BIG-IP i15000 Series Appliance

Description

BIG-IP i15000 Series Appliance

The BIG-IP i15000 Series Appliance is a high-performance application delivery platform from F5. It combines application delivery, traffic management, and security services on a 2U hardware platform. F5 designed the i15000 Series for organizations that need high application delivery performance and scalability across demanding enterprise and data center environments.

The i15000 Series can process application traffic at Layer 4 and Layer 7 while supporting capabilities such as load balancing, traffic steering, SSL/TLS processing, firewall services, and DDoS protection. The i15800 can provide up to 320 Gbps L4 throughput, 160 Gbps L7 throughput, 4.2 million Layer 4 connections per second, 10 million Layer 7 requests per second, and 300 million concurrent Layer 4 connections.

Key Features of BIG-IP i15000 Series Appliance

High-Performance Application Delivery

The BIG-IP i15000 Series provides dedicated hardware for high-volume application traffic processing. It supports Layer 4 and Layer 7 traffic management and can distribute requests across application resources. The i15800 supports up to 320 Gbps of L4 throughput and 160 Gbps of L7 throughput under F5’s published specifications. This allows organizations to handle demanding application workloads on a dedicated platform.

Intelligent Traffic Management

BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager (LTM) provides control over application traffic. Teams can use it for load balancing, traffic steering, health monitoring, and application availability. The platform also supports programmable traffic control through F5 technologies such as iRules. This gives network teams more control over how application requests move across backend resources.

SSL/TLS Offloading

SSL/TLS processing can consume significant server resources. The BIG-IP i15000 Series provides hardware-assisted SSL/TLS processing to help move supported encryption workloads away from application servers. F5 lists up to 160,000 RSA transactions per second and 100,000 ECC transactions per second for the i15800. Performance varies by model, cipher, and configuration.

Application and API Security

The BIG-IP platform can extend application delivery with security offerings such as BIG-IP Advanced WAF and other licensed modules. These services can help protect applications and APIs from application-layer threats. The available security capabilities depend on the BIG-IP software modules and licenses deployed. They should not be treated as standard features of every i15000 configuration.

Network and DDoS Protection

BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM) can provide network security and DDoS protection capabilities. The i15000 platform also supports hardware-accelerated security functions through applicable TurboFlex profiles. F5 lists up to 210 million SYN cookies per second for the i15800/i15820-DF specification group and up to 140 million for the i15600/i15600-N group.

High-Speed Network Connectivity

The platform provides 4 × 100GbE QSFP28 ports and 8 × 40GbE QSFP+ ports. It also includes a 10GbE management port, RJ45 console port, RJ45 failover port, and USB 3.0 interface. The 2U rack-mount design allows the appliance to integrate into standard data center infrastructure. F5 also offers the i15000-N configuration for applicable NEBS-compliant deployments.

Capabilities

• Application delivery: The platform manages traffic between clients and application servers. It can distribute requests and control application traffic flows. 
• Traffic management: BIG-IP can process Layer 4 and Layer 7 traffic. This allows teams to apply policies based on network and application information. 
• SSL/TLS processing: Hardware-assisted processing helps manage supported encrypted traffic workloads without placing the full processing burden on application servers. 
• Application availability: BIG-IP traffic management and failover capabilities can support resilient application delivery environments. 
• Hardware acceleration: Applicable TurboFlex profiles provide hardware acceleration for supported BIG-IP functions when the required licensing and provisioning are in place. 
• Centralized management: BIG-IP provides centralized control through the BIG-IP platform and its management ecosystem. 
• Virtualization: The i15800 supports vCMP for running supported BIG-IP guest instances on the hardware platform. 

Key Specifications

Common Use Cases

The BIG-IP i15000 Series fits application delivery environments that need high-capacity traffic management, application availability, and efficient processing of network and application traffic. Organizations can use it in enterprise data centers to manage web applications, customer portals, digital services, and other high-volume workloads. Its 40GbE and 100GbE interfaces also support high-speed data center network infrastructure.

The appliance can also support security-focused deployments. With the required BIG-IP licenses, organizations can add application security, network firewall functions, DDoS protection, and other services. The i15820-DF also provides a factory-installed FIPS-validated HSM option for applicable security requirements.

Real-World Deployment Scenarios

• Enterprise Data Centers: Distribute high-volume application traffic across multiple backend resources and support application availability. 
• E-commerce Platforms: Manage large numbers of application connections and requests across customer-facing web infrastructure. 
• Banking and Financial Applications: Control traffic to critical applications while supporting encrypted connections and security services. 
• Service Provider Networks: Use 40GbE and 100GbE connectivity to integrate application delivery with high-speed network infrastructure. 
• Hybrid Infrastructure: Manage application traffic across data center resources and connected infrastructure with centralized traffic control. 
• Business-Critical Applications: Combine traffic management, SSL/TLS processing, and selected security services on a high-performance platform. 

Why Choose Netmate for BIG-IP i15000 Series Appliance?

Netmate IT helps businesses in Nepal evaluate and deploy F5 solutions based on their application delivery and infrastructure requirements. For the BIG-IP i15000 Series, Netmate can help organizations assess traffic requirements, select the appropriate platform, plan BIG-IP licensing, integrate the appliance with existing infrastructure, and prepare the deployment. This helps IT teams align the F5 solution with their traffic, security, scalability, and availability requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the BIG-IP i15000 Series Appliance?

The BIG-IP i15000 Series is a high-performance hardware platform from F5 for application delivery and traffic management. The series provides high-speed network connectivity and supports traffic management, security, and other BIG-IP services.

What is the BIG-IP i15000 used for?

The i15000 can manage high-volume application traffic, balance workloads, support SSL/TLS processing, and provide selected security services. The available capabilities depend on the BIG-IP software modules and licenses deployed.

How much throughput does the BIG-IP i15000 support?

F5 lists the i15600 and i15800 with up to 320 Gbps L4 throughput and 160 Gbps L7 throughput. The i15800 can also support up to 10 million Layer 7 requests per second, 4.2 million Layer 4 connections per second, and 300 million concurrent Layer 4 connections.

What network interfaces does the BIG-IP i15000 have?

The platform provides 4 × 100GbE QSFP28 ports and 8 × 40GbE QSFP+ ports. It also includes a 10GbE management port, RJ45 console port, RJ45 failover port, and USB 3.0 interface.

Who should use the BIG-IP i15000 Series Appliance?

The platform fits organizations that need high-capacity application delivery hardware for traffic management, scalability, and security. It is suitable for enterprise data centers, service providers, and other environments that require high-speed connectivity and large application traffic capacity.