Got SaaS? Don't Backhaul Internet Traffic

Organizations are rapidly adopting Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and other cloud computing options because they eliminate the need to deploy, manage and maintain IT infrastructure. But SaaS applications are delivered over the Internet --  meaning that SaaS will always be a “best-effort“ service -- and that can create potential problems for organizations that backhaul Internet traffic from branch offices to headquarters via a WAN.

“Studies show that nearly 70 percent of enterprises backhaul Internet traffic from their branch offices through their corporate data centers,” said Cosby Coleman, Network Engineer and Blue Coat Blue Knight at Milestone Systems. “This strategy compounds an inherent problem with cloud-based services. Because those services are delivered over the Internet, you’re never going to get any guaranteed service levels, and backhauling adds another leg to the journey. That makes SaaS even more vulnerable to performance constraints.”

Organizations often backhaul in order to centralize Internet security within the enterprise data center. Now Blue Coat Systems has added Cloud-Connector to its Blue Coat MACH5 WAN optimization appliances and virtual appliances. Cloud-Connector allows companies with Blue Coat WAN optimization solutions deployed in branch or remote offices to instantly apply web security from the Blue Coat Cloud Service.

“Having secure ‘branch-to-cloud’ direct Internet access enables companies to stop the common practice of backhauling Internet traffic to and from the corporate data center and offers a chance to re-architect the WAN to meet the new application realities,” Coleman said. “Branch-to-cloud topology lowers networking costs and speeds access to cloud-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications.”

Automated Protection

The Blue Coat Cloud-Connector can automatically and transparently forward inbound and outbound Internet traffic to the Blue Coat Cloud Service. A company simply has to purchase a subscription to the Blue Coat Cloud Service and activate the traffic-forwarding option with the Cloud-Connector to immediately protect all users in the branch office from malware and other malicious content.

“The Blue Coat Cloud Service is a scalable, Internet-delivered security service that provides real-time protection against web-based threats without the need for on-location equipment or the requirement to update appliances,” said Coleman. “That makes it ideal for this application.”

MACH5 appliances integrate with the Blue Coat Cloud Service to dramatically reduce bandwidth requirements and speed the delivery of applications — both from the cloud and the enterprise data center. Blue Coat’s integrated CloudCaching Engine accelerates the delivery of Internet content and SaaS applications through one-sided (asymmetric) optimization.

In addition, live stream-splitting and on-demand video caching scale delivery of enterprise and Internet video and reduce the impact of recreational content and downloads. The Blue Coat MACH5 solution also provides foundational WAN optimization technologies to accelerate files, email, backup, disaster recovery and other applications.

“With the rapid adoption of cloud-based services and applications, companies are rethinking the typical enterprise standard of routing Internet traffic from branch offices through a central data center or headquarters,” said Cindy Borovick, vice president, IDC. “If an enterprise can easily get the same level of web security at the branch office that exists at the data center, it will have the flexibility to choose a network topology that is both cost-effective and business-centric.”

Re-Architecting the WAN

According to WAN assessments performed by Blue Coat over the past several months, inbound Internet traffic often represents 45 percent to 65 percent of the total traffic crossing the WAN. While much of the traffic may be for non-business or recreational use by employees, an increasing amount is devoted to cloud-based services and applications. Backhauling such a large amount of traffic adds considerable network overhead and slows the responsiveness of all business applications, including cloud-based applications that must traverse both the WAN and the Internet.

“Adding more bandwidth isn’t going to solve the problem, and traditional WAN optimizing solutions may not help backhauled traffic,” Coleman said. “Blue Coat has come up with a solution that helps organizations eliminate backhauling altogether.”

“Blue Coat next-generation WAN optimization enables companies to transform their existing networks and drive optimization beyond the traditional wide-area network,” said Steve Daheb, chief marketing officer and senior vice president, Blue Coat Systems. “The Internet is the fundamental technology connection point for any business. Our Cloud-Connector enables enterprises to re-architect private WAN designs to safely embrace Internet connectivity to reduce costs, enable faster cloud performance and scalably deliver video — while also optimizing traditional consolidated internal applications across the WAN.”

Milestone Systems customers can get a 30-day POC to evaluate the service for their business requirements. To learn more, contact your Milestone representative today.