8-1. Firewall Load Balancing Overview
You can implement firewalls to provide security in several ways. Table 8-1 is a quick comparison between a single firewall, a firewall failover pair, and a firewall farm that uses Firewall Load Balancing (FWLB).
| Attribute | Single Firewall | Firewall Failover | FWLB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Lower. Only one firewall unit is needed. | Medium. Two units are needed. | Higher. At least two firewall units are needed, along with load-balancing devices. |
| Firewall Points of Failure | One: the firewall itself. | None. The firewall pair can be physically separated. | None. All firewalls are grouped to make up a firewall farm. |
| Performance | Limited to a single firewall. | Limited to a single firewall. Only one of the pair actively ... |
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