The first SD-WAN products provided companies with a way to
eliminate expensive and inflexible MPLS links, connect branches directly to the
cloud and optimize WAN traffic. However, many of the first SD-WAN products
lacked features such as integrated firewall, application compatible routing and
advanced data analysis.
Over time, SD-WAN companies have improved their products to
include a robust set of additional features. However, many companies do not
take advantage of all the features of the latest SD-WAN products and managed
service options.
So why don't IT executives take advantage of these new
features? In some cases, providers are scarce when it comes to educating IT leaders
about the benefits and ease of use of these advanced features.
In addition, organizational silos, such as barriers between
the network and security teams, prevent companies from launching
next-generation firewalls or intrusion prevention systems, for example, that
may come with SD-WAN devices.
In addition, network professionals can often do their job
well because they have a set of standard methods and procedures that they have
followed for years. For new approaches, such as zero contact provisioning, you
may be reluctant to risk refilling if something goes wrong. However, companies
must take into account the benefits that underutilized managed SD-WAN functions that
are listed below can provide. After all, you are supposed to pay for SD-WAN
devices or managed services, so why not get the value for money?
1. Zero Contact
Provisioning
The traditional way to implement branch network equipment is
to take physical devices to a preparation area, configure and test them, and
then send them to a branch established by a network professional. For companies
that implement tens or hundreds of SD-WAN devices in a large geographic area,
this is a manual and time-consuming process.
Contactless provisioning, standard on most SD-WAN devices,
automatically configures ready-to-use devices. The device only needs an
Internet connection, so it calls home and is fully configured in a fast, efficient and standardized way based on predefined templates.
2. Encryption Key
Rotation
For companies that do business with the federal government,
such as aerospace and defense companies, or companies that are responsible for
PCI compliance, including almost all others, encryption keys must be rotated
regularly, usually every 90 days. There is a tedious manual process with
complex change management policies and may require planned downtime.
The SD-WAN platform can replace traditional VPN-based key
rotation with an automated system that can be programmed to rotate every minute
without interrupting data plane traffic. The result is greater security, no
downtime and no need for manual intervention.
There are many consequences in which businesses need to keep
dissimilar types of circulation separated from each other. For example, in the
case of a merger or acquisition, the merged company may be a single paper
entity, but each business unit will continue to operate independently for
commercial or compliance or security reasons. Later, if your company decides to
upgrade to SD-WAN, you may consider buying two sets of physical devices.
However, SD-WAN technology allows multiple virtual routing
and forwarding (VRF) and VPN links to be multiplexed into a single overlay.
This was not possible with previous VPN technologies. For a chaotic and complex
organization with multiple business units, you can simply set policies to
segregate traffic. SD-WAN technology can create up to 16 virtual VPNs that run
on the same physical WAN link.
4. Application-Aware
Routing
SD-WAN products have the ability to inspect traffic at Layer
7 to apply detailed routing policies to specific applications. In fact, some
devices can identify more than 3,000 different applications and understand the
performance requirements of each application. This feature continuously
monitors delay, delay, phase fluctuation and other characteristics of sensitive
applications in real-time and migrates applications to the most cost-effective
transportation method that meets performance thresholds. It helps companies
adjust communication costs.
5. Program API
According to Raviv Levi, senior director of product
management at Cisco Meraki, APIs allow companies to coordinate and automate
functions throughout the SD-WAN life cycle. It is an underutilized feature now,
but IT executives are beginning to understand that APIs can "make
large-scale organizations appropriate and control the network in a way never
seen before." Is growing
With the API, companies can customize and automate the
initial configuration of the SD-WAN equipment, make large-scale configuration
changes at any time, automate the problem notification process and provide WAN
performance data for traffic optimization Real-time and long-term monitoring
Infrastructure Management can be collected. For example, companies can use the
API to program devices and poll more frequently than required by default.
Through the API, businesses can configure the top SD-WAN vendors to mechanically provide data that is useful for purposes such as handling user
groups, viewing audit logs, gathering device inventory, real-time monitoring,
and troubleshooting device problems. A network you can collect.
6. Optimized Cloud
Connection
The ability to connect branch office traffic directly to the
cloud instead of breaking the cloud or returning to the data center is one of
the key benefits of SD-WAN. However, network administrators often have limited
or no visibility of network performance characteristics between end-users and
SaaS applications in the cloud. However, providers currently offer a feature
called Cloud Onramp in the Cisco Viptela example. Use this function to measure
the performance of SaaS applications using the programmatic API or for Amazon
web services and Microsoft Azure IaaS services.
In an IaaS scenario, a virtual instance of an SD-WAN router
in the cloud of the cloud service provider continuously measures application
performance and gives network administrators visibility into application
performance as never before. In a SaaS scenario, the SD-WAN device connects to
the nearest SaaS presence point and makes real-time decisions to select the
best route. According to Rohan Grover, senior director of product management,
SD-WAN and enterprise routing at Cisco, end users have seen a 40% increase in
the performance of common productivity applications such as Office 365.
7. Data Analysis
Another inadequate feature of SD-WAN systems is the ability
to use data analysis to solve network performance problems and perform
long-term network capacity planning. Whether you are using a managed service or
the Do It Yourself route, you have access to a large amount of traffic data
that covers your end-to-end WAN connection. The use of analysis eliminates the
typical signaling that occurs between business customers, cloud service
providers, IPS, and last-mile providers.
8. End-To-End Micro
Segmentation
Micro-segmentation has become an increasingly popular
approach to protecting applications running in data centers and cloud environments
by separating workloads based on policy. Micro-segmentation gives companies
greater control over east-west traffic and, in case of non-compliance, micro
segmentation limits the possible lateral movement of hackers.
The emergence of software overlays, such as SDN and NFV, has
opened the way for micro-segmentation, so it is natural that micro-segmentation
is a characteristic of SD-WAN overlays.
9. Service Chain
Once the branch traffic was returned to the data center
through a secure MPLS link, the branch required little network or additional
security. However, because branches are directly connected to the Internet,
companies can use multiple branch devices, such as firewalls, NAT boxes and
intrusion prevention systems.
10.Fixed Wireless
Connection
Experts say that companies that establish branch links
should consider the fixed wireless connection, especially if the speed of
implementation is not a feature of SD-WAN. For companies with a small regional
footprint, requesting a WAN link to an existing ISP is relatively easy.
However, fixed wireless access is a lifesaver for organizations in rural areas
where traditional broadband is not available, or for companies that need to
quickly managed SD-WAN providers to new retail stores and other emerging commercial
locations.
The first implementations of SD-WAN focused mainly on basic
connectivity and cost savings. But today, SD-WAN is considered a network
automation platform that supports digital transformation.
