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Visibility 101
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A Field Guide
Inline security,
without the downtime.
Inline tools only protect you when traffic flows through them, so a tool that fails or needs an update can take your whole network down with it. Here's how to deploy them without the risk.
[ 01 ] The Premise
Every inline tool sits in the live traffic path, so when one fails or needs an update, it can take the network down with it. These four practices remove that single point of failure, one layer at a time.
Best Practice 01
Protect every inline tool with a Bypass TAP.
The Risk
An inline tool is a single point of failure. If it hangs, loses power, or needs an update, the network goes down with it.
The Fix
A Bypass TAP heartbeats the tool nonstop. The instant a beat doesn't return, traffic bypasses the tool automatically, so the link never drops.
FIG. 01 / BYPASS
AUTO-BYPASS
Best Practice 02
Chain your tools, isolate the one that fails.
FIG. 02 / CHAIN
ISOLATE FAILURE
The Risk
Chain several tools the native way and one failure breaks the whole path, with no clue which tool died.
The Fix
EdgeLens Focus heartbeats each tool on its own. When one flatlines, it's isolated while the rest keep inspecting.
- Chain up to 4 toolsEach one independently monitored.
- Load balanceSpread traffic across the chain.
Best Practice 03
Stay online with automatic failover.
The Risk
Two redundant tools. Both need critical updates. But the network can't be down.
The Fix
Run two tools as an HA pair. When the active one flatlines, traffic swings to the standby instantly, with zero gap.
FIG. 03 / HA
AUTO-FAILOVER
Best Practice 04
Manage both inline and out-of-band tools.
FIG. 04 / INLINE + OUT-OF-BAND
100% VISIBILITY
The Risk
It is no longer feasible to rely on a single firewall to protect the network. Those days are long gone. Multiple cybersecurity solutions are needed to protect and defend a network: both inline and out-of-band tools.
The Fix
An EdgeLens Focus ensures network uptime and 100% network visibility: it manages the availability of inline tools while its packet broker feeds out-of-band monitoring like threat detection, packet capture, and performance monitoring.
[ Editorial Note ]
"Security should never cost you uptime. External bypass means you never choose."
Garland Technology, on deploying inline tools without risk
External bypass vs. built-in.
Built-in bypass usually triggers only on a full power loss, not the hangs, crashes, and congestion behind most outages. And it can't feed your out-of-band tools.
An external Bypass TAP is independent: it actively monitors the tool, covers far more failure modes, and lets you update or pilot tools safely.
Built-in bypass protects the box. External bypass protects the network.
