Improve Your Application Performance with Skudonet Open Source Load Balancer

What is Skudonet?

Skudonet is a leading provider of open-source load-balancing solutions and high-performance Application Delivery Controllers (ADC). Developed by Sofintel IT Engineering (formerly ZEVENET), founded in 2012, Skudonet focuses on resilience, flexibility, high availability, scalability, and security, making it ideal for small to large-scale enterprises and demanding applications.

Trusted by prestigious institutions such as Schoolcraft College (USA) and prominent companies like Transform Medical Group (UK) and Begasoft AG (Switzerland), Skudonet has a global reputation for reliability and innovation.

With a strong focus on continuous improvement and community-driven development, Skudonet delivers versatile solutions for both on-premises and cloud environments.

Skudonet Load Balancers

Skudonet has two load balancer solutions: Community Edition and Enterprise Edition. 

Skudonet Community Edition is a free, open-source load balancer ideal for development environments, testing, and early adopters. It offers content switching, high availability, and core load-balancing features. With support for cloud-native deployments and built-in security, it provides a cost-effective, flexible solution for users seeking an open-source option. It supports virtualization platforms like VMware and Hyper-V. You can also deploy it on cloud platforms like Azure and AWS.

Skudonet Enterprise Edition

Skudonet Enterprise Edition is designed for scalable, large-scale production environments. It offers advanced features such as dedicated support, Global Server Load Balancing (GSLB), enhanced security, and detailed analytics. This edition provides more robust security features compared to the free version.

This article will focus on the Skudonet Community Edition load balancer. 

The Skudonet Community Edition is a free, community-supported load balancer with the following key features:

• User-friendly interface: Offers a user-friendly, streamlined UI for easy navigation and setup.
• Open-source Foundation: Built on an open-source platform, allowing transparency, flexibility, and easy customization.
• Comprehensive Monitoring: Provides comprehensive health checks to route traffic only to healthy nodes, ensuring optimal performance.
• Advanced Load Balancing: It ensures granular control over traffic distribution based on server performance metrics and capabilities. 

Skudonet Installation Guide

You can install Skudonet directly on your computer, but system changes may disrupt other services. To avoid this, it’s better to use a virtual machine that allows you to install, test, and configure software without affecting your main system. We’ll use VirtualBox and Ubuntu as the operating system for this demonstration.

Step 1: Download Skudonet Load Balancer

First, please visit its official Skudonet site to get the Download Page. The download page will present two download sources. We can use GitHub. Click DOWNLOAD ISO GITHUB

Step 2: Install VirtualBox

If you don’t have VirtualBox, go to its official VirtualBox site and download the compatible version for your operating system. Then, follow the installation prompts. 

Step 3: Create a New Virtual Machine

Open VirtualBox and click New.

Step 4: Configure Machine

Configure the new VM by adding things like name (you can put Skudonet-CE) and the operating system. You can also allocate at least 2GB of RAM (2048 MB). Also, select the downloaded ISO file (Skudonet from your machine). 

Step 5: Create a new virtual Drive

A new virtual drive lets you install Skudonet without interfering with the operating system. Allocate at least 10GB for this virtual disk. 

Step 6: Confirm Selections

The next step will show a table summarizing your configurations for the new virtual machine. If you are happy with everything, click finish. 

Step 7: Install Skudonet through VirtualBox

Once you are done with everything, you are ready to install Skudonet via VirtualBox. Restart your computer and then open VirtualBox. You should now see the virtual drive you created in Steps 3 and 4. Click Start.

(Depending on your machine’s configuration, you may be prompted to disable Safe Boot through the BIOS.) 

Step 8: Start Installation 

Click Install to start the installation process.

Step 9: Select Language 

The installation wizard will ask you to select a language. Select English and continue. 

Step 10: Select Location

Choose a location based on your time zone. If not available, select Other. 

Step 11: Configure Network

The installer will prompt you to configure a static IP address. It can be IPv4 or IPv6. You can use a tool like WhatIsMyIpAddress or confirm the IP address from your internet supplier. The network will also ask for Netmask (consult your internet supplier). 

Step 12: Set Up Hostname

Consult your provider to insert your hostname. Alternatively, you can leave it blank and let the wizard detect it automatically. 

Step 13: Set Up Domain Name

Consult your provider to insert a domain name. Alternatively, you can make up a name. 

Step 14: Set Up Password

The system will prompt you to set a password. Create a memorable password and confirm. 

Step 15: Partition Disks

If you are a beginner, select  “Guide – use entire disk.” Follow the prompts. 

Step 16: All files in one partition

Select “all files in one partition.” Click Finish Partitioning and follow the prompts. 

Step 17: Write Changes

This step prompts you to accept the changes to your disk. Click Yes. Wait for the system to be installed. It may take a few minutes. 

Step 18: Finish Installation. Click Continue to finish the installation.

Skudonet Community Edition load balancer can be used by players across various fields, such as:

• Developers: Developers who want to prototype and test applications in a non-production environment can use the Community Edition load balancer. 
• Small Businesses: Small organizations looking for a basic and customizable load-balancing solution without incurring much upfront costs. 
• Non-production Applications: Development and staging teams can use Skudonet Community Edition to test performance and manage traffic. 
• DIY enthusiasts: Skudonet’s load balancer is open-source, which will benefit those who prefer hands-on experience when setting it up for their apps. 

Skudonet Community Edition is suitable for small businesses and individuals. However, Skudonet Enterprise Edition is suitable for business-critical applications, where advanced features, support, and stability are critical. 

Skudonet Verdict

Skudonet Community Edition is a powerful, open-source load balancer designed for small to mid-sized environments. It offers comprehensive Layer 4 and Layer 7 load-balancing capabilities, ensuring reliable and high-performance traffic management with minimal resource overhead.

Skudonet Community Edition has earned the Geekflare Value Award, recognizing its excellence in load balancing and support for modern infrastructures like cloud-native and virtualization platforms.