Application switches -- also known as load balancers -- are essential to application delivery and performance in both enterprise networks and e-commerce. Like any other technology, the RFP process on an application switch means extensive testing.

Application switch testing isn't always easy, since it can be difficult to simulate the volume of requests and traffic that a load balancer would need to handle. Also, now that application switches do much more than load balancing, network administrators find themselves testing for a plethora of functions.

The Tolly Group has developed a recipe book for testing application switches as part of the Tolly Common RFP Series. The RFP series provides testing directions for a spectrum of technologies ranging from LAN switch interoperability to virtual server performance. In Tolly Common RFP: Application Switches, the company discusses application switch testing in a range of scenarios