ubuntu 12.04.
General information
Platform support
SteelCentral Services Controller for SteelApp version 1.3 is available as a standalone deployment on Ubuntu Linux or as a virtual appliance on VMware® vSphere.
Upgrading
Customers with valid maintenance and support contracts will be able to download this release from their customer account on the Riverbed Support portal.
The new documentation is also available on the Support portal, and release notes are located on the software download site.
