SD WAN (Software Defined Wide Area Network) permits you to connect multiple service providers to multiple interfaces on an SD WAN capable firewall. The SD WAN firewall is application aware and automatically steers traffic over different providers depending on certain conditions.
For instance you could connect an MPLS network using one WAN connection and correct online for the second WAN connection. With SD WAN the traffic would then dynamically route over either connection determined by policies you define.
Overview
To comprehend how SD WAN works and the way it benefits your organization it is important to first know how things were configured previously.
Consider hot and cold taps by using an old fashioned wash hand basin. Think about the hot tap (WAN 1 Interface) is connected to the MPLS Network and also the cold tap (WAN 2 Interface) is linked to the Internet.
If the hot tap and cold taps are operated separately it is hard to manage the temperature and flow from the water as they are totally separate from each other. Similarly, ahead of SD WAN it had been challenging to mix, control and manage traffic (business applications) across separate independent WAN Interfaces (within this example MPLS and Internet) similar to the water in an old wash hand basin.
Exactly why is SD WAN better?
SD WAN is a little being a modern wash hand basin with the and cold taps combined in an very easy to adjust mixer tap. The water temperature might be controlled and will be also automatically regulated to offer you the right hot and cold levels always.
With SD WAN you’ll have granular control of traffic across all WAN networks with advanced flexibility and agility. As an example, you can define policies that frequently send traffic from your main business application in the MPLS network for example but automatically change to the web VPN if your MPLS network is congested or unavailable.
SD WAN transfers the load of traffic management from physical devices to software and allows you to effectively and securely route traffic to remote locations including branch offices. Centralised control gives full visibility through the network and enables easy management.
To conclude SD WAN will provide you with complete control of the way you dynamically route and prioritise traffic based on application type as well as other factors such as congestion and availability.
Just how can SD WAN benefit your organization?
Lower bandwidth costs
Centralised network management
Full network visibility
Increased selections for vendor selection and connection type
SD-WAN benefits businesses by removing expensive routing hardware and instead provisioning connectivity and services from the cloud. With all the increased need for cloud-based services in the current workplace SD WAN delivers a far more robust and reliable network.
SD WAN is a much more flexible option that enables a company to scale connectivity down and up as their business dictates and will automatically adjust and steer cloud-based traffic over different routes when congestion or supplier failure occurs. This gives a small business to operate a more efficient and cost-effective enterprise reducing bandwidth costs when needed without compromising availability. Businesses are effectively avoiding over provisioning which lowers overall WAN costs.
The centralised control enables changes being implemented and quickly pushed in the market to network hardware such as routers and switches.
After a primary investment SD-WAN can improve a business’s connectivity between branch locations, the key office, data centres along with the cloud while reducing running costs making long-term savings as time passes.
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