Citrix NetScaler ADC (now often referred to as NetScaler ADC or Citrix ADC) is an application delivery controller—a specialized networking appliance or software that optimizes, secures, and manages the delivery of applications over networks.
Core functions and features:
- Load Balancing: Distributes incoming application traffic across multiple servers to ensure high availability, reliability, and optimal resource utilization.
- Application Acceleration: Uses techniques like HTTP compression and caching to improve application speed and responsiveness.
- Security: Provides a suite of security features, including a web application firewall, protection against DDoS attacks, SSL offloading, and identity theft protection. It helps defend applications from threats such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and buffer overflows.
- Traffic Optimization: Optimizes and manages L4-L7 (Layer 4 to Layer 7) network traffic, including content switching, policy-based routing, and SSL/TLS offloading.
- Gateway Capabilities: Acts as a secure gateway for remote access to applications, supporting VPN, authentication, and access control (often branded as Citrix Gateway).
- Analytics and Insights: Offers real-time monitoring and analytics for application performance and security.
- Flexible Deployment: Available as hardware appliances (MPX, SDX), virtual appliances (VPX), containerized solutions (CPX), and bare-metal (BLX), supporting on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments.