This article is part one of a two-part series on configuring a highly available, on-premises SMTP relay solution. In this part, we discuss the design and do all the preparational work before setting up the actual SMTP relay solution in part two.

In Part I of this article, we discussed how to handle multiple SSL sites sharing the same IP address and port bound to multiple SSL certificates in regards to SNI decryption and re-encryption with Kemp LoadMaster. We discussed briefly how to achieve this creatively. With Kemp LoadMaster, you will need to leverage sub-virtual services (SubVSs) in combination with content rules to handle this scenario. We also use SSL decryption and re-encryption in order to support the clients and servers with different TLS versions. Re-encryption is handled at the virtual service (VS) level, not at the SubVS level. Meaning you can only enter one SNI name for re-encryption with a shared VIP. So, in the case of two or more SSL sites sharing the same IP address, you would have only one that works.

As you all know by now, it really is time to say goodbye to TLS 1.0/1.1. You might be ready to only offer and support TLS 1.2. Perhaps you can even add TLS 1.3 as well. Being able and willing to block TLS 1.0/1.1 is a good thing completely. Well done.

Probably, everyone asked that question when finding out about the support function for persistent memory disks inside a virtual machine (VM) in Windows Server 2019 with the Hyper-V role. Persistent memory disks are good when we need a very high speed and very low latency. Some vendors can provide persistent memory disk option for you in their storage offerings. But why mapping persistent memory storage via the hypervisor host is so important?

Non-volatile storages are lifebuoys for any company in case of power cycling. In running business having untouchable memory storage is vital. That’s why any novel software or hardware must support non-volatile memory with no problems. Time to learn how to go with the times and configure NVDIMM-N on one of the latest Dell PowerEdge Servers with Windows NT most recent software solution!

Mellanox, an Israeli company, is a leader when it comes to FPGAs and all kinds of programmable logic in the switches and NICs. The latter allow having 25Gbps at a cost and quality level traditional network companies won’t allow. Recently rumors about an acquisition of Mellanox by Microsoft began to circulate. The only decision assessment does not exist, as well as the determination of reasons for which Microsoft decided to take this move. Why does Microsoft want to buy Mellanox?

Do you know that not every solution requires high available storage? Sometimes there is a need in functionality that gives us the option not to leverage any OS caching. Precisely this UseWriteThrough option you can find in the New-SBMMapping commandlet in Windows Server 2019. It allows a user to disable caching with SMB mappings in certain scenarios thus giving a possibility to prefer reliability over performance in non-continuously available file share scenarios. So, always check “paper proof of concepts” and find the best options for your IT infrastructure and business development!

Does low latency, high throughput & CPU offloading require RDMA? What? Blasphemy, how dare we even question this? In my defense, I’m not questioning anything. I am merely being curious. I’m the inquisitive kind. The need for RDMA is the premise that we have been working with ever since RDMA became available outside of HPC InfiniBand fabrics. For us working in the Windows ecosystem this was with SMB Direct. Windows Server 2012 was the OS version that introduced us to SMB Direct, which leverages RDMA.

The RDMA wars in regards to SMB Direct: RoCE versus iWarp.