Building a Secure Application DMZ with F5 Distributed Cloud and Equinix Network Edge

Why: Establishing a Secure Application DMZ

Enterprises increasingly need to deliver their own applications directly to customers across geographies. Relying solely on external providers for Points of Presence (PoPs) can limit control, visibility, and flexibility. A secure Application Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) empowers organizations to:

Establish their own PoPs for internet-facing applications.
Maintain control over security, compliance, and performance.
Deliver applications consistently across regions.
Reduce dependency on third-party infrastructure.

This approach enables enterprises to build a globally distributed application delivery footprint tailored to their business needs.

What: A Unified Solution to Secure Global Application Delivery

The joint solution integrates F5 Distributed Cloud (F5XC) Customer Edge (CE) deployed via the Equinix Network Edge Marketplace, with Equinix Fabric to create a strategic point of control for secure, scalable application delivery.

Key Capabilities

Secure Ingress/Egress: CE devices serve as secure gateways for public-facing applications, integrating WAF, API protection, and DDoS mitigation.
Global Reach: Equinix’s infrastructure enables CE deployment in strategic locations worldwide.
Multi cloud Networking: Seamless connectivity across public clouds, private data centers, and edge locations.
Centralized Management: F5XC Console provides unified visibility, policy enforcement, and automation.

Together, these components form a cohesive solution that supports enterprise-grade application delivery with security, performance, and control.

How: Architectural Overview

Core Components

F5XC Customer Edge (CE): Deployed as a virtual network function at Equinix PoPs, CE serves as the secure entry point for applications.
F5 Distributed Cloud Console: Centralized control plane for managing CE devices, policies, and analytics.
Equinix Network Edge Marketplace: Enables rapid provisioning of CE devices as virtual appliances.
Equinix Fabric: High-performance interconnectivity between CE devices, clouds, and data centers.

Key Tenets of the Solution

Strategic Point of Control - CE becomes the enterprise’s own PoP, enabling secure and scalable delivery of applications.
Unified Security Posture - Integrated WAF, API security, and DDoS protection across all CE locations.
Consistent Policy Enforcement - Centralized control plane ensures uniform security and compliance policies.
Multicloud and Edge Flexibility - Seamless connectivity across AWS, Azure, GCP, private clouds, and data centers.
Rapid Deployment - CE provisioning via Equinix Marketplace reduces time-to-market and operational overhead.
Partner and Customer Connectivity - Supports business partner exchanges and direct customer access without traditional networking complexity.