Any company, large or small, uses communication in its work. This may be a cell phone, the Internet, a network for communication with regional divisions, a satellite, etc. If the company is large enough, and its divisions are located in different regions of the same country or different countries, then the amount it spends on communication services can be quite substantial.
The problem is that combined communication methods, firstly, are not very effective (if we are talking about just a mixture of different types of communication), and secondly, they are expensive. There are solutions to this problem, and one of them is software-defined networks, SDN. They are becoming an increasingly popular technology: according to experts, the average annual growth of the SDN market .
SDN technologies make it possible to support the most heterogeneous communication equipment and software, managing all this zoo as a whole. Reconfiguring the network in this case takes a minimum of time - a few hours instead of days or even weeks.
Well, the most promising direction here is SD-WAN, these are dynamic hybrid networks that include several network connection methods, including broadband access, 3G, LTE. The SD-WAN Center is a controller that allows you to quickly and flexibly manage network settings, including information security policies.
Why is all this necessary?
SD-WAN is becoming an increasingly popular network technology development direction for a number of reasons:
- First, SD-WANs enable hybrid composite clouds;
- Secondly, they allow the company to flexibly and quickly manage network connections, as discussed above.
This technology to maintain the company's telecommunications infrastructure by 48% per year. Capital costs are reduced by 52%.
In addition, SD-WAN allows you to optimize network load, standardize cybersecurity requirements, quickly integrate new technology with existing ones, and finally improve automation and self-provisioning.
SD-WAN is used not only in business, but also in other areas. So, relatively recently, one of the TV channels had a problem with maintaining the required channel bandwidth for broadcasting from Formula 1. In addition, the same technology made it possible to collect and analyze data generated by a racing car in real time. And there is a lot of data - in a couple of days one car transmits about 400 GB of information. This is a collection of data collected by IoT sensors that are installed throughout the car, including the engine.
Real-time data analysis allows you to predict problems and solve them before they become critical. Last year, AT&T and Red Bull Racing entered into a contract under which the telecom operator provided the team with network infrastructure based on SD-WAN.
What to expect from SD-WAN in 2020?
Four trends are now visible:
SD-WAN technology will allow companies to monitor the quality of applications and services on the network. So, now it is far from enough to control the network and receive updates on the state of equipment and communication channels. As a result, the operator gets a complete picture of the system status and understands why some applications or services are not working very stable. As a result, the company's network will become more "transparent" for everyone, so it will become easier to work with it.
In addition, the same trend includes the automatic generation of analytical reports. They reflect information about how the company's network worked, what problems and when they arose. If problems have not yet appeared, then reports help to see deviations from the norm in the operation of the equipment, which makes it possible to solve problems "on the way".
SDN-WAN is gradually making communications cheaper for companies. This was said above, and it is true. For example, in a corporate network, the quality of the main and alternative Internet connection is of primary importance. SD-WAN allows you to monitor the quality of the network by uploading part of the βheavyβ application traffic, such as instant messengers, to a wide channel. This is beneficial for businesses because such an approach makes it possible to save money by refusing to upgrade an expensive communication channel.
Increasing fault tolerance. Despite the fact that networking and SD-WAN technologies are becoming more common over time, there are problems in this area. So, the main communication channel may sometimes not work very well due to a variety of reasons. Now experts suggest using an alternative communication channel, and transferring only critical applications to it. So, if the main channel does not work very well, you can unload it using an alternative - a spare communication channel. And communication problems are not all, in general, we are talking about the possibility of switching application traffic from one channel to another. This will allow efficient use of existing communication channels.
Simplify and increase the speed of reconfiguring an existing network. Here we are talking about Zero-Touch Provisioning (ZTP), i.e. the possibility of installing and configuring a terminal device without leaving a specialist βin the fieldβ. The main thing is to connect the device to network cables and power, and then it will do everything by itself in automatic mode. The human administrator can only polish some points and make the final adjustment of the equipment and software.
Where is the best place to start with SD-WAN?
Small - test SD-WAN in a separate, small area. True, in this case, you will have to spend time exchanging data with the intranet, which may not be so easy. Well, if all the tests showed a high result, then you can introduce the technology to other areas.
To do this, you can use the solution from . The solution is implemented at the hardware level in and works under the control of the software .
In general, for many business sectors of various sizes, SD-WAN is a real salvation. This technology makes it possible to improve the overall performance of the entire network. It predicts and solves a number of technological problems, increases information security, and generally does everything to make the network work properly.
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Source: habr.com