Reverse proxy startup ngrok Inc. today debuted a GSLB, or global server load balancing, tool that promises to speed up application response times and reduce the risk of outages.

The network traffic sent to a cloud service usually doesn’t flow directly to that service, but first goes through a system known as a reverse proxy. This system functions as a shield against cyberattacks. When a malicious request is sent to an application, it’s stopped at the reverse proxy.

Companies also use their reverse proxies to perform other tasks. The software can, for example, be used to power an application’s login interface. A reverse proxy also lends itself to optimizing application performance. 

San Francisco-based ngrok provides a popular reverse proxy platform with a user base of more than 5 million developers. Last year, the company closed a $50 million funding round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners.

In an ngrok-powered application environment, network traffic goes through a platform called the ngrok Cloud Edge before reaching the application to which it was sent. The ngrok Cloud Edge is a cloud-based reverse proxy. It comprises multiple so-called tunnel servers, located in different parts of the world, that process the incoming user traffic sent to an application.

Because ngrok’s servers are located in different locations, the amount of time user traffic takes to reach them varies. A given network request might, for example, reach a machine in Tokyo faster than one in the U.K. This means sending traffic to the Tokyo-based server instead of the one in the U.K. would improve performance.

According to ngrok, the GSLB tool it debuted today performs that task automatically. The tool analyzes ngrok’s tunnel servers and estimates how long a user’s traffic would take to each of them. It then routes the traffic to the server that offers the lowest latency, which improves application loading times.

The second purpose of ngrok’s GSLB tool is to reduce the risk of outages. If a technical issue emerges, the ngrok Cloud Edge tunneling server that routes user traffic to an application might experience downtime. In the event of such an outage, ngrok’s GSLB tool can automatically redirect traffic to other tunnel servers that are still online.

Such outages affect not only user traffic but also the application to which that traffic is headed. If the tunneling server to which an application is connected goes offline, the application has to be reconnected to a different tunneling server. According to ngrok, its GSLB tool can perform the necessary configuration changes with no need for manual input from engineers.

“The ngrok GSLB reflects our commitment to delivering solutions that simplify complex networking challenges and improve application delivery,” said ngrok founder and Chief Executive Officer Alan Shreve.

The company positions the tool as a simpler alternative to the competing GSLB products on the market. Some of those products are implemented as appliances, which can be time-consuming to deploy and require ongoing maintenance. Because it’s delivered as a cloud service, ngrok’s GSBL tool is relatively easy to operate.

The new GSLB tool advances ngrok’s effort to position its reverse proxy as a kind of Swiss Army knife for networking. Besides providing GSBL features, the platform can also function as a firewall and filter malicious traffic sent to customers’ applications. Furthermore, it can process user login requests, facilitate connections to internet of things devices deployed in the field and perform other tasks.

Using a single platform for multiple networking tasks is often simpler than using multiple specialized products. That’s a big part of the reason why enterprises are adopting so-called SASE, or secure access service edge, platforms. Such offerings combine a wide-area network for linking together geographically disparate systems with cybersecurity tools, which companies historically had to purchase separately. 

Image: ngrok