Selecting the Type of Gateway

We offer two core types of gateway deployments - through a virtualization platform, or with a physical device.

Virtualization platforms enable the creation and management of multiple virtual instances of a physical computer system. There are two types of virtualization platforms, VM based or Container based, both of which are viable options to deploy a Mapped gateway. While there are differences between them that can influence which system is in place on a network, when it comes to Mapped, there are no significant benefits using one over the other.

The hardware gateway is a physical device that gets plugged directly into the network, requiring no additional servers, no additional software. The device gets shipped to the site, and then housed in the appropriate server room / server rack.

Selecting the type of gateway deployment from the options above really only depends on your networking team and what they're most comfortable utilizing. All three options provide the same Mapped features and functionality, so there's no benefit to one over the other when it comes to our side, it all comes down to what deployment method is best for you and your team.

This flowchart may help:

The above graphic breaks down like this:

• Does your network have a containerized platform available, like Docker or Kubernetes, and internal IT/networking support to help deploy an image utilizing it? If so, then choosing the containerized gateway option is likely the best solution for you.
• Does your network have a Virtual Machine platform available, like VMWare or Hyper-V, and internal IT/networking support to help deploy an image utilizing it? If so, then choosing the VM gateway option is likely the best solution for you.
• If neither a container platform nor a VM platform are available, or they're unfamiliar platforms to the IT/networking team, then the hardware gateway option is likely the best solution. The hardware gateway does not require any additional software or platforms, and can be installed by directly plugging it into the network.

Since all three options operate the same way to detect devices, extract the data and send it on its way, determining which deployment best suits your existing network is all that's necessary. If you have any questions or need any additional help, please don't hesitate to contact support.