Software-Defined Wide Area Network Whitepaper

Background Information

Wide Area Network (WAN) technology has evolved significantly from its early stages to today's advanced systems. Initially, leased lines provided stable but costly and inflexible connections, while dial-up offered limited speed and stability. X.25 and Frame Relay introduced packet-switching technologies that improved reliability and efficiency for small to medium-sized businesses. The advent of ATM and MPLS brought about efficient Quality of Service and sophisticated routing techniques, enhancing overall network performance. IP VPN and Wide Area Ethernet extended secure and high-bandwidth connections over the internet, making them suitable for big data and cloud applications. The latest advancement, SD-WAN, utilizes software-defined networking for centralized management and intelligent path selection, significantly boosting flexibility and reducing costs.

Traditional WAN technology remains a robust and dependable means of delivering and receiving network services. Nevertheless, as enterprises expand their network infrastructure to new sites and over extensive distances, the data may traverse multiple carriers. This can lead to challenges such as network congestion, dropped calls, data packet loss, and potential service interruptions.

Additionally, using data-intensive applications with low latency requirements, such as virtual reality (VR), HD video streaming, and video conferencing, can negatively impact the user experience on a traditional WAN. These points highlight the limitations of traditional WAN technology.

• Increased Latency
• High Cost
• Complexity
  
• Security Risks
• Reliability
  

The Shift Towards SD-WAN

Why are companies increasingly adopting SD-WAN? The primary reasons include simplifying wide area networks, cost reduction, enhanced bandwidth efficiency, and a seamless transition to cloud services with notable application performance improvements, especially for critical applications. To fully grasp the impact of SD-WAN, it's essential to explore how it diverges from traditional WAN and the specific advantages it brings to computer networks.

Organizations and companies have high expectations for their network and WAN infrastructure. They demand the following:

• Traffic Prioritization and Security: Ensuring that critical data receives priority and robust security measures. 
• Cost and Complexity Reduction: Simplifying the configuration and maintenance of networks to reduce operational expenses. 
• Bandwidth Optimization: Increasing network and WAN bandwidth with minimal costs while maintaining stable network performance. 
• Efficient Internet Traffic Management: Preferably, internet traffic and network guest users should be directed straight to the internet, rather than through the organization's network. This local offloading of traffic avoids unnecessary WAN bandwidth consumption that occurs when routing through a centralized data center for internet services.

By meeting these expectations, SD-WAN provides a modern solution that addresses the evolving needs of companies, ensuring efficient and secure network operations.

There is more information in the whitepaper......

1. Introduction to SD-WAN
2. How SD-WAN Works
3. SD-WAN Architecture
4. Components of SD-WAN
   
5. SD-WAN Benefits & Use Cases
   
6. SD-WAN Solutions
   
7. Available SD-WAN Whitebox hardware solutions
   

Download the whitepaper now  or visit SD-WAN website to know more about the SD-WAN