What Is SD-WAN?: Everything You Need To Know About SD-WAN Technology

Technology has changed the way businesses work, especially concerning Internet connections. Companies are always in search of the latest innovations in technology to ensure they deliver the best for their customers. One of these innovations is SD-WAN for SME and enterprise or software-defined WAN.

In this comprehensive guide, you will get to know the technicalities of SD-WAN architecture or SD-WAN solutions for broadband Internet services, including the core features of SD-WAN. How can your business' data center and centralized management benefit from SD-WAN traffic? Let us get to know the nitty-gritty in this article.

WAN Software Defined: What Is SD-WAN Technology?

An SD-WAN for your business has the power to modernize networks, with the single and unified SD-WAN unifying network connectivity and allowing the workings of application delivery over its entire network. Is SD-WAN adoption the perfect innovation for your businesses and their data centers? Keep on reading.

What Does SD-WAN Stand For?

The acronym SD-WAN means software-defined wide area network. WAN SD is one of the things businesses need to deliver what they offer better.

How Does SD-WAN Work?

There are various qualities associated with SD-WANs. Here is how SD-WAN technology works.

1. Centralized Command

Know that the control of SD-WAN is centralized. This command is decoupled from the hardware, simplifying network management and improving services delivery.

SD-WAN appliances and virtual appliances adhere to operational rules from the central SD-WAN command, eliminating the necessity to manage routers and gateways individually.

2. Multi-Connection

Gateways of SD-WAN support hybrid WAN, implying each gateway can have various connections using different transports, from broadband Internet to MPLS. A virtual private network is usually set up across each WAN connection for security. Consequently, SD-WAN can be an overlay that spans a diverse communications infrastructure.

3. Dynamic Path Selection

Another SD-WAN feature is dynamic path selection. This feature of SD-WAN pertains to the capability to automatically and selectively route traffic onto a single WAN link or another based on network conditions and traffic characteristics.

4. Policy-Based Management

SD-WAN technology supports quality of service policy and is what determines where the dynamic path selection will take traffic. SD-WAN policy also identifies what priority level is given. Business intentions can be implemented as policies through the central management console. Updated policies are translated into operational guidelines and downloaded to all gateways of SD-WAN and routers under control.

For instance, a policy can be created to ensure the best performance for interactive web conferences and VoIP. By sending file back-ups across a broadband Internet connection, cost savings can be realized. WAN traffic requiring a high level of security can be restricted to private connections.

5. Service Chaining

Another feature of SD-WAN is the capability to chain it with other network services. WAN optimization is often merged with SD-WAN to enhance network and application performance. Internet traffic entering and leaving a branch office may be routed across a VPN to a cloud-based security service.

Benefits Of SD-WAN

1. Saving On The Costs

With SD-WAN, it's easier to move non-critical WAN traffic from private MPLS links toward lower-cost broadband Internet.

Another area in this SD-WAN benefit is administration. Network experts need not journey to remote locations for SD-WAN deployments. They can get more done with the policy-based management of SD-WAN.

2. Agile

SD-WAN can provide network engineers the agility to respond quicker to requests for new WAN services and implement changes to existing services. Many tasks that formerly take so much time to accomplish now require only minutes to finish with SD-WAN.

Moreover, SD-WAN offers real-time traffic management. Gateways of SD-WAN continuously monitor the health of each WAN link that is connected to them.

3. Application Performance

SD-WAN will also improve application performance. Deep packet inspection is utilized to determine the applications associated with WAN traffic.

Furthermore, SD-WAN also enhances performance for cloud-based applications by making it simpler to establish Internet break-outs at remote offices. Eliminating the necessity to backhaul traffic via a central point of Internet access reduces latency and improves the user experience for cloud-based applications and SaaS.

4. Speed Of Deployment

SD-WAN also makes it easier to set up network technology and equipment at a new branch office compared with traditional routers. A network engineer designs the node. Then, an SD-WAN appliance is shipped to the branch office and plugged in even by someone without IT skills. In power-up, the appliance joins the network and connects to the central SD-WAN controller, then brings it online.

Those are the benefits of SD-WAN with zero-touch provisioning. Aren’t they amazing?

Does SD-WAN Affect ROI?

Yes, SD-WAN can significantly increase ROI. You only have to make sure you plan your roadmap with your SD-WAN provider. As discussed earlier, SD-WAN is also cost-efficient. SD-WAN is beneficial for various industries.

Is SD-WAN Secure?

Compared with the traditional WAN setup, SD-WAN can increase network security.

What Makes A Great SD-WAN Provider?

Selecting the vendor for the SD-WAN is a challenge. Small vendors usually don't offer a complete platform for WAN management. The ideal vendor knows your pain points and will work toward resolving these.

There are so many things to learn about SD-WAN. They include application traffic, WAN security, software as a service, branch offices, WAN edge infrastructure, virtual WAN architecture, SD wan versus MPLS, and so much more. We hope this discussion provided a better understanding of what SD-WAN is. But what makes a good SD-WAN vendor?

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