Deploying SD-WAN Solutions for Electric Utility Remote Sites

Background

A software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) architecture has transformed enterprise branch office networks, providing increased network security and greater flexibility to deploy new services that improve productivity. 

Traditional WAN architecture connects branches and or remote sites back to applications hosted in centralized data centers and is supported by costly dedicated multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) networks. But this architecture wasn’t designed to handle the proliferation of cloud-based and virtual computing occurring on modern enterprise networks. 

Instead of backhauling it to a data center, SD-WAN offers improved security and cost-effective way to send network traffic of all types from branch locations directly over the internet to cloud-based applications. Using centralized control, SD-WAN intelligently automates traffic-steering to SaaS and IaaS providers. This decreases latency, improves application performance, and provides an optimal user experience. 

June 2022 market research revealed that SD-WAN’s market value is anticipated to grow to $10 billion by 2026, progressing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 30% starting in 2021.¹ 

Like corporate enterprises, electricity transmission and distribution utilities and other critical infrastructure utilities that own distributed, nationwide networks are also moving to more flexible, cloud-based network and security architectures that can more quickly adapt to business changes and streamline operations. SD-WAN also allows utilities to preserve their investments in traditional network technologies like MPLS but provides additional cloud and virtualized services. 

When SD-WAN is used as an overlay solution with the rest of the network, utilities can seamlessly connect their IT and OT applications together regardless of whether they reside on a private network or in the cloud. Deploying SD-WAN also enables electricity distributors and network owners to deploy next-generation services such as micro-segmentation, networked IoT devices, or data center orchestration.

Challenges

Changes to power generation—in particular, the movement to renewable energy production, variable-speed drives, and electric vehicle consumption—have forced electricity grid operators to increase the automation and security of their converged IT and OT networks. 

• The need for WAN communications has increased.
• A combination of open access, powerful remote control, and potential dangerous outcomes creates the need for a flexible, secure, and easy-to-manage architecture.
• Networked devices deployed in a WAN architecture need to support mission-critical communication services at sites.
• Utilities operate their own secure wireless networks that commercial services can't cover.

Download Our Successful Solution

As an Intel® Network Builders ecosystem member, Advantech has developed an SD-WAN product family optimized for utility networks. Advantech has worked closely with Intel and with Juniper Networks to provide the right balance of compute performance and server hardening to make it ideal for this application.