Software defined wide area networks (SD-WAN) abstract network hardware to create an overlay network. This allows for policy-based routing, dynamic path selection, and quality of service combined with application visibility. SD-WANs improve network availability and performance, reduce costs and complexity, and enhance security and insights compared to traditional branch deployment methods. While SD-WANs offer benefits, they also have some disadvantages like upfront hardware costs, licensing fees, and less direct troubleshooting control.

1. Understanding Software Defined Wide Area Network
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2. ▪ The 70s: An era when a 9.6 Kbps line, which ran over copper, was considered to be
part of a high-speed network
▪ The 80s: Improving on leased lines, and 45Mbps T3/DS3 links. (X25 and Frame
Relay)
▪ The 90s: Fiber-Optic revolution connecting site at higher speeds.
▪ Y2K Millenia: WAN optimization with ATM & MPLS with QoS
▪ The Future: Emergence of cloud apps, software defined WAN, self healing
network, security and application visibility.
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3. • Software Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) is a
visualized network (overlay) that abstracts form its hardware.
• Much like virtual machine that abstracts an operating system
from underlaying hardware.
• Think of it as IPSec over GRE tunnels on steroids, with ability
to do policy based routing, dynamic path selection and QoS
combined with application visibility.
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4. ▪ Single function devices with own data and control plane.
▪ Complexity during branch deployment depends on various transport mediums
(Cable, Fiber etc)
▪ Lack of traffic and application visibility
▪ Limited security with IP Block lists and ACL
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5. • Improves network service (availability)
• Reduces network cost and complexity
• Increase application performance (QoS)
• Offers insights and network control (Application visibility)
• Enhance network security (IPSec)
• Centralized policy, configuration and monitoring
• Scalable (use of templates for new sites)
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6. • Edge connectivity abstraction
• WAN virtualization
• Centralized management
• Elastic traffic management
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7. ▪ Geographic expansion
▪ Making better use of WAN capacity
▪ Improving WAN resilience
▪ Cloud migration
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9. ▪ High upfront hardware cost.
▪ Licensing cost / mostly subscription based
▪ More prune to software bugs
▪ Less control for troubleshooting (limited or no CLI)
▪ Latency of internet
▪ NOT an MPLS killer
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10. ▪ If you have any questions email at learn@networkwiz.net