Self-managed (DIY) SD-WAN solutions give companies full control of their network infrastructure. The in-house IT team maintains the organization’s SD-WAN equipment, connections, and software.
Let’s see who should choose self-managed SD-WAN solutions and learn about their pros and cons.
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What are self-managed SD-WANs?
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What Is SD-WAN?
Software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) is a technology that uses software-defined networking concepts to distribute network traffic across a wide area network (WAN). The key features of SD-WAN include:
- Virtualization of the WAN connection. SD-WAN creates a virtual overlay that abstracts the underlying private or public WAN connections, such as MPLS, broadband internet, fiber, wireless, or LTE.
- Centralized policy oversight. A centralized controller manages the SD-WAN, enabling IT staff to program network edge devices with low- or zero-touch provisioning.
- Dynamic traffic management. SD-WAN can intelligently route traffic across multiple WAN links based on application, network conditions, and business policies, optimizing performance and cost.
- Improved security. SD-WAN typically includes VPN capabilities to encrypt WAN traffic and segment the network.
- Simplified management. SD-WAN reduces the need for manual configuration of individual routers and gateways, centralizing control and enabling faster changes across the network.
What Are Self-Managed SD-WAN Solutions?
Self-managed SD-WAN solutions, sometimes called “DIY SD-WAN,” put the control of the network infrastructure in the hands of your organization’s in-house IT team. This means you need to:
- Purchase and install SD-WAN hardware and software
- Configure and maintain the SD-WAN solution
- Monitor network performance and troubleshoot issues
- Update and patch the SD-WAN components as needed
With a self-managed approach, you have complete control over the SD-WAN implementation— you can customize it to meet specific business requirements. This also means your IT staff must have the necessary skills and resources to manage the SD-WAN effectively.
Benefits of Self-Managed SD-WAN Solutions
DIY SD-WANs offer several advantages for organizations that choose this deployment model:
- Complete control. With a self-managed SD-WAN solution, you maintain full control over the network infrastructure, configuration, and security policies. This level of control allows for customization to meet specific business requirements and network requirements.
- Cost savings. Although self-managed SD-WAN requires an upfront investment in hardware, software, and personnel, it can lead to long-term cost savings. By eliminating the need for a third-party provider, you can reduce the overall cost of ownership associated with SD-WAN technology.
- Flexibility. DIY SD-WAN solutions provide you the flexibility to choose the hardware, software, and connection types that best suit your organization’s needs. This flexibility extends to the ability to integrate with existing network infrastructure and cloud-based applications.
- Scalability. Self-managed SD-WAN allows you to scale your network as needed, without depending on a service provider. This scalability is particularly beneficial for larger organizations or those with complex requirements.
- Enhanced security. With complete control over the SD-WAN infrastructure, you can implement additional security measures, such as next-generation firewalls, to protect critical applications and data.
Disadvantages of Self-Managed SD-WAN Solutions
While self-managed SD-WAN solutions offer several benefits, they also come with some drawbacks:
- Upfront costs. DIY SD-WAN implementation requires a significant upfront investment in hardware, software, and personnel. You must purchase SD-WAN devices, licenses, and other components, which can be costly, especially if you have multiple branch offices or complex network requirements.
- Complexity. SD-WAN technology can be complex, requiring a deep understanding of network architecture, security, and optimization. Self-managed SD-WAN solutions place the responsibility of managing this complexity on your IT staff, which can be challenging without the proper expertise and resources.
- Maintenance and updates. Your stuff is responsible for maintaining, updating, and troubleshooting the infrastructure. This responsibility includes tasks such as firmware updates, security patches, and hardware replacements, which can be time-consuming and resource-intensive.
- Lack of support. Unlike managed SD-WAN services, self-managed solutions do not come with the support of a third-party provider. If issues arise, you must rely on your IT staff to resolve them, which can lead to longer downtime and impact business operations.
- Limited scalability. Although self-managed SD-WAN solutions can be scaled, the process may be more challenging than with managed services. You must ensure you have the necessary hardware, licenses, and personnel to accommodate growth, which can be difficult to predict and manage.
- Opportunity costs. You may miss out on other strategic initiatives or innovations that could drive business growth and competitiveness by allocating significant resources to managing the SD-WAN infrastructure.
DIY vs. Managed SD-WAN
Organizations must choose between a DIY approach (self-managed) or a managed SD-WAN solution when implementing SD-WAN technology. The choice depends on your specific requirements, resources, and capabilities. Let’s compare DIY and managed SD-WAN solutions:
Control and Customization
Self-managed solutions provide complete control over the network infrastructure, allowing organizations to customize their SD-WAN deployment. This control enables fine-grained configuration, policy enforcement, and integration with existing systems.
With managed services, you have less direct control over the SD-WAN infrastructure. Customization may be limited by the service provider’s offerings and standardized configurations.
Expertise and Resources
Self-managed SD-WAN requires in-house expertise and dedicated IT resources to design, implement, and maintain the solution. You need skilled personnel to handle the complexity of SD-WAN technologies and troubleshoot issues.
Managed SD-WAN providers offer specialized expertise and resources. Their experienced teams handle deployment, configuration, and ongoing management, reducing the burden on the organization’s IT staff.
Cost Considerations
Self-managed solutions require upfront investments in hardware, software licenses, and personnel training. DIY SD-WAN can potentially offer cost savings over the long term by eliminating recurring service provider fees.
Managed services usually involve a predictable subscription fee, covering hardware, software, and ongoing management costs. This approach provides cost certainty and reduces the need for large upfront capital expenditures.
Scalability and Flexibility
Self-managed SD-WAN provides the flexibility to scale the network infrastructure based on specific needs. You can add new sites, modify configurations, and integrate with other systems without being tied to a service provider’s limitations.
Managed SD-WAN providers offer scalability within their service offerings. They can provision new sites and adjust network resources as needed, but flexibility may be constrained by standard service tiers and customization options.
How to Implement a Self-Managed SD-WAN Solution
Follow these steps to deploy an SD-WAN successfully:
Assess Your Network Requirements
Begin by evaluating your current network infrastructure and identifying your organization’s specific needs. Consider factors such as the number of branch offices, types of network connections, critical applications, and security requirements.
Choose an SD-WAN Solution
Research and compare different SD-WAN solutions available in the market. Look for a solution that aligns with your network requirements, budget, and technical capabilities. Some popular SD-WAN vendors include Cisco SD-WAN, VMware, and Fortinet.
Design Your SD-WAN Architecture
Develop a detailed design of your SD-WAN architecture, including the placement of SD-WAN appliances, network topology, and integration with existing infrastructure. Consider factors such as redundancy, scalability, and security when designing your architecture.
Acquire and Configure SD-WAN Components
Purchase the necessary SD-WAN appliances, licenses, and software based on your chosen solution and architecture. Configure these components according to your design, including setting up network policies, security rules, and traffic steering.
Test and Validate
Before deploying the SD-WAN solution in production, thoroughly test and validate its functionality in a lab environment. Ensure that the solution meets your performance, security, and reliability requirements.
Deploy and Migrate
Once testing is complete, deploy the SD-WAN solution to your branch offices and data centers. Migrate your network traffic and applications to the new SD-WAN infrastructure, following a phased approach to minimize disruption.
Monitor and Optimize
Monitor your SD-WAN network for performance, security, and reliability. Use the centralized management tools provided by your chosen solution to gain visibility into network traffic, identify issues, and optimize the SD-WAN configuration as needed.
Train Your IT Staff
Ensure that your IT staff receives proper training on the SD-WAN solution, including its management, troubleshooting, and optimization. This training will help them effectively maintain and support the SD-WAN infrastructure over time.
Scale Your Self-Managed SD-WAN
As your organization grows and evolves, your self-managed SD-WAN solution must be able to scale accordingly. Effective scaling ensures that your network can accommodate increased traffic, new applications, and additional sites without compromising performance or security.
Consider these strategies for scaling your self-managed SD-WAN:
- Growth plan. Before you implement your SD-WAN solution, anticipate future growth and build scalability into your network architecture. Choose SD-WAN appliances with sufficient capacity, design a topology that can easily accommodate new sites, and select network connections with ample bandwidth.
- Leverage automation. Automation is key to scaling your self-managed SD-WAN efficiently. Utilize the centralized management capabilities of your SD-WAN solution to automate tasks such as configuration updates, policy enforcement, and device provisioning. Automation reduces manual effort, minimizes errors, and enables your network to scale seamlessly.
- Implement a modular architecture. Adopt a modular approach to your SD-WAN architecture and separate different network functions and services into distinct components. This modular design allows you to scale individual elements of your SD-WAN independently, without impacting the entire network. For example, you can add new security features or optimize traffic steering without modifying the core SD-WAN infrastructure.
- Utilize cloud gateways. Cloud gateways are an important component of a scalable SD-WAN architecture. With SD-WAN deployment in strategic locations, such as cloud data centers or colocation facilities, you can create a hub-and-spoke topology that efficiently connects branch offices to cloud resources. Cloud gateways help optimize application performance, reduce latency, and simplify network management as your organization expands.
- Monitor and optimize. Monitor your SD-WAN network to identify potential bottlenecks, performance issues, or capacity constraints. Use the insights gathered from monitoring tools to optimize your SD-WAN configuration, such as adjusting bandwidth allocation, refining traffic steering policies, or upgrading hardware components. Regular optimization ensures that your SD-WAN can handle increased traffic and maintain optimal performance as your organization grows.
- Embrace virtualization. Virtualization technologies, such as network functions virtualization (NFV) and containerization, can greatly enhance the scalability of your self-managed SD-WAN.
The Future of Self-Managed SD-WAN
As network requirements evolve and new technologies emerge, self-managed SD-WAN solutions must adapt to stay relevant and efficient. Here are some key trends and developments that are likely to shape the future of self-managed SD-WAN:
Integration with 5G
The widespread adoption of 5G networks will impact SD-WAN architectures. 5G offers higher bandwidth, lower latency, and increased reliability, enabling organizations to support more advanced applications and services.
Self-managed SD-WAN solutions will need to seamlessly integrate with 5G networks and leverage their capabilities to optimize application performance and user experience.
Edge Computing Synergy
Edge computing, which brings processing power and data storage closer to end users, will drive changes in SD-WAN architectures. Self-managed SD-WAN solutions will play a significant role in connecting edge nodes to ensure secure and efficient data transfer between the edge and central data centers.
SD-WAN will need to adapt to support the distributed nature of edge computing, enabling dynamic traffic steering and optimizing application performance across edge locations.
AIOps and Automation
Artificial Intelligence for IT Operations (AIOps) will increasingly be applied to self-managed SD-WAN solutions. AIOps leverages machine learning and big data analytics to automate network operations, predict and prevent issues, and optimize performance.
With the integration of AIOps capabilities, self-managed SD-WAN solutions can become more intelligent, self-healing, and efficient. This will reduce manual intervention and allow proactive network management.
Security Enhancements
As cyber threats continue to evolve, self-managed SD-WAN solutions will need to incorporate advanced cybersecurity features. This includes native integration with next-generation firewalls (NGFWs), intrusion prevention systems (IPS), and secure access service edge (SASE) architectures.
By combining SD-WAN with cutting-edge security technologies, you can create a more robust and unified network security posture.
Cloud-Native Architectures
The adoption of cloud-native technologies, such as containers and microservices, will influence the design of self-managed SD-WAN solutions.
SD-WAN architectures will need to become more cloud-native to enable seamless integration with cloud platforms and support the dynamic nature of cloud-based applications. This will involve the development of lightweight, containerized SD-WAN components that can be easily deployed and scaled across various cloud environments.
About Symplicity
Consider us your trusted partners in the world of SD-WAN services. Our specialization lies in delivering 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:
- Our top priority is establishing a robust and dependable SD-WAN network connection. This guarantees constant accessibility to your critical data and applications, ensuring uninterrupted network performance and support for your business operations.
- We are dedicated to providing 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.
Our commitment is to offer you the expertise, guidance, and ongoing support needed to ensure a seamless implementation of your SD-WAN strategy. With our services, you can trust that your SD-WAN will be efficient, reliable, and equipped with the capabilities necessary for your business to excel in the world of network management.
Explore our solutions page for a comprehensive overview of the services we provide.
SD-WAN FAQ
What are the types of SD-WANs?
The two main types of SD-WANs are self-managed (DIY) and managed SD-WAN solutions. Self-managed SD-WAN gives organizations full control over their network infrastructure, while managed SD-WAN providers offer a comprehensive suite of services, including design, deployment, and ongoing management of the SD-WAN solution.
Two other types are hybrid SD-WANs and SD-WAN as a service. A hybrid model combines aspects of self-managed and fully managed SD-WANs. SD-WAN as a service delivers SD-WAN capabilities as a cloud-based offering.
Why is SD-WAN better than MPLS?
SD-WAN offers several advantages over MPLS, including lower costs, increased flexibility, and improved performance. SD-WAN can leverage multiple connection types, such as broadband internet and 4G/LTE, to provide reliable connectivity. Also, SD-WAN offers intelligent control and prioritization of business-critical applications, ensuring optimal performance and user experience.
Which tool is used to manage SD-WAN?
SD-WAN management tools provide centralized control and visibility over the entire SD-WAN infrastructure. These tools allow network administrators to configure policies, monitor performance, and troubleshoot issues remotely. Leading SD-WAN vendors offer their own management platforms, which are often cloud-based and accessible through a web interface.
Which are the best managed SD-WAN providers?
According to Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for WAN Edge Infrastructure, some of the best managed SD-WAN providers include Cisco, VMware, Fortinet, Versa Networks, and HPE (Aruba). These providers offer comprehensive SD-WAN solutions with advanced security features, application optimization, and global network coverage.
Is SD-WAN a cloud solution?
SD-WAN is not inherently a cloud solution, but it works seamlessly with public clouds, private clouds, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications. SD-WAN enables secure and optimized connectivity between branch offices, data centers, and cloud platforms—it is an attractive option for organizations adopting cloud-based services.
Why is SD-WAN better than WAN?
SD-WAN offers several benefits over traditional WAN architectures. It provides improved network agility, scalability, and performance by leveraging software-defined networking principles. SD-WAN can dynamically route traffic across multiple links based on application requirements and network conditions. This ensures optimal user experience and efficient utilization of network resources.
Further Reading
What is a managed service provider?
What are private colocation data centers?
