Definition
An application delivery controller (ADC) is an integral component of distributed web applications that optimizes content and service delivery to end users. ADCs ensure web applications run seamlessly while optimizing performance, efficiency, security and scalability.
They achieve this by balancing workload across all servers, routing traffic accordingly, caching frequent requests, and securing the entire application’s integrity.
Examples of Application Delivery Controllers
- Content caching: ADCs store frequent requests to speed up content and service delivery time to the end user.
- SSL offloading: To ease the workload on application servers, ADCs can be dedicated to handling SSL/TLS encryption and decryption.
- Load balancing: ADCs route user requests to different servers in the application cluster to optimize performance and prevent overloading.
ADC vs Load Balancer
Load balancers evenly route requests to different servers in a distributed network to improve performance and avoid overloads. ADCs optimize the performance of distributed networks by balancing workloads, caching content, SSL offloading, etc.
Pros and Cons of Application Delivery Controller
Pros
- Enhances security through SSL offloading and other security features.
- Ensures application reliability and availability.
- Improves application performance.
Cons
- ADC can lead to entire application failure if poorly configured.
- They are complex and expensive compared to basic load-balancing solutions.
Important Tips When Using Application Delivery Controllers
- Ensure the ADC is properly configured to avoid single-point failures.
- Before choosing an ADC, make sure it meets your requirements.