The interesting question is what is SD-WAN and its benefits? Software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) is a technology that can simplify the management of WAN networks. It does this by decoupling the control mechanism from the networking hardware. Moreover, this technology can help improve data center management through virtualization.
Software-defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN)
The benefits of SD-WAN technology are numerous. For example, SD-WAN eliminates the need for expensive MPLS connections and can establish virtual private network connections over 5G, LTE, and standard broadband access. It also provides multiple connectivity options, including the public cloud, enabling employees to access corporate data anywhere. Another benefit is the ability to manage network operations centrally. Enterprise IT departments can use control plane software to set up new connections across the SD-WAN.
Another benefit of SD-WAN is that it enables secure connections for applications. The software-defined WAN also unifies enterprise networks across large geographic areas, enabling remote offices to access corporate resources and applications. In addition, it simplifies network management and automates many tasks that were once manually performed on edge devices. This helps businesses increase their efficiency and performance.
Application Awareness
Application awareness in SD-WAN allows IT to control the path applications take, regardless of the source or destination. This way, businesses can deliver mission-critical applications globally and ensure optimal performance. Using application awareness in SD-WAN allows IT to manage network operations more efficiently, minimize attack surfaces, and reduce security breaches.
An application-aware network can identify different types of applications based on traffic and then apply appropriate optimization techniques. The network performance of different applications requires different optimization techniques, so it’s important to choose an SD-WAN solution that supports various features. By implementing these features, network managers can prioritize traffic and extend network upgrades by three years or more.
Centralized Configuration
You can manage and control the network across many users and locations with SD-WAN. The SD-WAN controller monitors and adapts traffic to application demands. This helps to reduce the overall attack surface and ensure security breach-free operations. You can configure granular visibility and even configure network security policies.
SD-WAN is configurable from a single console called vManage. Its GUI enables you to change the policies and control the SD-WAN overlay network. Its default fabric configuration is mesh, but it can also be configured as hub-and-spoke or partial-mesh. Moreover, centralized policies impact the entire SD-WAN overlay network and have a network-wide impact.
Cost Savings
SD-WAN may be an option if you’re looking for ways to save money on bandwidth. It can help your business use existing resources more efficiently, including high-bandwidth SaaS applications. A solution-based approach to SD-WAN can help you get the most bang for your buck. The first step is to analyze your current hard costs of enterprise bandwidth traffic. For example, a company with 200 branch offices typically has two dedicated MPLS lines, each costing about $675 per month. By implementing SD-WAN, that cost can be reduced to one line of high-speed Internet bandwidth. This total cost savings is equal to $120,000 per month.
SD-WAN also helps maintain peak performance. The technology gives network operators control over multiple access paths and creates application-aware performance policies. These policies determine which path is best for application traffic and automatically switch traffic if a failure occurs.
