Delivering secure, low-latency access at scale is the core mission of any successful SASE platform. But without the right compute infrastructure to support real-time policy enforcement, inspection, and routing, even the best-designed services can fall short of SLA expectations.

Zenlayer’s hyperconnected global edge compute platform combines high-performance Zenlayer Bare Metal servers and scalable Zenlayer Elastic Compute (ZEC) virtual machines (VMs), giving your SASE service the agility to match compute resources to each workload.

Below, we’ll break down when to use bare metal vs. virtual machines and how the right mix of both can help you scale SASE performance and reach across global markets.

 

Align compute resources to meet SLA demands

Every major function in a SASE stack — routing, encryption, authentication, and inspection — eats up valuable processing power.

Latency-sensitive features like Transport Layer Security (TLS) offload, deep packet inspection (DPI), and zero trust enforcement rely on low jitter and fast response times. If the underlying infrastructure can’t keep up, performance dips and user experiences slip.

Compute capacity directly impacts how well SASE features perform:

• TLS Offload – Secure session termination must happen instantly to avoid delaying access or draining application resources
• Deep packet inspection (DPI) – Real-time packet inspection at optimal speed is critical for enforcing policies and identifying threats
• Zero trust access control (ZTAC) – Each session requires dynamic, contextual evaluation of identity, device state, and risk posture
• Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) – Live traffic to and from cloud platforms must be inspected and governed without lag

All of these features necessitate consistent, predictable compute. Leveraging the right mix of bare metal and VMs ensures that your service can deliver on its security and performance promises at scale.

 

Power mission-critical virtual network functions (VNFs) with Zenlayer Bare Metal

Zenlayer Bare Metal gives you direct access to dedicated hardware, eliminating the “noisy neighbor” effect common in shared environments and ensuring consistent, high-performance processing for inline security services.

Our servers are built to support real-time functions like TLS offload and DPI, where even milliseconds of delay can negatively impact user experience and weaken security posture. Packet-heavy operations in next-gen firewalls like intrusion detection and secure web gateways (SWGs) also benefit from the high throughput and low latency of dedicated physical servers.

Here’s a sample of available configurations and options for Zenlayer Bare Metal:

Powered by Intel Xeon Scalable and AMD EPYC processors, our bare metal servers can be deployed on  demand across 60+ global edge nodes with builds tailored to your workload’s CPU, memory, and network interface requirements.

Whether you’re chaining multiple VNFs at a regional hub or running latency-sensitive services close to users, our servers gives you the reach and compute power to maintain performance at scale.

 

Scale agile workloads faster with Zenlayer Elastic Compute

Zenlayer Elastic Compute (ZEC) provides flexible, cost-effective virtual machines (VMs) well-suited for applications like control plane services, orchestration tools, lightweight workloads, and early-phase regional deployments.

Available in multiple configurations, these VM instances let you quickly and easily fine-tune compute and memory to match specific application needs without overprovisioning. They can be spun up in under 30 seconds across six continents, accelerating market entry and enabling rapid horizontal scaling as user demand grows.

Like our bare metal, ZECs are powered by the latest Intel and AMD processors to give you near bare-metal speeds and support 10+ Gbps per elastic IP. They feature built-in global networking engineered for low latency and high availability, along with full VPC support for streamlined, cloud-native architectures.

Our hyperconnected VM instances also support both NAT and high-performance passthrough networking modes so you can balance flexibility with raw throughput depending on application.

For added resilience critical to SASE operations, ZEC offers:

• Auto-failover within 30 seconds in the event of VM failure
• Memory fault isolation to prevent cascading crashes
• Bidirectional DDoS protection that mitigates attacks within 10 seconds

And because ZECs are natively integrated into our massively distributed global network fabric, you can securely connect them to Zenlayer Bare Metal and other infrastructure via dedicated, private connections to enable secure, seamless hybrid deployments with consistent security and performance.

 

Choose the best processor for your workloads

Compatibility and optimization are critical to the success of any SASE operation. That’s why we offer both Intel Xeon and AMD EPYC processors across our bare metal servers and ZEC VMs to give you greater flexibility based on workload needs.

Intel is often preferred for applications optimized with QuickAssist Technology (QAT), while AMD’s high core density can help maximize cost efficiency for multi-threaded services. Whatever your preference, Zenlayer makes it easy to deploy compute tuned to your software stack and business goals.

 

Combine physical and virtual for a smarter hybrid architecture

Leading SASE providers rarely rely on a single compute model. Instead, they employ the most suitable compute infrastructure for each function:

• Bare metal for packet-heavy, performance-critical services
• ZEC VMs for orchestration, control, and support workloads
• Private LANs/VPCs for secure, seamless integration between the two

Zenlayer makes this hybrid model easy to deploy through our end-to-end service ecosystem. Your compute instances, whether physical or virtual, can be securely interconnected via high-speed local networks and integrated with our global private backbone for low-latency routing between regions.

Partnering with Zenlayer saves you the time and resources needed to manage different vendors or piece together inconsistent, fragmented infrastructure. Everything runs under one platform, giving you unified visibility and full operational control.

 

Optimize global reach with local deployments

At Zenlayer, we’ve built our compute platform to support your SASE deployments wherever they need to run – close to users, applications, and enforcement points. With availability in 60+ cities worldwide and growing, you can quickly deploy services near branch offices, user clusters, or in hard-to-reach markets to enhance responsiveness and broaden coverage.

For instance, you can host latency-sensitive workloads in Tier 1 hubs like Singapore, Frankfurt, or Los Angeles while running control plane components on ZEC VMs in nearby regions to keep management responsive and overhead low. This geographic flexibility helps improve performance and strengthens resilience through distributed redundancy.

Because our infrastructure is API-driven and supports automation, you can spin up bare metal or ZEC VMs in minutes instead of weeks, giving you the agility to move quickly in competitive markets and stay ahead of user demand.

 

Integrate compute with high-performance networking

Zenlayer’s compute services are tightly integrated with our massively distributed global networking platform, giving your SASE architecture the reliable, high-speed foundation needed for success. With 300+ edge PoPs and over 10,000 peering relationships, we deliver consistent, low-latency access across regions.

When you leverage Zenlayer’s hyperconnected compute, you unlock:

• Private backbone connectivity for deterministic routing and consistent SLA performance
• Anycast and BYOIP to accelerate application access and enable seamless failover
• Direct cloud interconnections to major providers, streamlining hybrid SASE architectures
• Traffic steering and SDN-based routing for intelligent path selection and performance optimization

By combining compute and network under one platform, our services help you simplify infrastructure deployment and management while improving user experiences and global service delivery.

 

Empower your SASE foundation with smarter compute

The success of any SASE platform hinges on its ability to deliver security, speed, and scalability across regions. And while features and policies can vary between services, it’s the compute infrastructure beneath it all that drives SASE performance.

Zenlayer gives your SASE service the tools to simplify and rightsize your infrastructure: bare metal for your most demanding VNFs, ZEC VMs for elastic control and orchestration, and an ultra-low latency, hyperconnected global network to bring it all together.

With flexible deployment options and true global reach, you can quickly and easily tune every region to the performance profile it needs.

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