F5 ARX-VE, Planning Manual

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Concepts and Terminology
ARX Site Planning Guide 1 - 3
Concepts and Terminology
The ARX acts as a resource proxy between the current clients and servers
on your network. The switch terminates client requests, determines the
correct server to process the request, and then originates a new request to the
server. Messages in the reverse direction, from servers to clients, also
terminate and restart at the ARX. The clients are said to be at the
front end
of the ARX, and the servers are said to be at the back end . As you plan to
add a switch to your network, it is helpful to remember the sharp division
between the switch’s front-end and back-end processing.
The following figure illustrates this sharp division.
Figure 1.1 ARX architecture showing front end versus backend
Platforms and Modules
You can purchase any of the following ARX platforms:
• Single-port ARX-VE (a virtual appliance)
• Single-port ARX-500
• 8-port ARX-1500
• 12-port ARX-2000
• 4-port ARX-2500, with 2 additional 10-Gigabit ports
• 12-port ARX-4000, with 2 additional 10-Gigabit ports
This document is relevant to all of the above platforms.
clients
servers
back end
front end
ARX (proxy)