Resilio Connect is a powerful, superior alternative to Microsoft Web Deploy. Resilio gives web developers, DevOps, and IT managers an automated and easy way to rapidly deploy web applications, code, and content across as many servers as needed. And it overcomes many of Microsoft Web Deploy’s limitations due to its lack of multi-vendor support, lack of WAN optimization, no real-time file change detection, and poor security and encryption features.
To learn more about using Resilio Connect to sync web and app servers, schedule a demo.
Unlike most web deployment tools (which use point-to-point file transfer), Resilio Connect uses a P2P (peer-to-peer) transfer architecture to distribute, consolidate, and synchronize content in real-time. P2P deployment enables you to publish updates to a single location and automatically replicate out to multiple servers in any direction one-way, bidirectional, one-to-many, many-to-one, and N-way. You can deploy updates across hundreds of web servers in a web farm in fixed time frames (which happens to be about the same time as it takes to deploy across a couple of servers), enabling your DevOps and IT teams to deploy quickly and easily meet SLAs and deadlines.
And with our proprietary WAN acceleration technology, Resilio can optimize file transfer over any network, including high-latency, lossy networks. With P2P sync and WAN optimization, you can fully utilize the bandwidth of your entire replication environment to deliver some of the fastest synchronization speeds possible (10-100x faster than traditional web deployment solutions) and scale organically. Resilio can distribute content to thousands of servers in about the same time as it takes most providers to sync to two.
In this article, we’ll discuss the benefits of using Resilio Connect to deploy web and app content, including:
Resilio Connect: Superior Web Deployment Capabilities
| Fast, Predictable Synchronization | Meet deadlines, SLAs, and streamline workflows. |
| Bullet-proof Reliability | Enable 24/7 uptime of app and web servers. |
| Automated and DevOps-Friendly | Automate user permissions and functionality through easy-to-use interfaces, and deploy Resilio on your existing infrastructure using familiar tools. |
| WAN Optimization Technology | Deploy applications, web content, and web code over any network. |
| N-way Synchronization | Distribute updates in any direction — one-way, bidirectional, one-to-many, many-to-one, and N-way sync. |
| State-of-the-Art Security | Leverage state-of-the-art security features that protect your data in transit and at rest. |
To learn more about using Resilio Connect to sync web and app servers, schedule a demo.
Fast, Predictable Synchronization through P2P Transfer
Resilio Connect provides features that enable fast, predictable synchronization, so you can meet deadlines no matter your workflow.
With Resilio, updates can be deployed on a schedule or in real-time. Resilio uses real-time notifications from the host operating system as well as optimized checksum calculations (identification markers for files that change whenever a change is made to the file) to quickly identify and replicate changed portions of a file. This provides you with full predictability so you always know how long it will take to deploy updates across many web servers.
Resilio also combines the power of P2P transfer and file chunking to provide some of the fastest replication speeds in the industry (we’re seeing 10 Gbps per server).
Most other web deployment providers use point-to-point transfer architectures that can only share updates between two servers at a time (i.e., from one server to another). Microsoft Web Deploy uses a client-server transfer architecture. In this transfer topology, any updates deployed from one server across your web farm must first transfer to a hub server. In other words, you deploy from one server, the updates are replicated to the hub server, then the hub server replicates to each of the other servers one at a time.
This increases the time it takes to distribute files and file changes (especially for large files or large numbers of files) across your entire replication environment, and full synchronization of your server farms can be impeded by a delay on any single server (such as a network outage, software failure, hardware failure, etc.).
But with Resilio’s P2P architecture, every server in your replication environment can take part in web content, code, and application deployment. Resilio uses a process known as file chunking to break files down into multiple parts that can be transferred independently from the rest of the file.
For example, if you want to deploy updates across multiple servers, Resilio will break the update down into multiple chunks. It will begin sharing the first chunk with one of the servers. As soon as that server receives the first chunk, it can begin sharing it with any other server in your environment, even before it receives the rest of the file chunks.
The combination of P2P transfer and file chunking enables all of the servers in your environment to take part in distribution simultaneously, resulting in sync speeds 10-100x faster than alternative solutions. It also enables you to sync in any direction, including one-way, bidirectional, one-to-many, many-to-one, and N-way sync.
Case study: VoiceBase
VoiceBase is a speech-to-text software for audio and video transcriptions that uses Resilio Connect to distribute speech models (of 50+ GB) across 400+ servers. Their previous point-to-point replication solution left them bogged down by bottlenecks in their distribution workflow. But Resilio’s P2P transfer architecture enables them to distribute omnidirectionally, resulting in significantly faster server synchronization.
Learn how Resilio helped VoiceBase reduce code distribution time by 88%.
Bullet-Proof Reliability and Resiliency
Resilio Connect’s P2P architecture means that there’s no single-point of failure in your replication environment, enabling 24/7 uptime of web and app servers. If one of your servers goes down, Resilio can dynamically route around the outage and access the necessary files or services from any other server in your system, ensuring your updates always reach their destination.
This makes Resilio a great addition to your disaster recovery strategy and enables you to meet SLAs for availability and uptime. Resilio can also engage in load-balancing between servers, so you can fully utilize bandwidth across any distance in the most effective and efficient manner possible.
Case study: Large, US-based data protection company (name withheld for privacy)
A data protection company switched from DFSR to Resilio Connect in order to reduce time to global file delivery and ensure the uptime of their hybrid cloud environment.
“There’s no more troubleshooting errors. Through the Resilio Connect Management Console, the IT team has complete visibility into monitoring job status and progress. It’s easy to diagnose problems if needed. We can now see what’s happening and where it’s happening all through a single pane of glass in the RCMC. Alerts also provided. We simply set up email notifications and Resilio does the rest.”
Learn more about how Resilio helped them reduce average time to desktop for their VDI solution.
Automated and DevOps-Friendly
Resilio can be deployed on your existing infrastructure and begin replicating in as little as two hours. And Resilio’s flexibility and automation features enables easy management and control over how replication occurs in your environment.
You can deploy Resilio cross-platform, so you can utilize:
- Your operating system of choice: While Microsoft Web Deploy only works on the Microsoft web stack (Windows servers, IIS, and asp.net), you can use Resilio Connect on Windows servers, Linux, Unix, MacOS, and other OS environments as well as any type of web server. Resilio also offers iOS and Android apps.
- Development tools you know: Use Perforce, Git, Visual Studio, or any CI/CD DevOps framework.
- Any web-hosting environment: While Microsoft Web Deploy only works on IIS, you can use Resilio Connect on multiple IIS management services (including IIS 6.0, IIS 7.0, IIS 8.0, etc), Apache, NGINX, and Node.js.
- Any set-up: Resilio can be deployed on-prem, in the cloud, or in a hybrid-cloud environment.
Resilio’s automation and management features make it a DevOps friendly replication solution. It provides global visibility for administrators, so you can easily spot and fix any error in your replication environment. Administrators can delegate access to non-administrators and filly control user permissions. You can automate replication via scripts, command-line powershell interface, Resilio’s powerful REST API, and Resilio’s GUI — enabling you to save time and gain peace of mind for app server sync and web deployment.
WAN Optimization via Proprietary WAN Transfer Protocol
In situations where you need to deploy globally or across multiple sites, Resilio accelerates WAN transfer using a proprietary WAN optimization protocol known as Zero Gravity Transport™ (ZGT).
Microsoft Web Deploy relies on the TCP/IP transfer protocol, which isn’t well-suited for WAN transfer. TCP/IP treats packet loss as network congestion and activates a back-off algorithm that reduces network utilization. Since packet loss during WAN transfer isn’t actually indicative of network congestion, this is a bad transfer methodology.
Resilio’s ZGT protocol optimizes transfer across any network — including high-latency, lossy networks — using:
- Interval acknowledgements: Packet receipt acknowledgements are sent in groups periodically (rather than acknowledging each packet), resulting in increased transfer speed.
- A congestion control algorithm: Resilio’s congestion control algorithm calculates the ideal send rate by periodically probing the RTT (Round Trip Time) in order to keep the algorithm constantly informed.
- Delayed retransmission: Resilio decreases unnecessary retransmissions by retransmitting groups of lost packets periodically, rather than with each acknowledgment.
WAN optimization also means that you can deploy updates to and from the edge of the network. So you can synchronize servers even in remote environments with poor network access.
Case study: Mixhits Radio
Mixhits Radio uses Resilio Connect to synchronize their servers and deliver their music streaming service and enhanced music experience to their business customers.
“If a music program updates in one location, file changes are detected and propagated across servers within 2 seconds. That rapid update and real-time synchronization has been a saving grace for us.”
State-of-the-Art Security Features
Microsoft Web Deploy’s poor security features leaves your data vulnerable to interception. It uses HTTPS for connectivity, which uses SSL (secure socket layer) and/or TLS (transport layer security) for encryption. But communications are only encrypted between your web browser and hub-server, while IP addresses are not — leaving your data exposed to man-in-the-middle attacks.
But Resilio’s state-of-the-art security features were reviewed by third-party security experts. Your data is always protected using:
- AES 256 encryption: Resilio protects data at rest and in transit, so your data is always safe from malicious activity.
- Mutual authentication: You can ensure your data is only delivered to designated endpoints.
- Cryptographic integrity validation: Resilio uses cryptographic integrity validation to ensure your data reaches its destination intact and uncorrupted.
Use Resilio Connect for Web Deployment
While MS deploy is a suitable solution for some use cases, Resilio Connect is a superior synchronization solution that enables you to easily and quickly distribute the latest versions of your web content, code, and app builds across your replication environment using:
- Fast, reliable P2P transfer: Resilio Connect uses a P2P architecture to deliver sync speeds 10-100x faster than traditional solutions and ensure that, with no single point of failure, your data is available 24/7.
- Flexible, DevOps-friendly features: Resilio can be managed, monitored, and automated from a single centralized location. It also works on your OS of choice, with your development tools of choice (Perforce, Git, Visual Studio, or any CI/CD DevOps framework), and in any web-hosting environment (on multiple IIS web servers, Apache, NGINX, and Node.js).
- WAN optimization technology: Resilio’s proprietary WAN optimization technology provides fast, efficient transfer over high-latency, lossy networks.
- State-of-the-art security: Resilio encrypts your data at rest and in transit, ensures data is only delivered to secure endpoints, and ensures data arrives uncorrupted.
To learn more about using Resilio Connect to sync web and app servers, schedule a demo.
