OneConnect feature

 The OneConnect feature works with HTTP Keep-Alives to allow the BIG-IP system to minimize the number of server-side TCP connections by making existing connections available for reuse by other clients.

For example, when a client makes a new connection to a BIG-IP virtual server configured with a OneConnect profile, the BIG-IP system parses the HTTP request, selects a server using the load-balancing method defined in the pool, and creates a connection to that server. When the client's initial HTTP request is complete, the BIG-IP system temporarily holds the connection open and makes the idle TCP connection to the pool member available for reuse.

When a new connection is initiated to the virtual server, if an existing server-side flow to the pool member is idle, the BIG-IP system applies the OneConnect source mask to the IP address in the request to determine whether it is eligible to reuse the existing idle connection. If it is eligible, the BIG-IP system marks the connection as idle and sends a client request over it. If the request is not eligible for reuse, or an idle server-side flow is not found, the BIG-IP system creates a new server-side TCP connection and sends client requests over it.