WAN connectivity needs have changed as organizations increasingly use cloud and mobile technology to conduct business. Traditional networks need help to keep pace.
SD-WAN delivers real-time visibility, scalability and flexibility. It supports application and identity-driven policies, centralized configuration and automation. It eliminates manual network management tasks such as device provisioning, quality of service and security policy changes.
Real-time Visibility
Real-time visibility is the key to ensuring your business can operate smoothly, no matter where you are. This data is a major cause of network downtime and poor user experience.
As more and more applications are deployed over a single WAN, it becomes increasingly important to know where the application is and how it performs. This is especially true when SD-WAN edge devices are added to the network.
Traditional monitoring solutions that are native to the SD-WAN platform can’t always provide the data granularity that is needed for these scenarios. This makes it difficult for a network manager to see and evaluate performance across the full range of private and public connectivity types, edge devices, cloud environments, and applications.
This makes it critical to implement a solution that provides real-time visibility and allows you to track and manage application performance from a single, unified portal. This will help you better monitor your traffic, identify slow paths and troubleshoot issues as they arise. The ability to learn about SD WAN will improve your network’s reliability and allow you to get the most out of your WAN investment.
Scalability
The accelerated digital transformation that organizations around the globe are undergoing puts increasing pressure on wide-area networks (WANs). These networks use links like multiprotocol label switching (MPLS), wireless, broadband and virtual private network (VPN) services to deliver corporate applications, resources and services to remote sites.
However, these legacy WAN architectures relying on MPLS circuits are becoming harder to manage and more expensive to scale. This problem is particularly for organizations expanding to new locations or shifting business models into the cloud.
This is where an SD-WAN comes into play. With this solution, IT can choose various access providers and transport types to accommodate growing bandwidth demands.
Another critical feature of an SD-WAN is that it allows IT managers to prioritize and control network traffic flow at a business level. This enables IT to tailor bandwidth based on business goals, improve performance and scalability and reduce costs.
As a result, IT can provide users with a consistent quality of experience (QoEx) even when WAN transport services are impaired or unavailable. This is especially critical for applications that are latency sensitive.
Flexibility
SD-WAN offers a flexible and scalable network management solution to address the challenges associated with a traditional WAN. It eliminates the need for manual configuration, which reduces the skills and time required by knowledge workers responsible for managing branch office connectivity, backup lines and virtual private networks (VPNs).
Using software for transport services instead of routers allows administrators to prioritize data over circuits, so that voice, media or internal applications can take advantage of the fastest path. In contrast, higher-bandwidth applications are routed across slower courses. This ensures that applications receive a consistent, high-quality experience, regardless of where they are located or headed.
This is especially useful for cloud applications, which are often sensitive to latency and packet loss. When routing application traffic, SD-WAN automatically detects network conditions and provides dynamic path steering and forward error correction to ensure high-priority apps get the best performance possible.
Security
Security is crucial for many SD-WAN solutions, especially when accessing sensitive data and applications from remote locations. The security technologies that SD-WAN solutions employ help protect the confidentiality and integrity of data traversing the Internet between endpoints distributed across office locations and remote users.
For example, most SD WANs dynamically establish secure tunnels using IPSec or other network encryption protocols. Using robust encryption algorithms like AES, they encrypt source and destination traffic, ensuring only authorized employees and devices can view, access and modify the information.
Some SD-WAN solutions maintain network segmentation and isolation to reduce the available attack surface, while others support advanced Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) integration. Some vendors offer advanced inspection and filtering capabilities, such as secure web gateways.
As a result, organizations can use SD-WAN to connect cloud deployments securely. Moreover, the solution can enable employees to seamlessly access business applications and data from any device and location.
Cost
SD-WAN helps reduce costs and streamline network management using software instead of hardware. This allows companies to reduce the number of devices they have to manage and keep track of, which can significantly benefit small businesses.
Moreover, SD-WAN can help you optimize your network traffic by ensuring that your applications have a reliable connection to the Internet. This way, you can avoid slowdowns and other network issues caused by slow or low-quality links.
SD-WAN can also help you save money by replacing expensive MPLS links with lower-cost alternatives like cost-effective broadband Internet services. This can help you avoid upgrading your network bandwidth as you add new cloud services or increase your employee’s access amount of data.
Another critical feature of SD-WAN is its ability to collect and analyze network data. This helps organizations conduct real-time monitoring, manage user groups, and troubleshoot network issues.
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