Guide to Application Delivery Solutions: Ensuring Optimal Performance and Security

What are Application Delivery Solutions?

Application delivery solutions refer to a set of technologies and services designed to optimise the delivery of applications over the internet and private networks. These solutions are designed to ensure that applications are highly available and secure, performing well for users, regardless of their location or the device they are using. TSplus Remote Access makes new and legacy applications available from any device .

Key Components of Application Delivery Solutions

A whole range of parts come into play in application delivery, determining its quality, speed, efficiency, fluidity, and other parameters. Different products combine some or all of the parts and actions listed below to build their varying rich feature set.

1. Application Delivery Controllers (ADCs)

Load balancing Distributes incoming traffic across multiple servers to prevent any single server from becoming overwhelmed. This enhances both performance and reliability, ensuring continuous availability even during high traffic periods.

Health Monitoring continuously checks the health of servers to direct traffic only to servers that are operational.

2. Application Acceleration

Application acceleration Techniques, such as data compression, caching and protocol optimization, significantly speed up application delivery. These methods reduce latency and improve the overall user experience.

3. Content Delivery Network (CDN)

A Content Delivery Network (CDN) is a network of distributed servers that deliver content to users based on their geographic location. CDNs reduce load times and enhance the performance of web applications by bringing content closer to the user.

4. Web Application Firewall (WAF)

Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) Protect applications from common threats like SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS). They act as a barrier, filtering and monitoring HTTP traffic between a web application and the internet.

5. Global Server Load Balancing (GSLB)

Global Server Load Balancing (GSLB) Distributes traffic across multiple data centres around the world. This ensures redundancy and improves application availability and performance on a global scale.

6. SSL Offloading

SSL offloading Involves handling SSL encryption and decryption processes on dedicated devices rather than on the main application servers. This frees up resources and improves the performance of the application servers.

7. DevOps Integration

Modern application delivery solutions integrate seamlessly with DevOps Practices, supporting agile development, continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD). This integration ensures that security and performance optimizations are part of the development process.

8. Visibility and Analytics

Effective application delivery requires comprehensive visibility and analytics Tools. These tools provide insights into application performance, helping IT teams proactively manage and troubleshoot issues.

Must-Have Features of Application Delivery Solutions

Scalability

Application delivery solutions must be able to scale according to demand. This scalability ensures that applications remain available and performant even as traffic increases.

High Availability

Ensuring high availability is crucial. Solutions should include failover mechanisms and redundancy to prevent downtime during server failures or maintenance.

Security

Security is paramount. Comprehensive security measures, including WAFs and SSL offloading, are essential to protect applications from threats.

Performance Optimization

Optimizing performance through techniques like load balancing and application acceleration is key to providing a smooth user experience.

Cost Efficiency

Cost-efficient solutions help reduce infrastructure and operational expenses without compromising on performance or security.

Flexibility

Support for multiple environments, whether on-premises, cloud or hybrid setups, is essential for modern application delivery.

Comparing Delivery Methods: Centralized, Decentralized, and Hybrid

Centralized Delivery

Centralized application delivery involves hosting applications and data in a single location. This approach simplifies management and security but can introduce performance bottlenecks and complexity.

Decentralized Delivery

Decentralized delivery distributes infrastructure, which can improve performance, especially for resource-intensive applications. However, it may pose challenges in security and management.

Hybrid Solutions

Hybrid solutions combine elements of both centralised and decentralised approaches. They offer flexibility, improved performance, and a better user experience by leveraging the strengths of each method.

Top Application Delivery Software Products Compared

1. TSplus Remote Access

• Operating System : Windows (from any OS thanks to HTML5 access)
• Main Features Remote desktop access, application publishing, web portal access , secure connection (HTTPS), load balancing, gateway portal for multiple servers, two-factor authentication (2FA) and mobile device compatibility.
• Uses To facilitate remote work by providing secure and seamless access to Windows applications and desktops from any device and location. Ideal for small to medium-sized businesses looking to enable remote work capabilities with a focus on security and ease of use.
• Price : Permanent licences with top-notch subscription-based support. Choose from various plans depending on the number of users and specific features required. Pricing details are available on the TSplus website.

2. Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops (CVAD)

• Operating System Multi-platform (Windows, Linux, macOS)
• Main Features Virtualization, centralized management, secure remote access, high-definition user experience, and integration with various enterprise applications.
• Uses to provide virtual desktops and applications to remote users with centralized control and enhanced security.
• Price Subscription-based, varies by deployment size and features.

3. VMware Horizon

• Operating System Multi-platform (Windows, Linux, macOS)
• Main Features Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), application virtualisation, hybrid cloud support, robust security features, and integration with VMware Cloud.
• Uses To deliver virtual desktops and applications in both on-premises and cloud environments, to support remote work and BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policies.
• Price Subscription-based, pricing depends on deployment size and features.

4. Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD)

• Operating System Windows
• Main Features Scalable virtualization, integration with Microsoft 365 and other Azure services, multi-session Windows 10 experience, secure remote access, and cost management.
• Uses to provide cloud-based virtual desktops and applications and facilitate remote work with seamless integration with Microsoft services.
• Price Pay-as-you-go pricing model, varies based on usage and services.

5. Amazon WorkSpaces

• Operating System Windows, Linux
• Main Features Managed desktop computing service, scalable, secure, pay-as-you-go pricing, integration with AWS services, persistent storage, and simplified management.
• Uses To offer virtual desktops to a global workforce, support remote work and simplify desktop management.
• Price Hourly or monthly pricing, depends on configuration and usage.

6. Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

• Operating System Multi-platform (Windows, Linux, macOS)
• Main Features Application and desktop delivery, load balancing, multi-cloud support, secure remote access, and simple management.
• Uses to provide remote access to applications and desktops, support hybrid cloud environments and enhance security.
• Price Subscription-based, pricing depends on the number of users and features.

Conclusion

These details aim to provide you a broad overview of major players in the application delivery solutions market. With basics of their offering of key features and uses and an idea of pricing models, the decision is now all yours. It is our hope that you make informed decisions when selecting the best application delivery solutions for your needs.

Application delivery solutions are crucial for ensuring that applications are fast, reliable and secure. By understanding the key components and methodologies, IT professionals can make more focused decisions to optimize their application delivery strategies.

TSplus Application Delivery Solutions

For robust, scalable and secure application delivery, consider TSplus solutions such as TSplus for AutoCAD Our offerings ensure optimal performance and high availability for your critical applications, tailored to meet the needs of modern IT environments.