Enterprise customers and cloud service providers (CSPs) have always shared custody over securing and controlling enterprise application migration to the cloud. So nothing falls through the cracks, hybrid cloud workloads and applications need to work harmoniously over both existing on-premises and public cloud infrastructures. Sounds easy, right? Well only if there can be seamless, secure and scalable integration and control between a CSP’s cloud infrastructure and an enterprise’s IT and applications.
Some of these challenges that CSPs and enterprises face before, during and after cloud application migration are by no means trivial.
For example:
- Business owners and application developers want to deploy and improve performance for certain applications much faster than they can by purchasing more IT hardware, but they also need to carefully select which applications will remain on-premises and which to move to the cloud.
- Organizations may be mandated to move applications to the public cloud to leverage its cost savings and agility, but many of these applications are not “cloud ready” and require re-architecting.
- Migrating IT workflows to the cloud promises significant advantages, but can place unintended stress on parallel management, security and operations functions.
Hybrid Cloud Application Control Without Compromise
Because each enterprise’s approach to moving applications to the cloud is different, F5 and Equinix are introducing flexible, programmable technologies that bridge established IT and cloud infrastructure models without compromising on security or control. With its recently announced BIG-IP® iSeries™ line of software-defined hardware application delivery controllers, F5 is allowing enterprises and CSPs to tailor their systems for evolving IT and cloud infrastructure requirements. The iSeries enables users to harness selectable performance profiles to maximize their IT investment protection and deliver dedicated cloud, security and application delivery optimizations. iSeries solutions can also be configured to support private cloud and software-defined networking, as well as enhanced protection against Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks.
In partnership with Equinix, F5 is bringing its cloud-ready application services to Equinix Cloud Exchange locations worldwide to provide high-speed and low-latency connectivity between multiple cloud providers and enterprise networks, yielding enhanced on-premises-level security, visibility and control where organizations, the public internet and clouds interconnect. F5 will expand its agile software portfolio on Platform Equinix with solutions that are simple to use and integrate with management and orchestration tools. These technologies give customers a more flexible approach to hybrid cloud application deployment and the ability to better leverage operational and efficiency gains from leading public cloud platforms, including Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure and Office 365 (see diagram below).
The net result is enhanced, secure applications that benefit from the performance optimizations that F5 and Equinix provide for enterprise data center, cloud and hybrid IT deployments. Enterprises, CSPs, managed service providers (such as Equinix reseller partners Neovera and Synoptek) and systems integrators on Platform Equinix can all leverage these cloud application integration, orchestration and connection capabilities to delivery hybrid cloud application services to all of their users and customers.
“Our solutions further reduce deployment time through valuable integrations, native orchestration capabilities, and compelling partnership solutions, such as our colocation offerings with Equinix,” said Ryan Kearny, EVP of Product Development and CTO, F5.
Cloud Application Delivery Services Use Case: DDoS Protection with F5 and Equinix
DDoS attacks are a mix of high-volume traffic that can have varying effects on its victims, exhausting resources, slowing down services or causing downtime and lost business. Service loss and performance bottlenecks remain a top concern for enterprises, and DDoS protections must prevent potential failures immediately, without slowing performance or traffic flows. DDoS security must also be rapidly deployed and adapt protections in real-time against multiple weak points without complexity and service interruption.
F5 Silverline DDoS Protection with Equinix Cloud Exchange defends applications and infrastructures with a multi-layered defense platform that protects the network through to the application, with sophisticated threat mitigation and full SSL decryption capabilities.
Capabilities include:
- Native, seamlessly integrated on-premises and cloud-based scrubbing services
- Application protections to defend against L7 DDoS and vulnerability threats and comprehensive, HW-based DDoS protection coverage
- Greater application availability and performance while under attack with up to 2 terabytes of cloud-based scrubbing capacity
- Fast, low-latency and cost-effective connectivity to multiple cloud services for greater scalability and disaster recovery
F5 and Equinix enable enterprises to deploy and scale DDoS infrastructures quickly and cost-effectively, with lower encryption overhead and high-performance, secure and reliable interconnection.
Said Ian Jones, senior vice president of Silverline Cloud Services, F5, “We are thrilled to be working with Equinix to help safeguard enterprises against the rising tide of DDoS attacks. To best protect enterprise applications and data, today’s CISOs need both an on-premises solution that satisfies the network operations team, while also incorporating a cloud-based component to defend against massive DDoS incidents.”
Hybrid cloud application services from F5 and Equinix provide enterprises and CSPs with the application performance, central management and orchestration required to streamline application delivery and security services on-premises and in the cloud. Read about how enterprises and cloud service providers come together on Platform Equinix to deliver hybrid cloud application services in our white paper, “The Home of the Interconnected Cloud – Where Service Providers and Enterprises Meet to Grow and Innovate Together.”
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