by Using a business-driven SD-WAN, IT can automate policies that align with business intent and provide centralized connectivity management. This includes leveraging cost-effective internet connections and VPNs for underlay networks to reduce reliance on costly leased lines. The solution can proactively steer traffic to the best-performing path while continuously measuring WAN performance. This eliminates the need for expensive hardware upgrades and reduces operational costs.
It’s Not A Replacement For VPN.
A common myth about SD-WAN is that it replaces VPN, but it’s not true. While VPN provides security and network access, it doesn’t offer performance optimization features such as dynamic path selection or application-aware routing. If you use latency-sensitive applications like VoIP and video conferencing, you’ll probably need to invest in SD-WAN to ensure optimal performance across geographic sites.
Another reason you need SD-WAN explained is that VPN requires manual configuration of edge routers using routing protocols, which is time-consuming for networks of any size. SD-WAN centralizes control and management via a single controller, enabling IT teams to deploy and modify policies more quickly. Furthermore, the future of business will see businesses deploying various devices at the edge that require high performance – in-store guest Wi-Fi, point-of-service (PoS) systems, medical devices, and more. SD-WAN can support and prioritize the performance of these edge devices and provide an end-to-end solution for monitoring their performance. As such, it’s more efficient than traditional router-based solutions. And, since most of these devices are cloud-native, it makes sense to leverage an SD-WAN that supports these types of applications. This will help to reduce costs and improve performance.
It’s Not A Substitute For MPLS.
MPLS is a private network that increases speed and controls data packets along pre-defined network paths using specialized hardware routers. On the other hand, SD-WAN uses a software-defined approach to wide-area networking by creating an overlay that connects multiple Local Area Networks (LANs) through standard Internet connections. It offers application-aware routing and performs WAN optimization to route traffic to maximize performance and align with business requirements.
It’s also a lot less expensive than MPLS as it leverages multiple broadband circuits rather than a single MPLS connection between sites. Additionally, it provides dynamic multipath optimization so that critical data is transmitted over the best available link, ensuring little to no packet loss and lower latency. In terms of security, it can be a significant asset as it can monitor traffic for suspicious activity and warn administrators of unauthorized access by journaling invalid connection attempts to prevent malware from infiltrating the network. In addition, it can help protect against DDoS attacks by leveraging redundancy and failover.
It’s Not A Replacement For WAN Optimization.
While the flexibility and scalability of SD-WAN make it an excellent network solution, it shouldn’t replace WAN optimization. Rather, the two solutions should be combined to create a complete network solution that addresses higher-level capacity concerns – like latency, packet loss, and reordering – and lower-level capacity challenges, such as data compression.
A traditional WAN setup uses multiple connections between the LAN and remote offices, data centers, or cloud-based applications. These links are typically MPLS, broadband, or 4G LTE. When one link has problems, the others take over – a process known as “backhauling” — which can lead to poor application performance and user experience. An SD-WAN consolidates traffic into a single path, eliminating the trombone effect and improving performance for onsite employees and cloud-based applications. It also enables a more advanced approach to last-mile connectivity called link bonding, where multiple transport methods are used for a more resilient and reliable connection.
It’s Not A Replacement For WAN Security.
A traditional Wide Area Network (WAN) consists of multiple LAN connections that span locations across the country and sometimes the globe. Each link is routed through routers and switches that prioritize data. This approach can cause network performance issues. The traditional architecture with conventional routers is not designed for the cloud. It backhauls traffic from branch offices to the data center for detailed security inspection, which introduces latency and impairs performance. SD-WAN eliminates this problem by intelligently routing data over the best path based on business priorities and application requirements.
SD-WAN provides a more reliable connection using a variety of Internet connections, including broadband, with no dependence on carrier uptime or service reliability. And it offers advanced WAN security capabilities that can boost your business’s security posture and support zero-trust strategies. Despite the misinformation about SD-WAN, it’s an excellent option for organizations of any size that need to improve connectivity and productivity and want to save money on costly MPLS services. However, it’s not a replacement for your firewall or VPN. Those tools must remain in place to secure your networks, and if you’re deploying zero-trust strategies, you need advanced WAN security as well. Most modern SD-WANs offer a broad set of network- and application-level security capabilities that complement and even prevent the need for additional security layers at your firewalls.
