Cloud Source

SD-WAN Offers Broad Deployment Flexibility

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Businesses are deploying software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) for its high visibility and control as well as the ability to prioritize network traffic and support high bandwidth and performance demands for cloud solutions. 

Flexibility in deployment is a benefit that often doesn’t make the initial list of motivations to transition to SD-WAN, but it is one of the reasons that SD-WAN tends to work so well for so many businesses. Based on their geographical dispersion, level of IT networking expertise, and budget considerations, businesses are able to create an SD-WAN scenario that works ideally for them. 

Procurement: Businesses have several options for procurement, including buying from a WAN service provider or an internet service provider. Some network providers resell SD-WAN technology, or they may have a managed SD-WAN service offering. Many enterprises prefer to purchase SD-WAN products directly from a vendor or one of its channel partners.

These decisions will depend on a number of factors, including technology requirements and how they line up with the solution a particular provider offers. Some enterprises may have a high level of customization needed to support complex architectural requirements leading them to embrace a do-it-yourself approach. This situation would require a high level of networking expertise in the IT department. Enterprises with a less-stringent list of requirements may want a standardized solution with managed services.

Installation: As with procurement, installation offers options. Traditionally, networking and branch infrastructure relied heavily on hardware and vertically-integrated appliances for WAN optimization, routing, and security. This approach was difficult to manage and it’s costly. Enterprises are increasingly embracing virtualized network functions on open hardware or deploying cloud-based network solutions. Many SD-WAN providers offer options that all but remove the need for hardware. 

Some SD-WAN providers offer enterprises an option that unifies multiple network functions on one device. These solutions use network functions virtualization (NFV) to supply SD-WAN routing, firewall and WAN optimization in a single software package. Some also partner with third-party providers that offer security and other network functions through cloud services. 

Operations: SD-WAN rounds out its flexibility at the operational level with businesses having a wide range of choices when it comes to the management of the solution. While there’s the option of either managing SD-WAN in-house or outsourcing to a managed service provider, many enterprises choose a hybrid route. The managed service provider handles any major configuration and complex troubleshooting, while enterprise IT handles the everyday traffic routing and optimization tasks. 

When it’s time to upgrade your network infrastructure, SD-WAN offers the scalability and flexibility you need. For more information and guidance in choosing the solution and the approach that are right for your enterprise, contact us at Cloud Source.

Why Cloud-Based SD-WAN Might Be Right for an Easy Transition from MPLS

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The demand for software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) remains strong, with enterprises using it as a way to address the complexity of networking in the cloud era. For others, the reliability and investment in a WAN built around multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) makes it hard to stomach tearing up existing infrastructure. Cloud-based SD-WAN makes the transition easier.

When It’s Hard to Let Go: The introduction of MPLS solved a major challenge — connecting two locations with a high-performance, reliable link. While this was ideal in traditional network infrastructure, it’s not as ideal for cloud solutions.

The new challenge is that cloud solutions have a much higher bandwidth demand, and despite the attraction of a reliable, secure connection, the cost of MPLS can create an obstacle for cloud adoption. SD-WAN introduces the option of replacing some or all MPLS traffic with directing data transmissions to other pathways, including broadband internet.

For someone who currently uses MPLS, they may quickly see a conflict. They must either adopt an appliance-based SD-WAN solution and use third-party security solutions or deal with the reliability issues of the public internet while battling subpar performance in their cloud solutions at a high cost.

It’s easy to see why some MPLS users are reluctant to jump on the SD-WAN bandwagon. This is where cloud-based SD-WAN provides an easier transition for taking advantage of a virtualized network approach:

Purchasing SD-WAN as a service offers the bandwidth and cost savings of a traditional SD-WAN solution while also gaining the global backbone (supported by a service level agreement) and a security solution that is completely integrated into the networking approach.

The global backbone gets support from tier-1 internet service providers (ISPs) and offers points of presence (POPs) that stretch across the world. There are also specific features in place, such as auto-healing, to help enterprises get the performance they need from cloud-based SD-WAN.

Cloud-based SD-WAN also offers an integrated security stack with Next Generation Firewall and anti-malware features. Enterprises have no need for a third-party security solution.

These features provide an easy transition from MPLS to cloud-based SD-WAN. There’s reliable WAN connectivity through the SLA-backed global backbone. These features are available while also improving the performance of cloud applications. In addition, configuration and management are much easier through cloud-based SD-WAN than with an MPLS WAN. The software-defined aspect of SD-WAN makes tasks like routing traffic much more simplified with centralized management in a virtual overlay.

If you’re currently using MPLS as your main pathway choice, contact us at Cloud Source to learn more about cloud-based SD-WAN for your enterprise. We can help you determine whether the expected benefits with SD-WAN outweigh those you’re experiencing with your MPLS solution.

How SD-WAN Is Benefitting Businesses

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As companies increasingly adopt cloud solutions and utilize private mobile devices for business purposes, IT departments are evaluating the ability of enterprise network infrastructure to keep pace. The increased traffic, security concerns and volume of data have led many to adopt software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) as a way to address these challenges.

SD-WAN applies a virtual overlay that gives IT access to more visibility and control over the network. While its initial attraction may be the promise of cost savings, businesses quickly find that SD-WAN’s value lies in its ability to equip the enterprise with better agility and productivity.

SD-WAN allows for zero-touch provisioning, allowing network administrators to set up new branch locations in a matter of minutes. Troubleshooting and configuration can all be handled through the virtual overlay, saving time and resources that used to be spent traveling to the branch.

What will SD-WAN look like in your particular business? You can get a glimpse by examining its impact in three key industries:

Retail: For retail companies, the customer experience is critical, and a long wait at the cash register is a memorable event in a customer’s mind. Retail organizations with dozens or hundreds of locations need a secure network to transmit card payments, and without an IT team member on-site, they need the network to be highly reliable. SD-WAN allows any congestion or other performance-related issues to be detected by IT before it impacts the branch location, and automatic policies can be set up so that a data transmission encountering a problem is rerouted without the end user ever knowing.

Finance: Financial services also benefit from SD-WAN in areas like security, reliability and performance. Banks and other financial institutions need to be able to serve customers quickly with a reliable network, all while guaranteeing that customer data is secure. Financial services also need to access cloud solutions through a fast and reliable connection.

Education: The ability to prioritize critical data transmissions is a key benefit to educational organizations. Universities and colleges need to be able to choose mission-critical pathways for transmissions like video conferencing or a professor’s lecture being streamed by students in an online course. These can be prioritized over students in the dorm watching Netflix or accessing Facebook. Schools are experiencing an increasing demand for bandwidth, but they can allocate these demands across different types of pathways, reducing costs and relieving congestion on the network.

If you’d like to know more about how SD-WAN might benefit your particular business, including cost savings and optimized network performance, contact usat Cloud Source. We can help you identify the right SD-WAN solution to help you solve network challenges and deliver a better experience to your customers and other end users.

SD-WAN Deployment in Small, Manageable Steps

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It’s rare to find a network engineer that isn’t considering the benefits of implementing software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) to solve a variety of challenges. From increased visibility and centralized network management to reduced costs and scalability, SD-WAN checks a lot of boxes. For globally-dispersed enterprises facing new complexities with mobile technology and broader security planes, investment in SD-WAN seems nearly unavoidable.

When engineers consider the scope of the process they’d be undertaking by adopting SD-WAN, the benefits seem dwarfed by the potential for seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Implementing SD-WAN must be viewed as a series of smaller steps, not the major deployment project that it is. When broken into smaller, well-planned steps, network engineers can plan for a more seamless, smooth process. Here are 10 key steps for SD-WAN implementation:

  1. Wide area network (WAN) optimization should be the first step, because if it’s not optimized for WAN, it will be impossible to determine the traffic patterns and bandwidth requirements to inform SD-WAN deployment.
  2. Add in visibility tools to allow engineers to see where traffic is going and troubleshoot issues.
  3. Move to a hybrid solution where WAN and multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) can coexist and be fully leveraged.
  4. Replace your router with an SD-WAN device, or any device that can virtualize routing, like a WAN optimizer.
  5. Create local internet breakouts, rather than having traffic backhauled to a central office hub. It’s a waste of bandwidth and diminishes the end user’s experience. Instead, implement a way to verify trusted cloud sources and make it possible for branch offices to link directly to the internet.
  6. Virtualize firewalls on the WAN edge device to reduce costs on local internet security concerns. Another option is to employ a cloud-based security solution for branch internet traffic.
  7. SD each branch, virtualizing services like VPNs and security features.
  8. When it’s time for an advanced measure, engineers can dynamically mesh using orchestration tools to create peer-to-peer connections. There are tools to assist with this step, but it requires advanced engineering skills.
  9. Analyze and refine until the system is optimized. Engineers can continue to repeat steps one through eight to achieve the best possible use of SD-WAN.
  10. Let go of MPLS. This may never happen in some organizations, and it can happen much earlier in this process, but some engineers have a difficult time retiring MPLS.

Switching to SD-WAN is a clear win for enterprises, as long as they don’t get caught up in the many challenges that can occur during the transition. Dividing the process into smaller goals helps the team celebrate achievements and keep moving forward.

SD-WAN is the most agile and logical way to manage your network. To learn more about how to implement this technology for your enterprise, contact us at Cloud Source.

Cost Savings Dominates the Reasons for Implementing SD-WAN

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When it’s time to improve operational efficiency or streamline any business process, the main motivator is always cost savings. It’s no different when considering the deployment of a software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) solution for the enterprise network.

When it comes to connectivity, one of the costliest expenses is maintaining legacy equipment. Legacy network solutions often block an enterprise from taking advantage of cloud solutions that could help achieve a new level of performance and efficiency. Investing in SD-WAN removes the roadblocks that burden the company with expensive legacy maintenance. There are several ways in which the application of SD-WAN technology can be effective:

Hybrid WAN: A hybrid solution allows the enterprise to utilize existing equipment and legacy network solutions to optimize internet traffic based on link availability and the importance of the transmission. This reduces costs by allowing the enterprise to better manage bandwidth.

Connectivity for Cloud Infrastructure: Many enterprises use SD-WAN to support Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), in which some workloads are moved to the cloud.

Connectivity for Cloud Software: Another common use of SD-WAN is the support of software applications housed in the cloud. SD-WAN allows for a direct connection to cloud providers from each branch location.

Each of these instances is designed for cost savings, and that remains the main benefit of SD-WAN deployment. Enterprises also enjoy better performance and agility, along with a centralized control panel for network management.

Here are the main ways in which SD-WAN helps reduce costs:

WAN Connectivity: Paying monthly for multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) can become cost-prohibitive as a company scales. SD-WAN allows companies to effectively manage all possible network connections to full capacity without having concerns about idle links for backup. SD-WAN allows for the same performance, security, and management flexibility while also saving money.

Equipment: Every time your organization purchases a router, you need to factor in the acquisition cost as well as configuration and maintenance. SD-WAN allows for a significant reduction in hardware and maintenance costs.

Network deployment and management: Centralized management of the network is one of the key ways that organizations achieve cost savings with SD-WAN. In many cases, other network solutions require skilled network engineers at branch locations for configuration of the network or to troubleshoot problems. SD-WAN allows the enterprise to bring a new location online quickly and configure and troubleshoot from a central location.

SD-WAN has emerged as an agile way to optimize network connectivity. At Cloud Source, we first help you determine if SD-WAN is right for your business, then we help you sift through SD-WAN providers to find the right fit. Contact us for more information.

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