With the growth of remote and distributed workforces, the increasing complexity of networks, greater cloud adoption, and continued cyberattack threats, more businesses are deploying software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) solutions with integrated security than ever before. An SD-WAN overlays your network to improve performance, manage and monitor your network, and enforce security and access policies.
As an affordable solution for so many of today’s cloud challenges, SD-WAN deployment is growing significantly. The amount spent on SD-WAN globally is forecast to reach $13.7 billion by 2027, up from $3.4 billion in 2022, making for a growth rate of nearly 32% annually.
In this article, we will provide a quick SD-WAN tutorial and some SD-WAN examples of use cases to create a dependable and secure network solution.
An SD-WAN Tutorial
An SD-WAN enables organizations to control and monitor their entire network across locations and connections. This SD-WAN tutorial defines these components:
- Controller: Centralized software that enables unified policy management, configuration and monitoring across the SD-WAN fabric.
- Edge devices: An appliance installed on-site at branches and locations that connect to the SD-WAN overlay.
- Overlay network: An abstracted layer on top of the network connectivity, using secure Internet Protocol Security tunnels and encryption between edge devices to connect locations.
- Interface: A portal enabling administrators to centrally control, configure and manage network resources from an interface.
Organizations employ an SD-WAN for various reasons, including improving performance with intelligent traffic steering and dynamic routing to optimize pathways based on real-time conditions. Other benefits include enhancing reliability by combining multiple connectivity options with automatic failover, simplified management and agility. Networks using an SD-WAN can scale quickly when there is a need to add new sites or services.
SD-WAN Examples
The flexibility of an SD-WAN is one of its biggest advantages. You can use an SD-WAN in a variety of ways for business, including on-premises, as a cloud gateway and as a completed network overlay. Here are three common SD-WAN examples.
SD-WAN Example No. 1: On-Premises
Organizations can leverage on-premises solutions if they already have a private network using an on-premises data center. You can add an SD-WAN to replace your existing network control or increase performance by shaping traffic in real-time. Using an SD-WAN on-premises can optimize performance and increase internal bandwidth, with minimal expense.
Many companies deploying this solution use a traditional multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) network for applications that run in real-time, while leveraging the benefits of an SD-WAN for internet access.
SD-WAN Example No. 2: Internet Gateway
Today, nearly all companies use cloud services. Software as a service, infrastructure as a service, unified communications and the increasing number of remote workers have all impacted the way business is conducted, for organizations of all sizes.
An SD-WAN provides an internet gateway to enable direct access to cloud resources. Rather than backhaul traffic to a central data center, you can migrate from a traditional wide area network configuration for faster connectivity. You also get real-time traffic management to improve network performance and reliability. An SD-WAN manages traffic, so the internet gateway connection remains open if congestion or disruption occurs. Traffic is automatically rerouted to prevent work interruptions.
SD-WAN Example No. 3: A Cloud SD-WAN
A cloud SD-WAN combines the benefits of on-premises and internet gateways. You get high availability, enhanced security and improved application performance. Network connectivity is handled virtually with a networking point close to your SD-WAN provider. This enables instant access to the private connection or fiber provided by your vendor for greatly reduced latency.
This configuration enables real-time connectivity to major cloud applications while providing agility and security. You get all of the benefits of an SD-WAN across your entire network, regardless of where your workers are and how they are connecting.
Get LOGIX SD-WAN Secure
If you’re planning to manage your entire network with an SD-WAN, let LOGIX tailor the right solution for your organization. LOGIX has Metro Ethernet Forum-certified engineers to ensure optimal solution design, complete on-premises and remote worker options, and a feature-rich SD-WAN solution leveraging the Versa Networks enterprise platform – a Gartner Magic Quadrant Leader.
LOGIX SD-WAN Secure works as an overlay on any third-party carrier network or the LOGIX fiber network. With an integrated next-generation firewall, URL filtering, intrusion prevention and antivirus capabilities, you get a dependable and secure SD-WAN solution.
LOGIX SD-WAN Secure can extend network security and service to remote workers and provide comprehensive network command, control and visibility from a single portal. You can manage your entire network with LOGIX SD-WAN Secure and optimize connectivity and performance.
Contact LOGIX today at 281-688-6231, or connect with us online for a demonstration of LOGIX SD-WAN Secure or to request a quote.