Month: August 2021

Cloud Migration: How To Have Better VPN Performance After Moving to AWS EC2

Cloud computing is quickly becoming the standard for enterprises looking to scale operations. Mission-critical workloads traditionally allocated to dedicated servers in data centers are now processed by instances running in the cloud, allowing organizations to cut down their IT expenses and eliminate upfront cost, and the complexity of integrating new technologies with existing workloads. There is no doubt that moving data and applications from on-premise data centers to the cloud is a feasible option for businesses to maintain and strengthen their competitive advantage. However, it is not always easy to make a big change to a large and established business because of all the processes, procedures, and quite recently, work arrangements.

This blog highlights particular challenges remote workers face after a migration process to the EC2 and proffers a solution to the identified issues.

What is EC2?

Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) is an AWS service offering that allows companies to create virtual instances of their on-premise servers, store data on virtual drives, distribute loads across machines, and scale existing services.

EC2 Cloud Migration: Case Study

When considering your organization’s cloud adoption, you must take into account the people whose workflow will be affected. According to PwC, one of the biggest challenges to adopting cloud technology is the skill gap or lack of expertise. For instance, employees and users may be familiar with the old process, and it could take them significant effort to acclimate to a new system. It can also be that slight changes in operation affect other areas such as accessibility, which could be problematic as business profitability is inadvertently tied to employee’s productivity.

The case study below is a typical example of what we mean:

  • The company has three sites in the US but is looking to expand operations to the UK.
  • Data is currently being migrated to Amazon EC2 with requisite data taking the lead and legacy data hindmost (as their migration plan was devised to guarantee the least disruption).
  • Installed AWS site-to-site VPN to facilitate EC2 server access from the office.

The problem with this process is that remote users are required to use VPN to connect back to the corporate network to access files in EC2 servers as it is deployed within the Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC). Consequently, the speed of access is affected, especially when the VPN has a performance issue.

Other VPN effects on remote working include:

  • VPN requires an active internet connection, a problem for employees that require on-field access to the instance or offline access to files.
  • VPN connections rely on the tunneling of public network traffic, which introduces inherent variability and unpredictability of performance.
  • CDN can’t speed up content redirected from VPN

The goal of a CDN is to serve content to users from the “closest” possible location. This allows content providers to serve content faster. However, because a VPN connects a user to a distant network, they can’t take advantage of the CDN or edge caching.

  • The office network has to be constantly monitored as any interruption could lead to a single point of failure.

Given the current economic environment, implementing a remote working policy has become essential for business. Not just to keep up with trends but also to stay ahead of the competitive market. Tackling the inefficiencies of VPN is one way to start.

How Triofox Fixes the Problem

One way management can facilitate a smooth transitioning is to mirror the existing workflow. In the case study, remote employees wouldn’t have a problem if the remote file access solution mirrored the mapped drive file access experience working within the office perimeter. Triofox can be provisioned for that.

Triofox caters to the contingent or work-from-home workforce by adding mobility and collaboration functionalities to existing file servers while providing a cloud drive letter solution for seamless operability. When used with Amazon’s EC2, it can transform the server into a private cloud file server or a private cloud file sharing solution, where authorized users can easily collaborate across regions and geographical locations. The result is that employees can stay productive on the go without management sacrificing security or convenience.

Other advantages include:

  • No need to route employee traffic through a VPN.

Triofox speeds up access to network shares without Businesses having to go through the trouble of setting up a VPN.

  • Triofox accepts file requests over HTTPS/SSL protocol and transfers (after AD authentication). It leverages the global delivery network (CDN); HTTPS-based protocol can traverse the CDN and speed up access.
  • Connection to EC2 server is independent of the on-premise network. Hence, even if there is network disruption on-site, remote workers are unaffected.
  • Speeds up access to files stored in the virtual server. Its differential upload feature ensures that only changes are synchronized, saving bandwidth and time.
  • Users can access frequently used files without an active connection to be available offline in the case of a limited or slow connection. However, files in the local cache remain encrypted at rest and can only be accessed after successful login. The files are protected with the same protection level as if they are still sitting in the cloud.
  • Provides an interface to simplify direct access to Amazon S3 buckets (when used to backup rarely accessed files in EC2 instances).
  • Employees can collaborate easily by sharing files over the Internet as secure web links. They can also access network server shares through a browser on their mobile device.
  • Remote wipe feature to deprovision compromised devices or users at the end of their contracts.
  • Provides data auditing and reporting features to keep businesses in control of what happens to their data and accountable to regulatory bodies.

Deployment Overview:

  • Install Triofox server agent on the EC2 instance (click here for the complete steps)
  • Install Triofox client agent.

For businesses yet to migrate to the cloud, Triofox simplifies the cloud migration process by integrating AD and NTFS permissions, allowing employees to maintain access to existing file shares. It can be deployed as a hybrid cloud solution, which is suitable for organizations that aren’t prepared to fully migrate to the cloud.

For more information on this solution, schedule a demo.

Remote Working Technology: How To Avoid VPN Issues and Secure Network Assets

There is no doubt that remote working offers numerous benefits regarding efficiency, productivity, and cost-effectiveness. But to reap these benefits, the right technology must be in place to support remote working. However, data sharing is the foundation that makes remote working possible for companies, with employee’s ability to work remotely being heavily reliant on how quickly and efficiently vital data and files can be accessed by those in need of such data.

One major challenge faced by businesses with employees working remotely is accessing corporate files securely. Hence, the goal is to secure network assets while ensuring employees working remotely have the ease of access as someone working in the office.

This blog explores the most common connection challenges faced by remote users and the best way to solve these issues.

VPN Limitations for Remote Working

Following the global lockdown declaration, it is understandable that most companies opted for Virtual Private Networks, the seemingly fastest connection route to keep their businesses afloat.

Many have since realized the problem with that choice. Listed below are the significant limitations of VPNs:

  1. Offline Editing Capability

With companies hiring cross-continent while offering the work from home option, their employees must have offline editing options. The necessity is even more pronounced for digital nomads or employees working on the go, as they are likely to suffer internet inconsistencies.

Because VPNs require an active/ dedicated connection, when remote employees can’t access the files they need to work on in a timely fashion, it leads to a massive drop in productivity.

  1. Leverage Content Delivery Network (CDN)

VPN traversing over a long distance is slow and fails to leverage CDN benefits such as improved uptime, reduced bandwidth, and SSL encryption, all available for HTTP-based protocols.

  1. Integrate With Zero Trust Security Model

Businesses widely adopt the zero-trust approach to secure valuable network assets, particularly given the rise in remote working. Meanwhile, VPNs by their nature weren’t intended for the remote workforce as it requires perimeter access/ server proximity to work effectively.

Also, VPNs are the polar opposite of the zero trust model. Zero trust implementation is mostly HTTPS-based as a gateway, intercepting HTTPS communications and prompting authentication using advanced authentication methods. VPNs grant unrestricted access to the network, expanding attack surface areas.

  1. Employee’s Hack Leads to Data Sprawl

Another challenge is data sprawl, whereby a user copies important files locally to maintain offline access. Not only does this lead to data inconsistencies, but it also compromises data security.

It is essential to keep data consistent even when offline, especially when working in teams. Ideally, all your data would be synced up when connected to the Internet, so changes are updated on the server and reside securely in the cloud.

  1. Dampens Remote Work Experience

Employee experience in remote working is crucial. As shown in Riverbed’s Future Of Work global survey, VPN logins and disconnection issues were cited as especially problematic. The disconnection from the corporate network and slow file downloads was two of the most significant problems faced by remote working respondents.

If your remote users are constantly being disconnected from the enterprise every time they try to access file shares over the Internet, they could get irritated or frustrated.

Securing the network infrastructure to support flexible working styles is necessary for businesses that are yet to implement a remote working policy. Hence, while a VPN seems like a secure way to connect multiple remote computers to the network, it is not a sustainable option.

Why Any Cloud Solution Just Won’t Cut It

With cloud computing, data stored in one place can be accessed by anyone regardless of where they are physically located. It also offers scalability, efficiency, and profitability benefits. For these reasons, migrating to the cloud is often an attractive option.

For example, migrating to cloud collaborative platforms SharePoint can be a desirable option. But such migration might not be ideal for businesses with specific data infrastructure, especially those built up over several years and spread across multiple file shares, machines, and locations. The uncertainty of the financial implication makes it cost-prohibitive for SMBs with large data sets.

How Triofox Addresses VPN and Cloud Migration Issues

Triofox is designed to give users remote access to existing file shares. It is a great cloud-enabled file sharing and syncing platform that enables secure access across all devices.

This solution is perfect for businesses that:

  • Have large data sets spread across multiple servers.
  • Need to enhance the remote working experience for their staff.
  • Operate in AEC verticals with remote employees.
  • Require a long-term and sustainable secure file and collaboration solution.

Below are some more benefits of Triofox:

Cross-Site Collaboration

When working with a team, file locking is essential for preventing versions from being accidentally overwritten or deleted. Most cloud services don’t support CAD files, but with Triofox’s mapped drive, users can access the file locking and version control features to keep track of the changes.

When working offline, files stored in the local cache are encrypted and can automatically be synchronized when the internet connection is restored.

Support for Large Files and Private File Shares

Triofox affords users the option to transfer large files as secure web links. It takes away the redundancy of copying files to an external storage service to collaborate with partners or clients. It can also integrate with Outlook to automatically convert file attachments to links, secure files with data-at-rest encryption, and transfer over SSL.

Always-On, HTTPS-Based Drive Mapping

Users no longer have to worry about being suddenly disconnected from the network, as Triofox’s mapped drive is a constant. It is simple enough that authorized users can connect to the network at any time without help or network interference.

Centralized Control Across Multiple Sites

Triofox syncs data to a global namespace. It provides desktop agents and mobile applications for a complete end-to-end access solution and simplifies the user experience. It maintains data consistency with versioning and integrates directly with Microsoft Active Directory for user and permission management.

Other advantages over VPN include:

● Eliminate network downtime and provide remote access to enterprise file shares from anywhere without a VPN.
● Reduce network spread and reduce corporate risk. Eliminate costly workarounds commonly used by remote users to access their company file server.
● Triofox provides an efficient, discreet, and cost-effective way for your remote workers to work from any location, even off-grid, by offering offline access to cached file server shares.
● Centralizes data that is spread across multiple locations and devices and can serve as a zero trust solution for remote file server access.
● Triofox combines the advantages of DFS, VPN, and cloud storage to provide a private cloud structure, offering better control over cost and security.

To get started on Triofox, sign up for a free trial or schedule a demo.