What Is SD-WAN? Software-Defined WAN Explained

SD-WAN (Software-Defined WAN) virtualizes the WAN by separating the data plane from the centralized, cloud-based control plane. Multiple Internet/MPLS/4G links are aggregated with intelligent per-application path selection. It has been widely replacing MPLS since 2020. Quick guide.

Features

• Per-application path selection (SLA-based)
• Multiple links: FTTH + MPLS + 4G/5G simultaneously
• FEC (Forward Error Correction) + Packet Duplication
• Zero-Touch Provisioning (ZTP)
• Multi-tenant VPN segmentation
• Cloud on-ramp (direct SaaS access without hairpinning)

Architecture

• Cloud controller: policies + orchestration
• Edge devices: FortiGate, Cisco Catalyst 8000, Meraki MX, VeloCloud
• Central hub or full mesh (ADVPN)

Vendors

• FortiGate SD-WAN: native to FortiOS, at no additional cost
• Cisco SD-WAN (Viptela): enterprise market leader
• VMware VeloCloud: cloud-first
• Palo Alto Prisma SD-WAN: SASE integration
• Meraki MX: simple cloud management
• Versa Networks: independent Gartner leader

Advantages over MPLS

• Cost: 40-80% savings
• Faster deployment
• Native multicloud support
• Scalability and flexibility

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