SD-WAN: The Next Big Thing for Enterprise Networks
Why SD-WAN May Quickly Dominate SDN Systems
Enterprise networks are the final frontiers undergoing significant transformations ushered in by computer virtualization and adoption of cloud delivery models. This is significant because virtualization and cloud technologies provide new levels of IT flexibility, efficiency and cost benefits while leaving underlying networks unchanged.
As mobile devices and new application requirements are impacted by enterprise workloads, networks struggle to meet the demands placed upon them. Inevitably, network bottlenecks occur based on hardware-centric, proprietary and outdated technologies.
Software-Defined Networking (SDN) promises to provide solutions for many of these problems by using a software-based solution on commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware platforms. Sophisticated hardware platforms enable a transition from proprietary hardware devices to software-defined networks that are programmable, agile and decoupled to keep pace with innovations in enterprise IT.
Software-Defined WAN (SD-WAN) is an extension of SDN that transforms the enterprise branch office. With SD-WAN, the advantages of SDN are no longer limited to just the data center. SD-WAN abstracts network hardware into a control plane and multiple data planes that can be used with cloud-based management and automation to simplify the delivery of services to the branch office. This work can be done with manageability, performance and reliability assurances that enterprises expect and need.
SD-WAN is the latest big thing, and it is rapidly gaining popularity in the IT world. With any new disruptive technology, existing incumbents and related solution providers are demanding a larger share of the market. This activity is part of the IT hype cycle. However, vendors who provide solutions with real benefits often emerge as industry leaders and eventually move on to define the technology space.
Defining SD-WAN and Understanding Its Significance
SD-WAN is a new, revolutionary way to architect, deploy and operate corporate WANs, as it provides a simplified way of deploying and managing remote office connectivity in a cost-effective manner. It uses software and cloud-based technologies to simplify delivery of WAN services to branch offices. Software-based virtualization enables network abstraction that results in a simplification of network operations. SD-WAN enables IT and business managers to deploy Internet-based connectivity with several advantages, including:
Ubiquity;
High bandwidth;
Affordability;
Ease and Speed;
Quality;
Reliability; and
SD-WAN provides attributes typically associated with Software-Defined Networking (SDN) in data centers except for wide area network solutions for enterprise branch offices. Both SDN and SD-WAN virtualize resources that leads to accelerated service delivery, better performance and improved availability by automating network deployment and management while improving ROI and reducing the total cost of ownership. SDN in general applies to any networking environment. Web-scale Internet companies has supported its adoption, primarily in massive data centers and in the links between them, followed by telecom service providers in a variety of scenarios, including radio access.
Changing Traffic Patterns: SaaS, Cloud, Mobile, and Video
The evolution of IT technologies has altered traffic flows within distributed organizations. Not only do remote users require more bandwidth (the most popular example being video), but they also need direct access to SaaS/cloud-based applications such as Salesforce, Office 365, Lync and off-premise storage (such as Dropbox, Evernote, and so on). Traditional MPLS networks, which transmit traffic from a branch location to a more centralized data center are unable to offer low latency/high performance access to cloud applications. In addition, the security and management requirements associated with disparate traffic flows has added to the complexity of managing branch operations, and thus increasing staffing costs for many IT organizations.
