Supporting IMAP IDLE - AX SLB

kmac

Has anyone implemented multiple IMAP servers behind the AX2500 or AX3030 SLB and created custom configuration to support the IMAP IDLE function?

The IMAP IDLE spec is here:
http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2177

My initial thinking was to create TCP and TCP Proxy templates (we support both IMAP and IMAPS through SSL offload on the AX) and apply them with a 30 minute timeout. The spec says clients should "check in" to terminate and reissue the IDLE command at least every 29 minutes.

Has someone else implemented this and if so what were your findings?

dshin

Hi KMAC,

We do not support issuing IMAP IDLE command to the backend server. This feature is transparent to A10 and we do not do anything special with this command. In other words it is transparent to the A10 device and the issued command from the client goes directly to the backend.

Genard

kmac

Yes I understand that the AX doesn't work at the application layer with IMAP. What I was referring to was given how IMAP IDLE works, if an AX SLB is used between the clients and the real server, what is the best method to "support" the function of IMAP IDLE.

This was the reason for my thoughts around a TCP/SSL Proxy Template to increase the default session timeout from 5 minutes to something more approaching the 29/30 minute spec in IMAP IDLE ... and the question of if anyone else had address this in a similar way.