Detailed Guide on SD-WAN and Its Deployment

SD-WAN stands for Software-Defined Wide-Area Networking. This technology simplifies WAN  management by separating the control, data, and management planes from the same hardware devices.

With SD-WAN, network administrators can quickly and easily optimize their network traffic, improve network performance, and provide secure connectivity to their branch offices and remote workers.

In this article, we will understand What is SD-WAN and how does it work. We will also cover the benefits and cons of SD-WAN and compare SD-WAN to normal WAN.

The SD-WAN technology is explained in detail in our Cisco Enterprise courses, you can learn theory as well as practical aspects of  SD-WAN technologies.

Traditional WAN

Traditional WAN used to rely on dedicated hardware devices such as routers, switches, and firewalls which have both control plane, data plane, and management plane.

This setup required significant amounts of time, money, and resources to manage and maintain, particularly for large enterprises with numerous branch offices and remote workers.

What is SD-WAN?

SD-WAN stands for Software-Defined Wide Area Network. It is a technology that uses software-defined networking principles to improve the management and operation of wide-area networks.

By creating a virtualized overlay, SD-WAN abstracts the underlying hardware, allowing organizations to connect multiple branch locations to central data centers and cloud applications more efficiently.

This approach enables automated traffic management, centralized control, and improved application performance by dynamically routing data based on real-time network conditions and application requirements.

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How Does SD-WAN Work?

While traditional WAN relies on static, hardware-based connections like MPLS, which can be costly and complex to manage, SD-WAN provides dynamic traffic routing and centralized control.

SD-WAN, or Software-Defined Wide Area Network, works by using a smart system to connect different types of internet links, like broadband and cellular, into one network.

It has a central controller that manages how data moves between locations and makes sure important applications get the best connection.

If one link slows down or fails, SD-WAN quickly switches to another link to keep everything running smoothly.

This technology helps businesses save money by using cheaper internet options while still keeping critical data safe and secure.

Why SD-WAN?

The shift from traditional WAN to SD-WAN is crucial for modern businesses. Traditional WANs depend on expensive MPLS connections, making them rigid and costly to manage.

In contrast, SD-WAN uses software-defined technology to provide dynamic traffic management and centralized control, enhancing agility and cost-effectiveness.

As remote work and cloud services become standard, SD-WAN meets the demand for scalability and flexibility by allowing organizations to utilize various internet connections while maintaining strong security through encryption.

By prioritizing critical applications and improving performance, SD-WAN simplifies network management and enables rapid scaling, making it an essential upgrade for businesses today.

SD-WAN Benefits

Some of the benefits of SD-WAN are:

1. Simplified Management: SD-WAN allows network administrators to separate the control plane from the underlying hardware, enabling centralized management regardless of the network hardware in use.

2. Improved Network Performance: It enhances network performance through dynamic routing, allowing traffic to be distributed across multiple paths, including broadband, MPLS, and LTE. This increases bandwidth while reducing costs associated with traditional WANs.

3. Enhanced Security Features: SD-WAN offers robust security functionalities such as end-to-end encryption and threat detection, making it particularly beneficial for security-conscious organizations like healthcare providers, financial institutions, and government agencies.

4. Real-Time Visibility: The technology provides real-time visibility into network performance, enabling administrators to quickly identify and resolve issues, thereby streamlining network operations and improving efficiency.

5. Rapid Deployment: SD-WAN simplifies the network setup process, allowing organizations to quickly deploy new branch offices and accommodate remote workers. This is especially advantageous for businesses looking to scale operations or expand geographically.

6. Overall Benefits: SD-WAN delivers numerous benefits including improved network performance, enhanced security, easy configuration, and change management, and simplified network build-outs.

7. Market Growth: SD-WAN is increasingly popular among small to large enterprises, with expectations for exponential market growth in the coming years as more organizations adopt this technology.

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Components of SD-WAN

Cisco SD-WAN solution comprises various components that work together to provide a seamless and secure network connectivity experience. Here are some of the components and how to deploy them:

1. vManage: It is a centralized management platform that provides a single pane of glass to manage the entire SD-WAN network. You can deploy vManage as a virtual machine or an appliance in your data center. Once deployed, you can use vManage to configure and monitor the entire network, including devices, policies, and applications.

2. vBond: It is a software-based orchestrator that provides secure device authentication and connectivity. You can deploy vBond in the cloud or on-premises. Once deployed, it establishes secure connections between the SD-WAN devices and the vSmart controllers.

3. vSmart: It is a centralized policy and control plane that provides application-aware routing and security policies. You can deploy vSmart as a virtual machine or an appliance in your data center. Once deployed, it communicates with the vEdge routers to enforce the policies and perform path selection.

4. vEdge: It is a software-based or hardware-based router that provides secure WAN connectivity. You can deploy vEdge as a physical device, virtual machine, or container. Once deployed, it establishes secure connections to other vEdge routers or the vSmart controllers.

5. vAnalytics: It is an analytics and troubleshooting platform that provides deep insights into the SD-WAN network. You can deploy vAnalytics as a virtual machine or an appliance in your data center. After deployment, it collects and analyzes network traffic data. This data provides deep insights into application performance, security threats, and network optimization.

SD-WAN vs SDN

SD-WAN (Software-Defined Wide Area Network) and SDN(Software-Defined Networking) are networking technologies that enhance network performance and management.

SD-WAN connects multiple locations over wide-area networks, while SDN focuses on centralized control within local area networks.

The table below outlines their key differences:

How to Deploy SD-WAN?

Here is a step-by-step process to deploy SD-WAN.

Step 1. Plan the deployment: Define the requirements, design the topology, and identify the devices and licenses required for the deployment.

Step 2. Install and configure the vManage: Deploy the vManage as a virtual machine or an appliance and configure it to manage the SD-WAN network.

Step 3. Deploy the vBond: Install the vBond software and configure it to provide secure device authentication and connectivity.

Step 4. Deploy the vSmart: Install the vSmart software and configure it to provide a centralized policy and control plane.

Step 5. Deploy the vEdge: Install the vEdge software on the routers and configure them to provide secure WAN connectivity.

Step 6. Configure the policies: Use vSmart to define application-aware routing policies and security policies.

Test and validate the deployment: Validate the connectivity, policies, and application performance by running tests and monitoring the network.

When Cisco SD-WAN setup including controller and vedge and cedge routers are deployed. Then vManage can be used to manage, monitor, and troubleshoot the network from a centralized location and optimize the performance.

Summing Up!

Understanding Cisco SD-WAN and its deployment steps is essential for enhancing IT infrastructure. Cisco SD-WAN simplifies network management, improves performance through dynamic routing, and enhances security.

You can also benefit from IT infrastructure courses that cover these strategies, enabling effective implementation of Cisco SD-WAN solutions to optimize network operations and scalability in a cloud-centric environment.