Load Balancer Refresh
(Upgrade from F5)

Modern data centers offer web scale technologies which optimize and automate compute, storage and networking infrastructure. Yet, critical application service components like the application load balancer have been slow to modernize. Enterprises have had little choice but to use traditional hardware ADCs (application delivery controllers) like F5 BIG-IP load balancers.

Image showing NSX Advanced Load Balancer and the advantages of upgrading from F5.

These outdated appliances are not architected for cloud-native applications with demanding traffic management patterns. To compensate, they are often overprovisioned causing businesses to overspend to gain the necessary performance and availability.

F5 BIG-IP fall short of modern application services capabilities beyond load balancing, such as application analytics, hybrid-cloud requirements, predictive auto scaling, app maps for microservices applications, programmable self-service and micro-segmentation.

Load Balancing from VMware

VMware NSX Advanced Load Balancer provides a next-generation ADC that delivers a flexible, analytics-driven, application services fabric with a centrally managed, software-defined architecture.

Unlike an F5 load balancer, NSX ALB provides complete automation for L4-L7 services with an elastic, multi-cloud approach to load balancing that provides TCO savings of over 50%.

Compare VMware Load Balancing to F5

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Advantages of VMware over F5 Load Balancer

Central Control and Automation

Delivers central control with a distributed pool of service engines across multi-cloud deployments and consistent application load balancing for monolithic and microservices applications.

Multi-Cloud Load Balancing

Infrastructure-agnostic architecture, natively supports hybrid and multi-cloud environments providing a consistent admin user experience for load balancing workloads.

Automation and Self-Service

Unlike F5 BIG-IP, NSX ALB enables automatic scale up or down in response to traffic without painful manual intervention. Additionally, operations teams can deploy apps faster by automating common tasks using NSX ALB’s 100% REST API.

Application Performance Management

Get real-time, actionable application analytics which allow admins and app owners to efficiently troubleshoot network and app issues in minutes. Doing this with an F5 Load Balancer is near impossible.

Lower Total Cost of Ownership

Outperform legacy F5 hardware with faster provisioning and by eliminating expensive, frequent hardware refreshes and time consuming manual management.

Seven Key Considerations
Before Your F5 Load Balancer Refresh

Before you commit to a multi-year license and maintenance contract with your appliance-based load balancing vendor, review these key considerations and expand load balancing services into full-featured application services.

  • Automation and Self-Service
  • Elasticity and Performance at Scale
  • App Analytics and Troubleshooting
  • Multi-Cloud Application Services
  • Ecosystem Integrations
  • Total Cost of Ownership
Seven Key Considerations
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font-family: arial, sans-serif; top: -0.4em; left: -0.6em; font-size: 72px; font-weight: 600; } /*========================== * Tab Styles * 1) '.xan' is specific identifier for a new module type. ============================*/ .xan .tab-group { background-color: #fff; border: 30px solid #cfe8ee; display: flex; max-width: 980px; margin: 0 auto; padding: 2rem 3rem; } .xan .tab-group__tabs { border: 0; border-right: 1px solid #f6f6f6; width: 30%; max-width: 30%; } .xan .tab-group__tab { border-bottom: 0px; border-radius: 40px 0 0 40px; } .xan .js-tab-x { background: #ffffff; border-right: 10px solid #fff; color: #333333; font-size: 18px; font-weight: 100; text-transform: none; width: 100%; text-align: left; box-shadow: none; filter: none; padding: 10px 18px 10px 40px; margin: 6px 0; transition: all 300ms ease-out; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Brandon Grotesque' ,sans-serif; } .xan .tab-group__tabs .js-tab-x:hover { font-weight: 600; transition: all 0.5s ease-out; } .xan .tab-group__tabs .js-tab-x h3 { border: none !important; box-shadow: none; } .xan .tab-group__tab--is-active { border: 0; border-right: 10px solid #FF4B00; background-color: #f7f7f7; border-radius: 40px 0 0 40px ; color: #FF4B00; font-weight: 600; transition: all 300ms ease-out; } .xan .tab-group__tab:focus { outline: none; transition: all 300ms ease-out; } .xan .tab-group__tabs .js-tab-x::before, .xan .tab-group__tabs .js-tab-x::after { content: ""; display: none; } .xan .tab-group__panel { width: 70%; position: relative; height: auto; font-size: 1.125rem; font-weight: 100; transition: all 300ms ease-out; } .xan .tab-group__panel ul li { padding-left: 18px !important; } /* ===================== * END OF TABS ========================*/ /* ===================== * Offer Section ========================*/ .section.offer-bar { background: #fff; color: #233448; clear: both; } .offer-bar__grid { align-items: center; } .section.offer-bar h2 .offer-bar__extended-title { font-size: 30px; color: #233448; } .section.offer-bar h2 { font-size: 40px; font-weight: 100; 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} .card .card__icon { width: 86px; height: auto; padding: 16px 20px 21px 20px; position: relative; margin-top: -63px; background: url('/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/avi-hex-gray-outline@3x.png') center center no-repeat; background-size: 86px ; } .card__title { display: block; color: #333; text-align: center; padding-top: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; font-weight: 600; } .card__title--big { font-size: 1.25rem; font-weight: 600; } .card__desc h3 { text-align: center; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 100; color: #F04E23; text-transform: uppercase; } .card__desc p { font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.75; } .card__desc li{ font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1rem; padding-left: 20px; } .card ul li::before { top: 13px; } @media only screen and (max-width: 768px) { /*========================== * Section Spacing Adjustments ============================*/ .section { padding-top: 3rem; padding-bottom: 3rem; } .section--bg-none + .section--bg-none { padding-top: 0; } .basic-content--leadin.section { padding-bottom: 1rem; } .basic-content img:not(:last-child) { margin-top: 1rem; margin-bottom: 1rem; } .basic-content__title, .section__title { margin-bottom: 1.5rem; } /*========================== * Body Copy Resizing ============================*/ .basic-content--leadin p:first-of-type { font-size: 1.125rem; } .main-content p, .main-content li { font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.75; } .hero-v2 { height: 320px; } .hero-v2__title { font-size: 1.75rem; padding-top: 0; } .hero-v2__subtitle { font-size: 1.125rem; } .section--tabs { display: block; height: auto; } .xan .tab-group { margin: 0 auto; display: block; border-left: none; border-right: none; padding: 10px 5px; flex-direction: column; background-color: #fff; } .xan .tab-group__tabs { width: 100%; max-width: 100%; border: 0; border-bottom: 1px solid #f6f6f6; } .xan .js-tab-x { border: 0; border-bottom: 10px solid #fff; border-radius: 0; padding: 10px; text-align: center; } .xan .tab-group__tabs .js-tab { background: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-size: 18px; font-weight: 100; text-transform: none; width: 100%; text-align: left; box-shadow: none; filter: none; padding: 10px 18px 10px 40px; margin: 6px 0; border-bottom: none; display: block; } .xan .tab-group__tabs .js-tab button { border: none !important; box-shadow: none; display: block; } .xan .tab-group__tab--is-active { border: 0; color: #FF4B00; font-weight: 600; border-bottom: 10px solid #FF4B00; border-radius: 0px; } .xan .tab-group__tab:focus { outline: none; display: block; } .xan .tab-group__tabs .js-tab::before, .xan .tab-group__tabs .js-tab::after { content: ""; display: none; } .xan .tab-group__panel { padding: 0; margin: 0; width: 100%; height: auto; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 100; } .xan .tab-group__panel ul li::before { font-size: 1.7em; top: 16px; } .xan .tab-group__panel ul li { padding-left: 18px !important; } .xan .tab-group__panel--is-active { display: block; } .section--tabs { border-bottom: none; } .section.offer-bar { width: 100%; } .offer-bar__image { padding-top: 60px; } .offer-bar .two-col { -webkit-column-count: 1; column-count: 1; } .resource-card { border-right: 0; border-left: 0; } } /*================ Mobile Hide/Show ==================*/ .show-desktop, .show-tablet { display: none !important; } @media (min-width: 550px) { .show-tablet { display: block !important; } .show-mobile { display: none !important; } } @media (min-width: 768px) { .hide-desktop.hide-desktop { display: none; } } @media (min-width: 800px) { .show-tablet { display: none !important; } .show-desktop { display: block !important; } } @media (max-width: 768px) { .hide-mobile.hide-mobile { display: none; } } ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// // // Tabs // ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// (function ($) { // Create tabs from panels $('.js-tab-panel-x').each(function () { var $this = $(this); var title = $this.attr('data-title'); var bg = $this.attr('data-bg'); var sectionTitle = $this.attr('data-section-title'); var target = $this.attr('id'); var tabGroup = $this.parent().find('.js-tab-group-x'); var tabButton = '

' + title + '

'; tabGroup.append(tabButton); }); // Click handler $('.js-tab-x').on('click', function () { var $this = $(this); var tabGroup = $this.parent(); var target = $this.attr('data-target'); var bg = $this.attr('data-bg'); var sectionTitle = $this.attr('data-section-title'); var tabActiveClass = 'tab-group__tab--is-active'; var panelActiveClass = 'tab-group__panel--is-active'; // Apply background image and Update the title tabGroup .parent() .parent() .css({ 'background-image': 'url(' + bg + ')' }) .find('.js-tab-section-title') .html(sectionTitle); // Deactivate all sibling tabs tabGroup.find('.js-tab-x').removeClass(tabActiveClass); // Reactivate this tab $this.addClass(tabActiveClass); // Deactivate all sibling panels tabGroup.siblings('.js-tab-panel-x').removeClass(panelActiveClass); // Reactivate this panel $('#' + target).addClass(panelActiveClass); }); $('.tab-group .js-tab-x:first-child').trigger('click'); })(jQuery);;