F5 Big IP R4600 Appliance

F5 BIG-IP r4600: High-Performance Application Delivery for Growing Businesses and Midsize Data Centers

Key Differences & Advantages over r2000 Series

As the cornerstone of the r series, the r4600 represents a significant leap in hardware and performance compared to the entry-level r2000 series (r2600/r2800). Its core advantages include:

• Processor Upgrade: Equipped with a more powerful 16-core processor, allocating 12 vCPU cores for business processing, far exceeding the 8 cores of the r2800.
• Double the Memory: With 64GB of memory, it has twice the capacity of the r2800, supporting more concurrent connections and more complex processing strategies.
• SSL Performance Boost: SSL processing capability (30K TPS) is more than double that of the r2800.

These substantial hardware improvements mean the r4600 can handle larger-scale, more critical core business operations, providing a robust and reliable platform for your business’s rapid growth.

Key Features & Highlights

• Powerful 30G Balanced Throughput: Offering up to 30 Gbps of L4 and L7 balanced throughput, proving its efficiency in handling complex application-layer traffic. Whether for simple traffic forwarding or deep content inspection, the r4600 provides consistent and powerful processing capabilities.
• Optimized for Encryption-Intensive Applications: Capable of processing up to 30,000 SSL handshakes per second, it easily meets the needs of midsize e-commerce sites, SaaS platforms, and other encryption-intensive businesses. Its powerful multi-core CPU also provides ample computing power for efficient software compression (20Gbps), achieving an excellent balance between performance and functionality.
• Future-Proof 25G High-Speed Interfaces: Standard with 4 × 25G/10G SFP28/SFP+ ports, it seamlessly integrates with existing 10G networks and aligns with the trend of modern data centers evolving towards 25G architectures, offering higher bandwidth and lower latency.
• Enterprise-Grade High Availability Architecture: Supports optional redundant power supplies and high availability (HA) clustering, ensuring business continuity within seconds in case of hardware failure, providing stable protection for demanding production environments.
• Abundant Memory and Multi-Core Advantage: With 64GB of memory and 12 vCPU cores for tenants, the r4600 has significant resource advantages for handling large-scale connections, complex rules, and future functional expansions, effectively safeguarding your technology investment.

Applicable Scenarios

The r4600 is perfectly suited for:

• Midsize business data centers with rapidly growing business needs
• Environments with higher requirements for SSL performance and concurrent connections
• Department-level core application delivery devices for large enterprises

It achieves an ideal balance between performance, scalability, and cost, making it the best choice for businesses transitioning from entry-level to higher-performance platforms.

What key upgrades does the r4600 offer compared to the entry-level r2800?
The r4600 is a complete generational upgrade from the r2800, not just a simple performance boost. Key improvements include:
Processor Architecture: The r4600 has a more powerful 16-core processor, compared to the r2800’s 8-core processor, significantly enhancing basic computing power.
Memory Capacity: With 64GB of memory, the r4600 doubles the r2800’s capacity (32GB), allowing it to handle more concurrent connections and complex strategies.
SSL Processing Capability: The r4600’s SSL TPS (30K) is twice that of the r2800 (15K), better addressing today’s HTTPS-driven encrypted network environment.
Overall, when the r2000 series no longer meets your business growth needs, the r4600 is an ideal and future-proof upgrade choice.

What software modules does the r4600 support?
The r4600 is a versatile application delivery platform that can activate different features through various software licenses. It supports F5’s full suite of core software modules, including:
BIG-IP LTM (Local Traffic Manager): For server load balancing and application delivery.
BIG-IP DNS: For global server load balancing (GSLB).
BIG-IP AWF (Advanced Web Application Firewall): To protect against web attacks.
BIG-IP APM (Access Policy Manager): For unified application access control.
You can purchase an r4600 with different software modules based on your specific needs.

Does the r4600 support high availability (HA) deployment?
Yes, it fully supports HA deployment. Designed for enterprise production environments, the r4600 can be purchased as a pair to form an HA cluster (typically in an active/standby configuration) to eliminate single points of failure. In case the primary device fails, the standby device can take over all traffic within seconds, ensuring business continuity and stability.

What are the main physical ports on the r4600?
The r4600 offers high-speed and flexible port configurations to meet modern data center needs. It comes standard with 4 10GbE RJ45 copper ports and 4 SFP28/SFP+ ports that support 25G/10G speeds. This setup allows it to connect to traditional network devices and also meet the demands of evolving to a 25G high-speed network architecture.

How can I get a quote for the r4600?
The final price of the r4600 depends on the software modules you choose, the level of support services, and the duration of support. We don’t offer a one-size-fits-all price because we’re committed to providing solutions tailored to your needs. Please contact us for a precise, customized quote.