Hybrid SD-WAN Solutions

According to an Altman Solon study, 58% of companies will start using hybrid SD-WAN because of performance-related issues that can arise when relying solely on broadband internet.

Hybrid SD-WAN combines MPLS and SD-WAN technologies to provide a cohesive WAN service. This combo offers increased bandwidth, low latency, and reduced costs while maintaining stability, security, and SLAs.

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What are hybrid SD-WANs?

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What are Hybrid SD-WANs?

Hybrid SD-WANs are a type of wide-area network (WAN) architecture that combines traditional multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) technology with software-defined wide-area network (SD-WAN) technology.

The key characteristics of hybrid SD-WANs are

Dual connectivity. Hybrid SD-WANs combine both MPLS circuits and broadband internet links (e.g. cable, fiber, DSL) to provide redundant network connectivity.
Intelligent path selection. The SD-WAN component of the hybrid solution intelligently routes traffic across the optimal WAN path based on factors such as application, performance, cost, and availability.
Centralized management. Hybrid SD-WANs are managed from a central location. This allows simplified configuration, monitoring, and optimization of the entire WAN.
Increased bandwidth. The addition of broadband internet links to the MPLS network provides greater aggregated bandwidth capacity for the WAN.
Reliability and performance. The MPLS component provides the stability and quality of service assurances that enterprises require, while the SD-WAN enhances business agility and flexibility.

Advantages of Hybrid SD-WAN Solutions

Hybrid SD-WAN solutions offer the following benefits.

Increased Bandwidth and Capacity

Hybrid SD-WANs combine MPLS circuits with broadband internet links to give more total bandwidth for the WAN. The increased capacity can support bandwidth-intensive applications and services.

Improved Performance and Reliability

The MPLS component provides the high quality of service, low latency, and uptime guarantees that enterprises require. The SD-WAN overlay intelligently routes traffic over the optimal path based on real-time conditions.

Enhanced Network Agility and Flexibility

SD-WAN capabilities allow faster provisioning of new sites and dynamic path selection. Enterprises can easily add, remove, or modify network connections as business needs change.

Cost Savings

Hybrid SD-WANs allow enterprises to leverage lower-cost broadband internet links alongside more expensive MPLS circuits. This can significantly reduce overall WAN operating expenses.

Centralized Management and Visibility

Hybrid SD-WANs are managed from a single pane of glass, simplifying configuration, monitoring, and troubleshooting. Enterprises gain full visibility into network performance, application usage, and security.

Improved Security

SD-WAN overlays can provide advanced security features such as encryption, segmentation, and threat detection. The MPLS component maintains the inherent security of the private network.

Disadvantages of Hybrid SD-WANs

While hybrid SD-WAN solutions offer many advantages, there are also some key disadvantages to consider:

Increased complexity. MPLS and SD-WAN integration can increase the complexity for network administrators, managers, and operators. Maintaining visibility and control over the entire network may be more challenging in a hybrid environment.
Security concerns. To backhaul internet traffic through the SD-WAN overlay you may need additional security measures beyond what MPLS provides. If you rely on the public internet, you may face vulnerabilities that need to be addressed.
Potential performance issues. Inconsistent quality of service and network uptime on broadband internet links can negatively impact your critical applications.
Increased costs. The dual connectivity of MPLS and broadband internet can lead to higher overall wide-area network costs for the organization.
Vendor complexity. If you integrate solutions from multiple SD-WAN and MPLS vendors, it may add another layer of complexity.

Best Practices for Hybrid SD-WAN Adoption

Here are several best practices you should implement to ensure a successful hybrid SD-WAN deployment.

Conduct a Pilot or Proof-of-Concept Deployment

Start with a small-scale pilot deployment to evaluate the effectiveness of hybrid SD-WAN in your specific environment. Define clear success criteria and key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the impact of hybrid SD-WAN on network performance, application delivery, and user experience.

Involve stakeholders from different departments to gather feedback and ensure alignment with business objectives.

Build a Comprehensive Business Case and ROI Analysis

Conduct a thorough assessment of your existing network infrastructure, costs, and performance metrics. Identify potential cost savings, such as reducing reliance on expensive MPLS connections or optimizing bandwidth utilization.

Quantify the return on investment (ROI) and present a compelling business case to gain executive support and budget allocation.

Collaborate with Stakeholders and Service Providers

Engage with key stakeholders, including IT teams, network administrators, and business units, to understand their requirements and pain points. Involve service providers or system integrators with expertise in hybrid SD-WAN to ensure smooth implementation and ongoing support.

Establish clear communication channels and collaboration frameworks to facilitate knowledge-sharing and decision-making.

Ongoing Monitoring, Optimization, and Performance Management

Implement robust monitoring and analytics tools to gain visibility into network performance, application behavior, and user experience. Continuously monitor and analyze network traffic patterns to identify opportunities for optimization and traffic steering.

Also, regularly review and fine-tune policies and configurations based on performance data and changing business requirements. Leverage automation and machine learning capabilities to proactively detect and resolve issues before they impact users.

Planning for Future Scalability and Network Expansion

Anticipate future growth and scalability requirements when designing your hybrid SD-WAN architecture. Consider easily adding new sites, adapting to evolving connectivity options, and supporting emerging technologies.

Evaluate the scalability and extensibility of the chosen hybrid software-defined WAN solution to ensure it can accommodate future network demands. Plan for regular capacity upgrades and network expansions to accommodate business growth and changing needs.

Future Trends

As hybrid SD-WAN solutions continue to evolve and gain broader adoption, several key trends are emerging that will shape the future of this technology:

Convergence with SASE

The convergence of secure access service edge (SASE) and SD-WAN is a growing trend, where hybrid SD-WAN architectures will increasingly integrate cloud-delivered security services. This will provide a more unified approach to networking and security, simplifying management and enhancing overall protection.

Integration with 5G and Edge Computing

The rollout of 5G networks and the rise of edge computing will enable hybrid SD-WAN to leverage faster, more reliable wireless connectivity. This will expand the options for broadband internet links, improving performance and redundancy for branch offices and remote locations.

Integration with Emerging Technologies

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies will play a significant role in optimizing and automating hybrid SD-WAN operations. AI-powered analytics and anomaly detection algorithms will enhance network visibility, performance monitoring, and security threat detection.

ML algorithms will continuously learn from network behavior and user patterns to dynamically optimize traffic routing, application performance, and bandwidth allocation.

Advancements in AI-Driven Path Optimization

SD-WAN’s intelligent path selection capabilities will continue to advance through the application of machine learning and artificial intelligence. This will allow hybrid SD-WAN solutions to make more accurate, real-time decisions on routing traffic across MPLS and internet links based on factors like application requirements, network conditions, and user location.

Increased Managed SD-WAN Services

As the complexity of hybrid SD-WAN increases, more enterprises will turn to managed service providers to design, deploy, and operate their wide area networks. This will alleviate the burden on in-house IT teams and provide access to specialized expertise and advanced capabilities.

Continued Cost and Performance Improvements

Over time, the costs associated with hybrid SD-WAN solutions are expected to decrease as the technology matures. Additionally, ongoing enhancements to software, hardware, and network infrastructure will drive performance improvements and allow enterprises to extract even greater value from their hybrid WAN investments.

Broader Adoption Across Industries

While early hybrid SD-WAN adopters have largely been large enterprises, this technology is poised for broader adoption across a range of industries. Small and medium-sized businesses, as well as organizations in sectors such as retail, healthcare, and education, will increasingly leverage hybrid SD-WAN to modernize their wide area networks.

Evolution of Hybrid SD-WAN as a service

The rise of SD-WAN as a service will allow organizations to consume hybrid SD-WAN functionality as a managed service from service providers.

SD-WANaaS offers simplified deployment, maintenance, and ongoing management and is an attractive option for businesses without extensive IT resources.

Service providers will offer scalable and flexible solutions, allowing organizations to focus on their core business while relying on experts for network management and optimization.

About Symplicity

Consider us your trusted partners in the world of SD-WAN services. We deliver comprehensive solutions that can transform the way you manage your network and optimize your connectivity.

Here’s how we can help ensure your SD-WAN success:

We establish a robust and dependable SD-WAN network connection. This guarantees constant accessibility to your critical data and sensitive applications and ensures uninterrupted network performance and support for your business operations.
We provide you with a flexible and scalable SD-WAN environment. As your network requirements evolve, our services effortlessly adapt to accommodate increased demand, eliminating concerns about network limitations.
We recognize the importance of efficient communication in SD-WAN operations. Our solutions are thoughtfully designed to foster collaboration among your network administrators and partners, facilitating smoother network management workflows and decision-making processes.

Explore our solutions page for a comprehensive overview of the services we provide.

SD-WANs FAQ

What is the purpose of a hybrid network?

The purpose of a hybrid network is to combine different types of connections, such as MPLS, broadband, and cellular, to create a robust and flexible network infrastructure. This allows organizations to optimize performance, improve reliability, and reduce costs by intelligently routing traffic based on application requirements and network conditions.

What is the difference between LAN and SD-WAN?

The key difference between a local area network (LAN) and SD-WAN is the geographical scope. A LAN is confined to a local, on-premises network, while SD-WAN operates across a wide area network, connecting geographically distributed sites, branch offices, and cloud resources.

Why is SD-WAN better than WAN?

SD-WAN is considered better than traditional WAN because it provides:

Increased bandwidth and throughput
Improved application performance
Enhanced network visibility and control
Greater flexibility and business agility
Reduced costs

With lower-cost broadband internet connections in addition to or in place of expensive MPLS circuits, SD-WANs offer more benefits than WANs.

Who should use SD-WAN?

SD-WAN gives benefits to organizations of different sizes and industries, particularly those with geographically distributed sites, remote workers, or cloud-based applications. Enterprises looking to optimize network performance, improve application delivery, simplify network management, and enhance security across their wide area networks should use SD-WAN.

Who are the top SD-WAN providers?

Some of the top SD-WAN providers include:

Cisco Meraki
VMware
Palo Alto Networks
Fortinet
Citrix
Juniper Networks
Versa Networks
Riverbed
Masergy

These vendors offer a wide range of SD-WAN solutions with a lot of features, capabilities, and deployment models to cater to different enterprise requirements.

Is SD-WAN the future?

SD-WAN is considered the future of networking. Its ability to optimize network performance, simplify management, enhance security, and support digital transformation aligns with the evolving needs of businesses. As organizations continue to adopt cloud services, embrace remote work, and require agile network infrastructure, SD-WAN’s prominence is set to grow.

Is SD-WAN the same as VPN?

SD-WAN and virtual private network (VPN) are not the same, although they can be complementary. SD-WAN optimizes network performance, routes traffic, and provides centralized management across multiple locations. VPN creates a secure encrypted tunnel over a public network to protect data transmission.

SD-WAN can utilize VPN technology for secure connectivity but offers broader network optimization capabilities beyond traditional VPN solutions.

What security considerations are important when deploying a hybrid SD-WAN?

Hybrid SD-WAN solutions require careful security planning, as they rely on both private MPLS and public internet connections. Enterprises need to implement robust encryption, segmentation, and threat detection capabilities across the entire network infrastructure to protect sensitive data and applications traversing the WAN.

How can a Hybrid SD-WAN approach support a distributed workforce and branch offices?

The flexibility and agility of Hybrid SD-WAN make it well-suited for supporting organizations with geographically dispersed locations and remote and mobile employees. The ability to quickly provision new internet connections at branch sites and dynamically route traffic improves network performance and user experience for distributed workers.

What additional services can be integrated with SD-WAN?

SD-WAN can be integrated with additional services such as cloud security services, security technology sources, and application-level visibility tools. These services provide improved security, visibility, and control over network traffic. They ensure a robust and optimized network infrastructure.

How can SD-WAN ensure business continuity and optimize critical traffic in a hybrid network environment?

SD-WAN allows organizations to prioritize and optimize critical traffic by dynamically routing it over the most appropriate network path based on real-time network conditions. This ensures that essential applications and services receive the necessary bandwidth and low latency required for uninterrupted business operations.

With seamless failover and redundancy options, SD-WAN enhances business continuity in case of network failures or disruptions.