SD-WAN stands for Software-Defined Wide Area Network. The model broke into the IT market when most enterprises transitioned applications and data to the cloud platform. This would then extend to multiple clouds. The model provides solutions to the current challenges in the IT field. However, the sd-wan architecture did come with a certain amount of tussle. The traditional WANs struggled during the transition period.
The model reduces the work required to create, manage, and monitor an enterprise’s communication network. All the traffic relevant to the communications network can be collected from one place. The Central place for managing the communication network is known as the SD-WAN Controller. The Controller gives you complete control over any part of the sd-wan architecture. This makes implementing and streamlining all the related traffic an easy task.
A virtual SD-WAN is created to overlay the existing underlying grid to control the network. This happens without regard to whether the networks are private or public. Traffic is therefore channeled through the secured overlay or via the underlying infrastructure. The traffic is governed by the enterprise’s preferences and policies incorporated within the management console.
Four main concepts guide how communications requests are taken care of
- The type of traffic requested: In implementing the model, the requests are grouped in predefined applications. Therefore, the application entries are looked up every time a user or the system requests a service.
- How to treat requests: A request can either be accepted or blocked. The next step is to determine how to respond if the request is received. The response can be achieved through the underlying or overlay infrastructure or a combination of both. The preferences and policies can then determine the next step after that.
- Whereby: This concept determines the best path to meet the requirements. This is where the network priorities are considered, as well as issues of availability, multipath, and Service Level Agreement (SLA).
- To where?: Here, the network’s implementation configuration ensures that the accepted request reaches the matching application. This should also occur within the best response time.
