Connection gateway
A connection gateway is a Network Agent acting in a special mode. A connection gateway accepts connections from other Network Agents and tunnels them to the Administration Server through its own connection with the Server. Unlike an ordinary Network Agent, a connection gateway waits for connections from the Administration Server rather than establishes connections to the Administration Server.
A connection gateway can receive connections from up to 10,000 devices.
You have two options for using connection gateways:
- We recommend that you install a connection gateway in a demilitarized zone (DMZ). For other Network Agents installed on out-of-office devices, you need to specially configure a connection to Administration Server through the connection gateway.
A connection gateway does not in any way modify or process data that is transmitted from Network Agents to Administration Server. Moreover, it does not write this data into any buffer and therefore cannot accept data from a Network Agent and later forward it to Administration Server. If Network Agent attempts to connect to Administration Server through the connection gateway, but the connection gateway cannot connect to Administration Server, Network Agent perceives this as if Administration Server is inaccessible. All data remains on Network Agent (not on the connection gateway).
A connection gateway cannot connect to Administration Server through another connection gateway. It means that Network Agent cannot simultaneously be a connection gateway and use a connection gateway to connect to Administration Server.
All connection gateways are included in the list of distribution points in the Administration Server properties.
- You can also use connection gateways within the network. For example, automatically assigned distribution points also become connection gateways in their own scope. However, within an internal network, connection gateways do not provide considerable benefit. They reduce the number of network connections received by Administration Server, but do not reduce the volume of incoming data. Even without connection gateways, all devices could still connect to Administration Server.
