What Is SD-WAN?

If you’re looking to improve the performance, security and reliability of your enterprise network, you may have come across the term SD-WAN (software-defined wide area network). But what exactly is SD-WAN, and how does it compare to traditional solutions like MPLS (multiprotocol label switching) and VPN (virtual public network)? Explore all this and more, including real-world SD-WAN examples and the benefits of adopting this technology.

The Challenges Of Traditional WAN

Before diving into SD-WAN, it is important to understand the challenges of traditional WANs (wide area networks). WANs connect multiple locations—such as branch offices, data centers and cloud services—over long distances. They allow for data and application access across different geographies, but they also come with some drawbacks:

• High complexity: WANs require manual configuration and troubleshooting, which can be time-consuming and prone to error. Due to their decentralized nature, they also rely on multiple devices and vendors, which can increase the management overhead and operational costs.
• Low performance: WANs often use expensive MPLS links, which can provide reliable and secure connectivity but also have limited bandwidth and high latency. If MPLS is not used in a hybrid approach, these can affect the quality of service and user experience, especially for cloud-based and real-time applications.
• Poor security: WANs are vulnerable to cyberattacks, as they have multiple exposed entry points and endpoints to the internet. They also lack visibility and control over network traffic and policies, which can increase the risk of data breaches and compliance violations.

Given these weaknesses, many organizations have been looking to modernize their WAN. Let’s look at why SD-WAN can be the key to your network evolution.

How SD-WAN Works And Its Benefits

So, how does SD-WAN work? It addresses these challenges by creating a virtual overlay network that abstracts the underlying physical WAN links, such as broadband, MPLS or LTE. To make management easier, it unites the controls into a central dashboard that automates the routing policies and configurations of edge devices through a cloud-based orchestration. These routing policies allow SD-WAN to dynamically select the best path for each type of traffic based on predefined policies and real-time network conditions.

With SD-WAN’s scalable and flexible design, numerous technologies can supplement the system to enhance its performance. For example, it can leverage transport services such as broadband, LTE and 5G to increase the bandwidth and reduce the latency. It can also integrate with cloud-based security services—such as firewalls, antivirus and threat detection—to provide end-to-end security and visibility.

If you’re looking to modernize your network, SD-WAN can offer the following benefits:

• Simplified management: The centralized and automated SD-WAN architecture reduces complexity and the need for human intervention, as most of the decision-making is done by the system.
• Enhanced performance: SD-WAN’s dynamic path selection can improve the performance and reliability of the network to deliver a more versatile user experience than security alternatives such as VPNs.
• Expanded security: SD-WAN uses encryption and segmentation to protect data in transit and isolate network traffic according to the application, user or location. Combined with the possibility to integrate SD-WAN into existing security services, these advanced features help defend your network from cyberattacks.

Now that you know the strengths of SD-WAN, let’s think about your next steps in adopting the technology and which provider will empower your digital transformation.

Harness Lumen SD-WAN For Digital Transformation

Lumen is a leading provider of SD-WAN solutions, with a global network spanning approximately 350K route miles, 170K on-net locations, and over 2,200 third-party public and private data centers.

Lumen aims to satisfy diverse sets of customers. Imagine an auto insurance company undergoing digital transformation, or a health benefits solutions provider that needs a fast network to manage high-volume data flow. To meet your needs and preferences, we offer SD-WAN solutions as a pro-managed service or through our self-service portal.

Lumen seamlessly integrates SD-WAN with its edge computing, cloud, security and voice solutions to provide a comprehensive and holistic platform for your digital transformation. You can leverage our edge nodes to access low-latency compute and storage resources, cloud services to scale your applications and data, security services to protect your network and endpoints, and voice services to enable unified communications and collaboration. This step toward cloud-based applications will also enable you to adopt SASE (Secure Access Service Edge), an advanced security framework uniting SD-WAN and Zero Trust security solutions.

Furthermore, Lumen^® SD-WAN adopts a unique approach to MPLS. Many people assume that they must make a choice between deploying SD-WAN or MPLS, turning the conversation into “SD-WAN vs. MPLS”. However, Lumen offers a holistic approach to this divide. Lumen overlays SD-WAN onto an underlying hybrid network that includes private MPLS connections. This offers more protection, increases operational efficiency and leverages the strengths of both systems.

Lastly, Lumen provides support to aid in your SD-WAN deployment and operations. We offer expert professional services—such as network design, migration, optimization and testing—to help you with your SD-WAN journey. Plus, a dedicated team of network engineers, architects and consultants are available 24/7/365 for guidance.

Ready to learn more about SD-WAN? Check out our complete portfolio of SD-WAN solutions.

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This content is provided for informational purposes only and may require additional research and substantiation by the end user. In addition, the information is provided “as is” without any warranty or condition of any kind, either express or implied. Use of this information is at the end user’s own risk. Lumen does not warrant that the information will meet the end user’s requirements or that the implementation or usage of this information will result in the desired outcome of the end user. All third-party company and product or service names referenced in this article are for identification purposes only and do not imply endorsement or affiliation with Lumen. This document represents Lumen products and offerings as of the date of issue.