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When it comes to SD-WAN, you have a few options. You can either buy it or get it from a carrier or ISP. SD-WAN explained that this may be better virtually for network administrators. Physical SD-WAN is best for branch offices, but you should find a provider that offers both options. You need to look for some things when choosing an SD-WAN provider. After you’ve selected the type of SD-WAN that’s best for your business; you can start monitoring its performance with synthetic traffic.
Monitoring Through Synthetic Traffic
Synthetic monitoring is an excellent way to keep track of your network’s performance and prevent problems before they affect your users. It is beneficial in continuous integration and deployment environments. This monitoring can help you prepare for peak traffic periods, anticipate performance requirements in new regions, and hold third-party providers accountable.
Synthetic monitoring relies on agents that simulate the experience of real users and network traffic. Many synthetic monitoring solutions use agents installed at the far-end LAN network to measure application and network performance. These agents exchange artificial traffic to determine network performance metrics. Once detected, the agent can alert the network management team of problems. This can be particularly helpful if a network is experiencing performance degradation. It also helps identify network and application problems.
Buying an SD-WAN
When buying an SD-WAN, you have two options: go with an all-in-one, all-flash solution or select a software-only solution. Software-only SD-WANs allow for cost and operational flexibility and give enterprises the flexibility to meet business objectives. Open-standard-based SD-WANs provide enterprise-grade security and embedded networking capabilities. In addition, secure SD-Wan solutions offer failover and migration options that allow you to use the system without making significant changes to your network.
You can also go for a fully-managed SD-WAN. In this option, your SD-WAN is managed by a third-party provider. You will not handle the network yourself, but they will have all the necessary resources and expertise to work your network. You might not be able to control some aspects, but selecting specific features is often as simple as selecting from a drop-down menu. However, this approach has drawbacks, including the fact that it may be more difficult to change vendors in the future.
Getting an SD-WAN From an ISP or Carrier
One Fortune 500 client was in the process of evaluating SD-WAN solutions for their global network. The IT team was leaning toward an independent provider, but the CIO insisted that the IT department assess major carriers’ offerings. The executive was convinced that the service would be best if it came from an established provider. The IT team agreed and invited a carrier executive into the company for a meeting.
The main benefit of an SD-WAN is that it is easy to deploy and manage. It allows network administrators to manage multiple sites from one location. It also helps to increase network security by leveraging cloud-based security solutions. An SD-WAN can also reduce the cost of internet connectivity by as much as 50%. With its many benefits, SD-WAN is an intelligent choice for any size of business. You can find the right solution to meet your needs with some research.
Planning a Move from MPLS to SD-WAN
For over 25 years, Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) has been the foundation of many WAN networks. It provides any-to-any connectivity and prioritizes traffic, making it a popular choice for enterprises. Its advantages include ease of configuration, bandwidth scalability, and security. However, it has drawbacks, and some customers are moving away from redundant private connections. For these reasons, many organizations are considering a move from MPLS to SD-WAN.
First, decide which applications need to be migrated to make the right decision. Identify the mission-critical applications and relocate them to SD-WAN. Third-party applications may be more challenging to migrate. On the other hand, homegrown tools can easily be converted to SD-WAN environments. Next, identify the best time to migrate your network to SD-WAN. In most cases, you can move from MPLS to SD-WAN at a time when you are not using your network.
