SD-WAN is one of those cool technologies that people are starting to understand and embrace; it’s a buzzword, even. It’s the next generation of network architecture that provides greater flexibility, security, and throughput by combining WAN, LAN and cloud technologies. It promises to make IT operations more efficient and effective. A good SD-WAN implementation can complement existing WAN, LAN and cloud technologies to deliver the ultimate network architecture.
What is SD-WAN?
WAN stands for Wide Area Network, while SD-WAN stands for Software-Defined Wide Area Network. A WAN is a network that connects multiple sites together, usually across large distances. The main purpose of a WAN is to provide connectivity between geographically dispersed locations. On the other hand, SD-WAN is a software-defined networking solution that allows service providers to create virtual networks using commodity hardware. This means that they can use any device to connect to the internet instead of having to purchase expensive equipment.
Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) is a network architecture that uses software to deliver data across wide area networks. The main advantage of SD-WAN is that it allows for centralized management of all traffic across multiple sites. This means that you can use one set of tools to monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize performance across your entire enterprise.
SD-WAN technology enables businesses to connect remote offices and branch locations using high-speed internet connections. The technology allows users to access corporate applications from any location, regardless of whether they’re connected via Wi-Fi or wired Ethernet.
Service providers have adopted SD-WAN technology because it provides them with the ability to offer high-performance network connectivity at lower costs. The benefits of SD-WAN include reduced deployment times, increased flexibility, and improved security.
The adoption rate of SD-WAN technology has been growing steadily since 2010 when only 1% of businesses were using it. Today, about 10% of businesses use SD-WAN technology, and another 20% are planning to adopt it.
How does it work?
SD-WAN is a technology that allows you to connect multiple locations into one network, allowing for faster data transfer between them. This means that when you’re at home, you’ll be able to access all of your files from anywhere else in the world.
The first company to start using SD-WAN was AT&T. They were able to save $1 million per year by moving all their traffic from public internet to private network. Other companies that use SD-WAN include Google, Facebook, and Amazon.
SD-WAN technology has been proven to be effective for enterprises that need to connect multiple sites and locations across different data centres. The technology allows businesses to use one IP address for all devices and applications regardless of where they are located. This helps reduce costs and complexity while improving security and performance.
Machine learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are two key technologies for SD-WAN. ML is used to analyze data from multiple sources and make predictions about future events. AI is used to automate tasks such as speech recognition or image processing.
Benefits of SD-WAN?
SD-WAN is a technology that allows users to connect multiple locations using one network connection. This means that instead of having to use separate connections for each location, all devices connected to the WAN can share the same connection. The main benefit of SD-WAN is that it reduces costs by eliminating the need for additional infrastructure. It also improves security by reducing the number of points of failure.
SD-Wan technology offers several other advantages:
Flexibility
SD-WAN is an easily implemented technology that allows you to manage your network remotely. You can add more bandwidth to your network when needed and also provide zero-touch remote provisioned connections.
Performance
With SD-WAN, you can get better performance in terms of speed and reliability. The network architecture of SD-WAN ensures that the network resources are shared among all users. SD-WAN uses a combination of technologies like Software Defined Networking (SDN), Virtual Private Networks (VPN), and Network Functions Virtualization (NFV).
Security
SD-WAN provides enhanced security features, including encryption, intrusion prevention, firewalls, IDS/IPS, and DNS filtering. These features help protect against threats from hackers and other malicious actors.
Scalability
The scalability of SD-WAN means that you can scale up or down your network depending on your needs. For example, if you have a large number of employees working remotely, you can increase the capacity of your network by adding new PoPs. If you want to reduce costs, you can decrease the capacity of your network.
Business Agility
Before SD-WAN, companies had to manually configure each site by hand. Now, SD-WAN makes it easy to add more bandwidth to remote offices. This means you can easily scale up or down as your business grows or shrinks.
Conclusion
This article explained what SD-WAN is, why organizations should consider it, and some of its benefits. We hope that after reading this article, you will understand the importance of SD-WAN and decide whether it’s right.
Author Bio:
Juan Edouard is a staff author at Field Engineer (Web Link: www.fieldengineer.com) a Global Freelance Marketplace connecting Engineers and Businesses for On-Demand workforce. Juan loves to express his ideas and thoughts through his writings. Get engaged with the readers who are seeking for informative content on Freelance, Telecom, Tech and various niches over the internet.
Juan is a guest blogger. All opinions are his own.
