Edge Extend

Edge Extend provides high-performance, secure access to remote file servers in the cloud, in data centers, and between geographically distributed offices across the world.

This guide covers installation and administration.

• Real-time - Users are able to access, lock, and update live storage in real-time. No cache to synchronize, or snapshots to upload. No lock synchronization challenges. Users don't have to reconcile versions and merge documents.
• Fast - Improves remote file access 2-15 times versus VPN. Enables productive use of file servers from remote offices.
• Secure - Adds key authentication and AES-256 encryption for secure access over the public internet.
• Vendor Neutral - Supports any client or server supporting SMB versions 1.0-3.1.1 which Includes on-premises-based storage solutions such as Nasuni, NetApp, and Isilon, and cloud-based solutions such as Amazon FSx and Azure Files.
• Zero Client Install - Users and applications simply access a new local network file share using their existing credentials. No VPN is required.

An Edge Extend architecture comprises two components, servers and agents. Servers are deployed to sites where Access Anywhere needs access to remote file servers; agents are deployed to those remote sites. Agents connect over the public internet back to the server. Each Edge Extend server may manage multiple agents. Each agent supports multiple file servers.

Server and agents are available for different virtualization platforms and public clouds.

Servers are deployed to sites where clients need access to remote file servers. They can be installed as virtual machines, on cloud or on-premise, or as containers running within Access Anywhere appliances. To get started choose your platform:

• Access Anywhere - Run within an appliance to allow adding of remote file servers as providers.
• Virtual Machine - Allows access to remote file servers
• AWS Cloud - Provides access to file servers in other regions, clouds and offices.

Agents are deployed to the remote sites where file servers are located. They can be installed as virtual machines on the sites.

• Virtual Machine - Run on remote site with file servers
• AWS Cloud - Access to Amazon FSx and other AWS-based file systems.

You will configure your firewall so that agents can connect through a public endpoint to a controller.