Architecting SASE solutions using AWS Local Zones

This article explains how to architect SASE solutions using AWS Local Zones to provide secure, low-latency access to applications for geographically distributed workforces.

• Deploy virtual security appliances (firewalls, web gateways, ZTNA) in Local Zones closer to end users to reduce inspection latency
• Use centralized control plane in parent AWS Region to manage policies and configurations across all distributed Local Zone locations
• Implement geoproximity routing with Route 53 and health checks to direct users to nearest security inspection point
• Design scalable clusters of EC2 instances optimized for network throughput with enhanced networking enabled
• Configure VPC Flow Logs and CloudWatch telemetry for observability and compliance auditing across all locations
• Plan deployment phases: map user locations, configure networking, deploy appliances, set up control plane, configure routing, validate and optimize
• Use Auto Scaling and Capacity Reservations to optimize costs while maintaining guaranteed availability

AWS Local Zones combined with SASE solutions eliminate the trade-off between security and performance by reducing inspection latency, ensuring consistent security enforcement, and avoiding centralized data center backhaul.