1 Introduction

Free LoadMaster is a free of charge Virtual LoadMaster appliance which offers access to the core LoadMaster capabilities. The Free LoadMaster is restricted by capacity and, as such, is ideally suited to low-volume environments such as development, QA and pre-production.

1.1 Document Purpose

The purpose of this document is to provide an overview of the Free LoadMaster product.

1.2 Intended Audience

This document is intended to be read by anyone who is interested in finding out details about the Free LoadMaster product.

2 Free LoadMaster

The Free LoadMaster product has all core LoadMaster capabilities, including the:

Global Server Load Balancing (GSLB) Feature Pack

Edge Security Pack (ESP)

Web Application Firewall Pack (WAF)

2.1 Limitations

There are a number of limitations to be aware of if using a Free LoadMaster:

20Mbits L7 throughput

50 Transactions Per Second (TPS) 2K SSL keys

Statistics will be sent to Kemp indicating the current peak traffic levels. If the traffic levels are approaching the license levels, a message will be displayed on the Web User Interface (WUI).

A maximum of two FQDNs can be created in the Global Balancing section. There is a limit of 100 UDP Queries Per Second (QPS) per FQDN for IPv4 and 100 UDP QPS for IPv6. These limits are exclusive to IP version, so it is possible to have a maximum of 200 IPv4 and IPv6 requests together. TCP connections are not limited.

No firmware updates can be performed on the Free LoadMaster after receiving the initial firmware release

Only community forum support is provided by default - http://support.kemptechnologies.com. However, there is an option to purchase support.

High Availability (HA) is unavailable

If the LoadMaster cannot contact the Kemp licensing service at all in a period of 30 days, the LoadMaster will stop load balancing, i.e. the Virtual Services will be stopped. In this case, it will be possible to download the LoadMaster configuration by taking a backup (System Configuration > System Administration > Backup/Restore > Create Backup File). It will also be possible to upgrade the LoadMaster via the Upgrade option which is on the Home page of the LoadMaster WUI.

However, it is possible to purchase an upgrade at any time to unlock the advanced features. An Upgrade option will be available on the WUI home page and also in System Configuration > System Administration > Update License.

 

2.2 Set Up and License a Free LoadMaster

To install and configure the initial settings in the LoadMaster, follow the instructions which are specific to the type of platform the LoadMaster is being deployed on. Kemp have a number of Installation Guides with step-by-step instructions on how to install the LoadMaster. Refer to the Kemp documentation page to find the relevant Installation Guide: http://kemptechnologies.com/documentation/

Please keep in mind that the licensing steps vary for the Free LoadMaster, such as the fact that online licensing is the only available licensing method. Refer to the next section for instructions on how to license the Free LoadMaster.

2.2.1 License a Free LoadMaster

After the LoadMaster has been installed and initially configured, the LoadMaster needs to be licensed. To license the Free LoadMaster, follow the steps below:

1. In a web browser, go to the LoadMaster WUI by entering http://<LoadMasterIPAddress> in the address bar.

2. The End User License Agreement (EULA) will be displayed.

3. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the Agree button to proceed.

4. Enter the Kemp Identifier which is the email address which was used when registering a Kemp ID.

A Kemp ID is needed to license a LoadMaster. To register for a Kemp ID, click the link provided in the LoadMaster. For instructions on how to create a Kemp ID, refer to the Licensing, Feature Description.

5. Enter the Password for the Kemp ID.

6. Click License Now.

7. Select Free LoadMaster as the license type and click Continue.

8. Click Continue on the License Validated message.

9. Enter the desired Password for the default LoadMaster administrator user (bal).

10. Retype the password and click Set Password.

11. Click Continue.

12. Log in with the bal Username and the Password you have just set.

2.3 Further Information

For more information, such as details on each of the features available and step-by-step instructions on how to configure them, please refer to the Kemp documentation: http://kemptechnologies.com/documentation/.

Please keep in mind when referring to the Kemp documentation that some functionality may differ or be unavailable in the Free LoadMaster.

References

Unless otherwise stated, the following documents are available from http://kemptechnologies.com/documentation

Licensing, Feature Description

Last Updated Date

This document was last updated on 04 November 2022.