What is Software-Defined Wide Area Network?
The internet has proven to be the global fabric that interconnects all things, as a result, networks need to provide more value than simply raw bandwidth. The ultimate goal is to eliminate or reduce the need for private WAN technologies like MPLS by making the WAN more responsive and less complex. Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) proposes exactly this.
SD-WAN is an alternative and more dynamic approach to designing and deploying enterprise WAN solutions - providing greater network visibility and control. It aims to replace traditional branch routers with appliances that use virtualisation, application-level policies and network overlays to make several broadband internet links behave like a dedicated managed circuit.
Key Benefits of SD-WAN
Integrates with existing WAN
Merges with existing WAN architecture to improve network efficiency, agility and flexibility.
Improved network visibility
Provides better network visibility and control of apps. It's fully scalable, configurable and cost-efficient.
Service-centric WAN
Makes the WAN more service-centric with monitoring and management of traffic focusing on delivery of apps.
Service Components of SD-WAN
Edge
SD-WAN Edge creates and terminates secured and encrypted tunnels over different types of wired or wireless underlay networks such as broadband internet, WiFi and LTE, as well as DIA and MPLS core networks.
The SD-WAN Edge also performs application-based QoS and security policy enforcement, application forwarding over one or more WAN connections, and QoS performance measurements over each WAN to determine optimal path selection.
Gateway
The SD-WAN Gateway is a special instance of an SD WAN Edge that also enables sites interconnected via the SD-WAN to connect to other sites interconnected via alternative VPN technologies.
Controller
This provides physical or virtual device management for all SD-WAN Edges and SD-WAN Gateways associated with the controller.
The controller is used for configuration and activation, IP address management and pushing down policies onto SD-WAN Edges and SD-WAN Gateways.
Service Orchestrator
The Service Orchestrator provides the service management of the SD-WAN service lifecycle including service fulfilment, performance, control, assurance, usage, analytics, and security and policy.
Software-Defined WAN to Digitally Transform Your Business
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