How to Accelerate Remote Access with CDN Technology

The enterprise ecosystem has become exceedingly global and mobile over time, while the need for collaboration is stronger than ever. Partners, suppliers and customers have become a part of an integrated supply chain that needs access to these centrally hosted applications from anywhere in the world. As a result, client server access and WAN needs have changed. IT teams are now faced with the unique challenge of making these applications, that have traditionally been behind the firewall, available to public users.

This raises two major issues that must be addressed:

Outside of the Firewall

In some cases, applications can be migrated to the public Internet, and, in those instances, content delivery network (CDN) solutions become a “must have.” CDN solutions provide acceleration for outside-of-the-firewall websites. Traditional CDNs use DNS-based load balancing and edge caching to provide an optimal experience for static websites. However, as dynamic applications have become more common, the need for next-generation CDNs has intensified. For a next-generation CDN to solve the problems raised by dynamic applications, it must provide additional features like stable middle mile performance, end-to-end bi-directional traffic acceleration, and optimization for non-HTTP applications.

Behind the Firewall

Applications that sit behind the firewall for security reasons have remained stuck in the 90’s. The standard practice is to setup a VPN concentrator and have the end users securely access their critical applications via VPN. This approach suffers from the same problems that plagued the web sites in the 90’s: slow performance over large distances when using the Internet.

This is because the middle mile over the Internet is a shared medium. And even though its availability within a region may be plentiful, across peering points and during rush hour there is still tremendous congestion, packet loss, and poor performance. Poor application performance, especially in the enterprise space, results in low adoption rates and lost productivity.

One option enterprises have turned to is the deployment of multiple VPN concentrators. But this method adds layers of complexity and cost, harkening back to the era where web sites deployed web servers in every region.

Instead of deploying tens of concentrators around the world, the ideal solution is to provide optimal performance and connectivity to a centralized VPN concentrator. This can and must be achieved by next-generation dynamic CDN solutions.

Requirements for a Remote Dynamic Content Delivery Network Solution

If you are looking for an ideal solution for delivering dynamic application acceleration to remote and mobile users, consider the following issues before making a decision:

• Are your users regional or truly global, with a footprint into the Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe? If global, the best solution is one built over a dedicated private network, to completely bypass the unreliable public Internet for IP application delivery. This would enable end users to experience stable latency and consistency in application performance.
• For dynamic applications, ensure that the solution includes intelligent features like TCP optimization and persistent connection capabilities to provide acceleration benefits.
• Ensure the solution is application agnostic and not limited to only one or two applications like SSL VPN, as some vendors provide other possible use cases like Citrix, FTP server and RDP.

The First Clientless SD-WAN: SmartACCESS

As of now, there is only one such next-generation solution on the market. Aryaka’s SmartACCESS is the first clientless SD-WAN solution with built-in dynamic CDN. It delivers:

• Up to 3x faster application performance for remote and mobile users
• Consolidated and simplified VPN infrastructure
• Enhanced security and visibility of all remote and mobile user activity
• Global deployment in hours, with the ability to scale in minutes

Aryaka SmartACCESS: The First Clientless SD-WAN for Remote Access

The SmartACCESS service is built over Aryaka’s global private network, which enables remote and mobile employees to bypass the unreliable public Internet.

SmartACCESS uses dynamic CDN capabilities in the following ways:

• Global Load Balancing: Remote and mobile employees can use a single domain name to connect to the VPN concentrator (and corporate resources) without having to change local VPN settings or worrying about where they are.
• Dynamic IP App Acceleration:
  • SmartACCESS accelerates all IP-based (HTTP and non-HTTP) traffic to global users. The acceleration is application agnostic.
  • It includes TCP Optimization, which speeds up application delivery through more aggressive TCP transfers, improving congestion control and congestion avoidance.
• Intelligent DNS-Based Routing: Mobile and remote employees automatically get directed to the most optimal POP for the best application performance.
• Clientless Mobile Acceleration:
  • The end user doesn’t need to go through additional security hoops, as SmartACCESS works in the background. This also prevents user error.
  • There is no need to deploy multiple VPN concentrators or load balancers, significantly reducing your IT department’s global hardware and software investment.
• BYOD Support: SmartACCESS works with all devices and operating systems.

Your remote and mobile workforce, as well as customers, partners, and suppliers, deserve the same quality connectivity that you provide for your employees in branch offices or at your headquarters. And now you can provide it with SmartACCESS, the first clientless SD-WAN that allows you to optimize your network for dynamic content over VPN.

To learn more about SmartACCESS, download our latest data sheet.