Carrier-Grade NAT and IPv6 Services

The BIG-IP System: Carrier-Grade Services Solve Carrier-Grade Problems

IPv6 deployments face obstacles stemming from migration complexity and the lack of end-to-end application interoperability across the breadth and scale of existing services. As IPv4 and IPv6 do not interoperate by design, high-speed address translations and comprehensive logging must be performed to ensure customers’ service continuity and quality of experience (QoE). The additional overhead that comes with managing two discrete network topologies can add operating expenses, affecting the bottom line, and lead to user dissatisfaction, causing user churn.

As a strategic point of control, the BIG-IP system provides network address translation services for millions of IP addresses and port pairs across multiple private and public address spaces. Using carrier-grade network address translation (CGNAT) and the F5 IPv6 Gateway module, CSPs can lower the costs of managing both IPv4 and IPv6 networks and expedite the full migration between networks, internal services, and external subscribers. Along with performance and scaling, high volumes of logging are required to integrate with security and regulatory requirements on the network. The F5 CGNAT solution includes high-speed logging that flexibly logs transactions as the CSP defines for its specific requirements, without affecting performance.

BIG-IP Application Delivery Controllers act as a full proxy and termination point for both ingress and egress application connections, providing unique access to external users, internal services, and all parts of IP connectivity, including application availability, bi-directional address translation, authentication and security services, DNS services for IPv6 and management of AAA records, and DNS translations (DNS64) for both IPv4 and IPv6 responses.

F5 also offers a suite of solutions to help manage access to the network, to applications, and to value-add services—such as streaming video and user device tethering, both high-bandwidth applications—across the entire service provider network. Designed as an integrated solution that marries user, network, and service management, BIG-IP ADCs create a common platform for one-stop access service management. Using F5 solutions, CSPs can build a strong foundation that maximizes resource use and increases service management, while remaining agile enough to support existing and future network architectures as well as new subscriber devices.

Solution

The BIG-IP system is an integrated platform that offers multiple, consolidated product solutions for managed access services.

• BIG-IP Global Traffic Manager (GTM) is a global load balancing and application delivery solution that directs users to the most appropriate service location based on geography, level of service, and availability.
• BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is a flexible, high-performance security solution for users and back-end services alike. BIG-IP APM provides policy-based, context-aware access to application services based on existing user policies while simplifying AAA management. BIG-IP APM can be deployed in a hosted environment—as a physical appliance or running on BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager (LTM) Virtual Edition (VE)—or on premises, and it can be managed discretely by the MSP customer in either deployment scenario. BIG-IP APM provides total flexibility for managed access security solutions.
• BIG-IP Edge Gateway is a complete user and application access solution for managed access services. BIG-IP Edge Gateway brings together SSL VPN remote access, security, application acceleration, bandwidth management, and availability services for all types of remote users.

The BIG-IP system unites all the components required to offer a complete and secure managed access solution in one integrated and consolidated platform. The BIG-IP platform gives CSPs the flexibility, manageability, and agility necessary to meet user access needs in the world of wired and wireless networks and devices.

These other critical solutions for service providers are addressed in more detail in separate profiles:

• Scaling and Securing the Control Plane
• Intelligent Traffic Management
• Security for Communication Service Providers
• Application-Aware Services and Cloud Delivery
  
  

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