Choosing an Application Delivery Controller (ADC) is not just about ticking boxes. It’s about making sure your infrastructure is prepared to deliver fast, secure, and resilient applications—without overengineering or overspending. From availability to security and automation, the ADC sits at the core of how your service behaves under pressure.

In this guide, we’ll walk through the key criteria that define a capable ADC, explaining not just what to look for, but why each factor matters.

1. Scalability and Performance

An ADC should grow with your business—not become a bottleneck.

When evaluating scalability, don’t just ask “how much traffic can it handle?” Consider how performance evolves as demand increases. Can the ADC handle thousands of concurrent sessions, millions of requests per second, or high-throughput SSL traffic without introducing latency?

You’ll also want to know:

  • Is it horizontally scalable (via clustering) or vertically (with more CPU/RAM)?
  • Does it support autoscaling in virtual or cloud environments?
  • How well does it perform under Layer 4 (TCP/UDP) vs Layer 7 (HTTP/S) loads?

An Application Delivery Controller that scales poorly can turn traffic spikes into outages. One that scales well can become the foundation for future growth.

Look for: high throughput (Gbps), connection-per-second capacity, clustering support, autoscaling capabilities.

2. Core Features and Application Intelligence

Not all ADCs offer the same traffic management logic. Some only offer basic Layer 4 balancing (based on IP or port), while others support Layer 7 intelligence (routing based on URLs, cookies, headers…).

Layer 7 capabilities are especially useful for:

  • Routing requests to specific servers based on user or device attributes.
  • Enforcing session persistence (so users don’t lose context when switching servers).
  • Offloading SSL tasks to improve backend performance.

Application awareness also includes dynamic health checks to avoid sending users to unhealthy servers.

Look for: Layer 4 and 7 balancing, persistence options, content-based routing, health checks, SSL offloading.

3. Security Capabilities

Modern ADCs are not just traffic routers—they’re the front line of your application security.

A solid ADC should include:

  • Web Application Firewall (WAF): to block OWASP Top 10 attacks like SQLi or XSS.
  • Bot protection and DDoS mitigation: to identify abuse patterns and rate-limit abusive behavior.
  • API security: to protect RESTful services from misuse or overexposure.

The key here is native integration. In many platforms, these are added as extra modules—sometimes from third-party vendors—making management more complex and pricing less predictable.

Look for: integrated WAF, rule customization, L7 DDoS protection, bot mitigation, API traffic control.

4. Deployment Flexibility

Your ADC should adapt to your infrastructure—not the other way around.
Whether you’re running on-premises, in the cloud, or in a hybrid setup, the ADC must support a variety of deployment methods:

  • Can it be installed on a virtual machine, bare metal, or cloud instance?
  • Does it integrate with platforms like VMware, Proxmox, OpenStack, or public clouds like AWS or Azure?

Some vendors tie features or form factors to licensing restrictions—make sure the platform you choose works where you need it to.

Look for: multiple deployment formats, public cloud compatibility, support for major hypervisors.

5. Management, Automation and Observability

Even the best features become frustrating if they’re hard to manage.

Many ADCs suffer from steep learning curves, non-intuitive UIs, or missing automation options. Worse, some make their visual consoles or monitoring tools part of separate, paid modules—meaning essential functions like traffic monitoring or cert management come at an extra cost.
You want:

  • A centralized and intuitive UI that gives quick access to logs, alerts, and configs.
  • Support for automation tools (REST APIs, Ansible, Terraform…) to simplify scaling and deployments.
  • Integration with observability tools like Grafana, Nagios or Splunk for seamless alerting.

Look for: REST+JSON API, full-featured web console, real-time traffic visibility, external integrations.

6. Compliance and Encryption Standards

For industries like finance, healthcare, or eCommerce, security compliance is not optional.
ADC encryption handling must meet modern standards, including:

  • Automated SSL/TLS management: to avoid expired certs and manual errors.
  • Strong cipher support: to comply with strict encryption policies.
  • Rating compliance: like A+ in SSL Labs or alignment with PCI DSS requirements.

The ADC should simplify compliance, not add to the operational burden.

Look for: automatic certificate renewal (e.g., via Let’s Encrypt), strong encryption policies, compliance certification.

7. Licensing, Support and Total Cost of Ownership

This is where many ADC vendors fall short. What looks like a complete product often turns out to be a basic package—missing essential features unless you purchase additional modules or licenses.

  • Need to enable WAF? That’s an extra module.
  • Want clustering or high availability? Another cost.
  • Looking for a proper dashboard or detailed logs? Possibly a premium feature, too.

This modular approach makes it hard to estimate the actual cost of the solution over time. It also complicates procurement and makes pricing comparisons difficult, as vendors vary based on throughput, users, features, and support tiers.

Support is another critical pain point.
Many ADC vendors outsource their support to general helpdesk services operating through ticketing systems. The first-line staff often lack deep technical knowledge of the product, and response times can be slow—even for urgent issues. This doesn’t just delay resolution; it puts service continuity and customer trust at risk.

Look for: all-inclusive pricing models, included updates, fast SLA response, expert technical support.

Why SKUDONET ADC stands out

SKUDONET Enterprise Edition is built for companies that want full control over application performance and security—without hidden costs or overcomplicated licensing.

  • Complete traffic management: Advanced L4-L7 load balancing, GSLB, persistence, content routing.
  • Integrated security: WAF with OWASP rules, bot filtering, SSL offloading, API protection.
  • Flexible deployment: Runs on virtual, cloud, or bare metal with support for BYOL (AWS, DigitalOcean) or SkudoCloud (SaaS).
  • Automatable and observable: REST+JSON API, Ansible support, integration with Grafana and Nagios.
  • No surprises: Transparent pricing, no feature lock-ins, no expensive modules to unlock basic capabilities.
  • Expert support: Direct assistance from the same engineers who build and maintain the product—ensuring deep technical understanding and fast, effective resolution.

Ready to see it in action?

Try SKUDONET Enterprise Edition free for 30 days and explore how a real ADC should work.