IBM Secure Gateway vs Keycloak: What are the differences?
Introduction
IBM Secure Gateway and Keycloak are two different tools used in website development. While IBM Secure Gateway is primarily used for securing connections between on-premise and cloud applications, Keycloak is an open-source identity and access management solution. Despite having some similar functionalities, there are several key differences between IBM Secure Gateway and Keycloak that set them apart.
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Architecture and Purpose: IBM Secure Gateway is designed to securely connect on-premise applications with cloud-based services. It acts as a bridge between the two environments, ensuring secure data transfer. On the other hand, Keycloak focuses on providing authentication and authorization services, managing user identities and access rights within an application or system.
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Vendor and Licensing: IBM Secure Gateway is a product of IBM, a renowned technology company, and is available as a paid service. It offers enterprise-level support and is subject to IBM's licensing terms. Keycloak, on the other hand, is an open-source solution developed by Red Hat. It is released under the Apache License 2.0, which allows users to modify and distribute the software freely.
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Integration Capabilities: IBM Secure Gateway is specifically designed to integrate with IBM Cloud, providing seamless connectivity and secure interactions with various cloud services offered by IBM. In contrast, Keycloak is integrable with a wide range of platforms and technologies, making it a versatile option for different development environments.
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Identity and Access Management Features: Keycloak offers comprehensive identity and access management features, including single sign-on, social login, and user federation. It enables centralized user management and allows developers to set fine-grained access control policies. IBM Secure Gateway, however, focuses on secure data transfer rather than providing extensive identity management capabilities.
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Ease of Use: Keycloak has a user-friendly administration console that simplifies the management of users, roles, and permissions. It offers a customizable user interface and supports various authentication mechanisms. IBM Secure Gateway, although relatively simpler to set up and configure, lacks some of the user-friendly features provided by Keycloak.
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Scalability and Performance: IBM Secure Gateway is optimized for high-performance data transfer between on-premise and cloud environments. It ensures efficient and secure communication even in complex network setups. Keycloak, being a lightweight solution, can also handle high user loads with scalable deployment options, which makes it suitable for large-scale applications.
In Summary, IBM Secure Gateway focuses on secure connectivity between on-premise and cloud applications, while Keycloak is an open-source identity and access management solution with extensive authentication and authorization features. IBM Secure Gateway is vendor-specific and offers seamless integration with IBM Cloud, whereas Keycloak is platform-agnostic and supports various technologies. Keycloak provides a user-friendly administration console and comprehensive identity management capabilities, while IBM Secure Gateway prioritizes high-performance data transfer and secure communication.