Security

What Is SD-WAN (Software-Defined WAN) and Top 10 SD-WAN Solutions

Top 10 SD-WAN Solutions

What is SD-WAN?

Software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) is a virtual network that uses software technologies, such as internet-based communication tunnels, software-driven network encryption, firewall software, and so forth. – To manage a large-scale computer network that spans multiple locations.

Software-defined wide area networks (SD-WANs) use software-defined technology and infrastructure. SD-WAN separates the network hardware and the control mechanism, which simplifies the WAN’s management and operation. SD-WAN solutions are more cost-effective than private WAN connections such as MPLS and multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) and can be used to build a higher-performance WAN.

SD-WAN solutions allow organizations to easily manage routers and firewalls, as well as upgrade software and firmware. Remote clients can also be managed through a centralized management interface. Centralized management controls are used to securely and efficiently manage traffic across trusted providers such as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) directly in the WAN. It reduces maintenance costs and lowers equipment costs, which in turn minimizes labor costs.

How does SD-WAN address them and what are the Limitations

In the beginning, WANs required traffic backhauling from branch offices to a central data center. This was where advanced security services were applied. Traffic between data centers and sources was based upon complex routing protocols like transmission control protocol, addresses, and control list table.

It leads to delays resulting in poor application performance, user experience, and high costs due to costly bandwidths. In order to install MPLS routers in each location, users had to pay additional expenses. Because of network complexity, it took longer to upgrade firmware or software. Cloud infrastructure was not supported by the network architecture. Traditional WAN limitations led to the adoption of a new SD-WAN technology, which replaced MPLS.

SD-WAN is organized in data centers and branch offices. It’s optimized for cloud infrastructure, and it associates mobile computing with cloud technology. It divides the control and data planes of the network. It provides a central management interface that allows traffic to be monitored and managed. It features a single management portal that reduces complexity and makes it easier for applications to be tracked, improving performance and operational efficiency.

An organization can make savings by providing lower-cost infrastructure or transport costs. SD-WAN offers end-to-end encryption across the entire network, providing secure connections for its users. SD-WAN also prioritizes traffic for business-critical applications and routes it through the most efficient route.

Also read: 15 Ways to Secure Platform as a Service (PaaS) Environment

How Does SD-WAN Work?

SD-WAN’s main purpose is to connect end users and applications regardless of their location. SD-WAN generates traffic according to the application’s business requirements. These business requirements can vary depending on the application’s priority, security policies that must be enforced, or the performance of the application. Critical mission applications usually get the highest priority. There are many options for networking, including MPLS, broadband, 4G LTE and

The SD-WAN architecture is a separation of control and management functions, applications, and WAN transport services. The centralized control plane stores and manages all data about traffic and applications. It monitors traffic and adjusts it to meet the needs of the applications. This ensures the best experience.

Before you choose an SD-WAN model, here are some features that SD-WAN users should be aware of:

  • Encrypted overlay networks: All traffic must be encrypted in order to prevent data loss due to cyber threats. It should be policy-driven.
  • Real-time monitoring: The SD-WAN chosen should be able to collect real-time statistics.
    Endpoints The SD-WAN chosen must connect to every endpoint of any software or application.
  • Load Balancing: This method ensures that bandwidth is effectively utilized to handle multiple incoming and outgoing traffic requests.
  • Resiliency: The SD-WAN chosen should provide failover and redundancy features.
  • Policy-based Routing: Algorithms using real-time statistics should be used to determine the best routes for a particular application.
  • Data service independence: The SDWAN should be able to connect to multiple stations that offer different types of internet data services or hybrid deployments.
  • Advanced security features and VPN features: A SD-WAN chosen should ideally include advanced security features like a next-generation firewall and a security gateway.
  • Mobility features: The SD-WAN must have mobility features like access control, advanced security parameters, and automatic route selection to enable interactive interactions.

Top 10 SD-WAN Solutions

SD-WAN allows small and medium businesses and organizations to securely connect to their applications using any combination of network services. The factors that should be considered when choosing the best SD-WAN provider are security, price, availability, and ease of deployment. These are the top 10 SD-WAN options:

1. Cisco Meraki SD-WAN

Cisco SD-WAN, powered by Meraki, is a scalable and programmable open-source solution that allows users to connect to any app. It provides control, visibility, real-time analytics, and control to its users. Cisco SD-WAN provides cloud management services and can be installed on-premise. It integrates with capabilities that enable it to optimize applications, multi-cloud services, security, and unified communications.

2. Fortinet FortiGate SD WAN

Fortinet FortiGate is a secure networking solution that combines SD/WAN, advanced routing, and next-generation firewalls (NGFW). This allows for consistent security and network policies, as well as reducing operational costs via automation, self-healing, and deep analytics. This simplifies wide area network (WAN) architecture and speeds up security convergence. Multi-path control, application steering, and identification by Fortinet FortiGate S-WAN offer improved multi-cloud app performance.

3. Oracle SD-WAN

Oracle SD-WAN offers users simplified WAN management services like SD-WAN, firewall, routing, and WAN optimization. This provides users with high bandwidth and inexpensive internet connections to users. It is also easy to deploy and manage the network. Oracle SD-WAN provides its users with reliable, high-quality, flexible, and secure services. Its high availability allows users to enjoy faster applications as well as better networks. It allows safer migrations to the public cloud.

4. Citrix SDWAN

Citrix SDWAN combines cloud-delivered security and comprehensive security with SDWAN, analytics, and secure internet access. It provides complete protection against all threats through strong security at its WAN Edge. Citrix cloud-on-ramps allow for flexible cloud access options, making multi-cloud transitions easier. Citrix SDWAN increases agility and reduces network costs.

5. CenturyLink SD-WAN

CenturyLink SDWAN unifies network management across multiple network types to create a responsive and agile wide-area network. It allows users to access bandwidth and use broadband connections to run bandwidth-intensive apps. It offers performance-based routing and data analytics. CenturyLink SDWAN is a reliable solution that helps users reduce their operating costs for equipment as well as staff.

Also read: Is a SASE System A Good Step for Your Network?

6. Wanify SD-WAN

Wanify and VeloCloud have partnered to bring VeloCloud SD-WAN to customers. It manages the end-to-end process and enhances network performance by combining multiple connections. It optimizes access to cloud services and data centers, which allows for network agility and growth. After assessing the network’s performance, it routes traffic efficiently. Wanify SDWAN offers customer support and a customized, secure solution. It also manages its users’ carriers.

7. Palo Alto Networks Prisma SD-WAN

Palo Alto Networks offers SD-WAN services via Prisma. It combines security and networking in one platform. It allows users to create their own policies that can be applied to SD-WAN. This will eliminate network problems and increase bandwidth. Palo Alto Networks Prims is an SD-WAN that provides users with excellent control over their connections and supports machine learning and automation. It can also be used to modernize routers and migrate to the cloud.

8. Exinda SD-WAN

Exinda SDWAN offers businesses a reliable, cost-effective, secure, reliable, and reliable solution. It can combine and manage up to 12 different internet transport types from local service providers. Exinda SDWAN network router detects and adapts to fluctuations from internet service providers. It also monitors traffic changes. It automatically resolves network problems and prevents interruptions of internet services and applications.

This allows users to increase their network capacity by adding bandwidths. The ability to speed up applications by integrating Exinda SDWAN and Exinda Network Orchestrator improves performance.

9. Masergy SD-WAN

Masergy SDWAN uses its secure edge network that includes Fortinet security. It offers clients end-to-end visibility and uses artificial intelligence in IT operations (AIOps), to analyze networks and make recommendations for improving reliability. It employs AIOps and shadows IT detection tools to create overlays that fit networks. It adapts rules to suit network and application requirements. Masergy SDWAN allows users to collaborate with each other to reduce inefficiencies.

10. Aryaka SDWAN

Aryaka SDWAN features a built-in WAN optimization which guarantees high application performance on this feature-rich platform. As it is remote-based, Aryaka SDWAN doesn’t require the installation of complicated appliances or network management software. It can be connected to via virtual private networks (VPN). Aryaka SDWAN offers multi-cloud networking services and provides insight analytics. It offers reliable throughput, real-time visibility, and single-day deployments of new technology, and provides reliable throughput.

Benefits of SD-WAN

Global software-defined wide-area network (SD-WAN), market size is expected to increase exponentially, from $1.9 billion in 2020 up to $8.4 million by 2025. According to MarketsAndMarkets research, this figure shows a 34.5% compound annual growth rate (CGAR). These numbers show that enterprises are increasingly interested in SD-WAN solutions due to a variety of business benefits. These benefits include:

1. Security improvements

Business enterprises and other organizations have adopted advanced technologies in recent years to compete with their market competitors. Cybercrime is one of the many problems that has resulted from its widespread adoption.

Many SD-WAN solutions include basic security features such as firewalls and VPN functions. This improves security for users. Users who are looking for more advanced security features should consider SD-WAN solutions that offer features to protect data from loss, and downtime and avoid legal liability. Next-generation firewalls (NGFW), intrusion detection systems (IPS), encryption, and sandboxing capabilities are some of the most popular SD_WAN options.

2. Greater network agility

SD-WAN can be configured to direct business traffic via the most efficient route. This allows users to prioritize real-time services like voice-over-internet protocol (VoIP), and business-critical traffic. SD-WAN’s flexibility allows users to adjust bandwidth access to any local internet provider in order to increase speeds to meet real-time demand. The total cost of ownership (TCO) can be reduced by allowing users to change bandwidth via compression and deduplication.

SD-WAN allows bandwidth capacity to be increased or decreased by adding internet broadband connectivity. A single logical link can be formed when multiple WAN service types, including private multiprotocol label switch (MPLS) or direct internet. They are all bonded together.

Other optimization techniques that SD-WAN uses are data de-deduplication to increase network agility. Data Compression and Secure Sockets Layer, (SSL).

3. Lower operational costs

A 2018 IDC Research forecast survey found that nearly two-thirds of respondents expected to save between 5-19% and 25% expect savings of up to 39% when they use SD-WAN technology. SD-WAN technology is self-managed and automated, which allows organizations to cut down on the need for external IT specialists to perform periodic maintenance and tests. This makes it cost-effective.

SD-WAN combines multiple direct-to–internet (DIA), lines for WAN connectivity. This reduces the overall bandwidth cost and requires less network hardware. It is also easy for organizations to set up branches online from any location, and it takes less time.

Also read: What is a Virtual Dedicated Server (VDS) and Why is it Needed

4. Data complexity reduced

Network complexity increases as small businesses increasingly use technology solutions, such as cloud-based, edge, and local applications. This is because there is a lot of competition for bandwidth which can lead to poor network performance. This could also mean that more IT professionals are needed to manage the local IT infrastructure. It can lead to higher costs. SD-WAN is a way to monitor and alert on the performance of various data types in order to allocate sufficient bandwidth. To improve performance, users can set up SD-WAN to prioritize important traffic and take the fastest route to its destination.

5. Centralized management

SD-WAN is typically managed by a centralized management interface, which monitors and manages the traffic. Paths to applications can be accessed from one portal. They are assigned according to their criticality. New sites are created, firmware and software upgrades are made, and users are able to flex their bandwidth starting at this point. A centralized management plan can help reduce complexity and make it easier to manage. It is easier to track applications and their performance from one zone.

6. Enables cloud usage

Cloud-based services are becoming more popular among organizations. SD-WAN allows users to connect to the cloud from anywhere without causing additional traffic to the network. Organizations looking to reduce their office space, equipment, and rent may be able to save money by using SD-WAN. Employees can also work remotely. This reduces the need for IT specialists to secure and manage data traffic.

SD-WAN solutions increase cloud application performance by emphasizing business-critical applications and allowing them direct communication to the internet. SD-WAN optimizes data quality and ensures that it is optimized. Then, it directs network traffic along the most efficient routes.

7. Supports automation and orchestration

Even though cloud-based resources are becoming more popular, companies still need to wait weeks or months before setting up new circuits or managed service providers. Cloud-based services that are fully managed and cloud-first could be comparable to other cloud services by orchestration or automation.

This feature would facilitate the rapid turn-up of new locations worldwide and services that increase enterprise flexibility. It will also help with troubleshooting and improve visibility for enterprises.

8. Paves the way for predictive analytics

SD-WAN technology offers predictive analytics that enables IT, professionals, to avoid potential outages and minimize any potential problems. SD-WAN provides real-time monitoring and data analytics to predict and identify any potential problems. This capability helps reduce the time it takes to resolve IT problems within an organization, lowers TCO, and maintains peak performance at all times. As IT specialists are not required to always be present on-site, this results in increased productivity and decreased costs. They can quickly diagnose and resolve any problem that may arise.

Conclusion

Software-defined wide area networks are a key enabler of enterprise digital transformation. It can be easily extended to integrate new security technologies such as SASE into the existing network infrastructure. It simplifies IT operations and allows for AIOps to be added to network management. It is important to fully understand SD-WAN’s potential benefits and workings to help you prepare for your journey.

Written by
Zoey Riley

Zoey Riley is editor of The Tech Trend. She is passionate about the potential of the technology trend and focusing her energy on crafting technical experiences that are simple, intuitive, and stunning.  When get free she spend her time in gym, travelling and photography.

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