As a Microsoft partner, we always strive to explore innovative solutions that complement or enhance Microsoft’s existing offerings. In this blog, we will discuss Datawiza Access Proxy as an alternative to Azure AD App Proxy. Our goal is to provide an objective comparison of the two solutions, emphasizing the specific features of Datawiza Access Proxy that make it the preferred choice if your organization has these requirements.
The table below highlights the key differences between the two solutions, with more in-depth information available in the following sections.
| Feature | Datawiza Access Proxy | Azure AD App Proxy |
| Remote user support | Yes | Yes |
| Internal user support | Yes | Not ideal |
| URL path level access control | Yes | No |
| Enriching user attributes with external data | Yes (e.g., LDAP, SQL databases, RESTful APIs) | No |
| Cross-platform deployment | Supports all platforms (Windows, Linux, containers, Kubernetes) | Connectors require Windows servers |
| Multiple Identity Provider Support | Yes (e.g., Azure AD, Okta, and others) | Azure AD Only |
The following sections offer a more detailed analysis of the unique features that differentiate Datawiza Access Proxy from Azure AD App Proxy. We hope this comparison helps you make an informed decision while evaluating access management options for your organization.
Catering to Both Remote and Internal Users: Datawiza’s Advantage
Azure AD App Proxy was primarily designed for remote users. While it is possible to use Azure AD App Proxy for internal users, the process involves routing traffic from the internal environment to the Azure cloud and then back to the internal environment. This approach is not ideal, as it can introduce latency and potential compliance concerns
In contrast, Datawiza Access Proxy has been designed with both remote and internal users in mind. This flexibility allows organizations to streamline their access management, without the need for additional configurations or routing traffic externally.
Granular URL Path-Level Access Control: Datawiza’s Precision
A critical feature that sets Datawiza Access Proxy apart from Azure AD App Proxy is its ability to enable granular URL path-level access control. This functionality is essential for organizations that require precise and configurable access to specific parts of their applications.
Azure AD App Proxy offers application-level access control, which is suitable for basic access management scenarios. However, it may not meet the needs of organizations that require a more fine-grained approach to manage access to their resources.
Datawiza Access Proxy addresses this limitation by allowing administrators to define and enforce granular access control policies based on URL paths. This capability enables organizations to provide selective access to specific resources within an application, ensuring that only authorized users have access to sensitive information or functionality.
For instance, an organization might want to grant certain users in a group access to a specific reporting dashboard within an application, while restricting access to other parts of the application. Datawiza Access Proxy makes it easy to implement such policies, providing a higher degree of security and control for businesses with complex access requirements.
Enriching User Attributes with External Data Sources: Datawiza’s Extensibility
Another noteworthy feature of Datawiza Access Proxy is its ability to enrich user attributes by querying external data sources. This functionality adds significant value to organizations that require a more comprehensive understanding of their users’ attributes for implementing context-aware access control policies or enhancing user experience.
While some identity providers offer basic user attribute information, they may not cover all the attributes needed by an organization to make informed access control decisions. In such cases, Datawiza Access Proxy’s extensibility proves invaluable, as it can fetch additional user attribute data from external sources such as LDAP, SQL databases, or RESTful APIs.
For example, an organization might want to grant access to specific resources based on a user’s department, location, or job title. By enriching user attributes through external data sources, Datawiza Access Proxy can provide a more detailed and accurate understanding of users’ profiles, enabling organizations to create more precise and context-aware access control policies.
This capability not only strengthens security but also offers the potential to improve user experience by personalizing content and functionality based on enriched user attributes.
Diverse Deployment Options: Datawiza’s Cross-Platform Compatibility
Azure AD App Proxy requires a Windows server to deploy a connector, which can be limiting for organizations that rely on other platforms or prefer containerized deployments.
Datawiza Access Proxy breaks free from platform limitations, offering support for Windows, Linux, containers, and Kubernetes. This flexibility allows organizations to choose the deployment option that best aligns with their existing infrastructure and preferences, reducing the need for additional resources or platform-specific expertise.
Multiple Identity Provider Support: Datawiza’s Versatility
Azure AD App Proxy is closely tied to Azure AD as its identity provider. While this integration works seamlessly for organizations already using Azure AD, it can be limiting for those currently using and/or looking to use other identity providers.
Datawiza Access Proxy provides more flexibility by supporting various identity providers, such as Okta, Google, and Ping, in addition to Azure AD. This versatility allows organizations to choose the identity provider that best suits their needs and simplifies integration with existing identity management infrastructure.
Conclusion
As a Microsoft partner, we are proud to offer solutions that complement and enhance Microsoft’s products. Our goal is the make sure our customers choose the solution that best matches their organization’s requirements.
Datawiza Access Proxy provides a flexible alternative to Azure AD App Proxy by providing support for remote and local users, granular URL path-level access control, the ability to enrich user attributes with external data sources, diverse deployment options, and integration with multiple identity providers.
We hope this blog has provided valuable insights into the capabilities of Datawiza Access Proxy and specifically, where we believe Datawiza Access Proxy would be the more effective enterprise solution. It is essential to note that our intention is to present a fair comparison for organizations exploring their access management options.
We look forward to your thoughts and input.
