SD-WAN and cloud computing: How they complement each other
As per recent studies, around 93% of enterprises have a multi-cloud computing strategy in place. The major reason behind this is that organizations have now started choosing different cloud services to serve specific business functionalities. What do they gain out of choosing Multi-cloud computing? Flexibility, agility, enhanced performance and cost-effectiveness is what multi-cloud computing offers. The only known drawback in this choice of computing is the occurrence of network Bottleneck, which results in slow connectivity, limited work efficiency and a decline in productivity. The deployment of SD-WAN makes the adoption of Multi-cloud computing possible and also efficient. But to succeed, the SD-WAN solution must offer functionalities like flexibility and supplier independence because the cloud environment will always be dynamic.
Questions to ask before choosing an SD-WAN solution
Every business is unique, and each enterprise has its own set of network requirements. Here are a few important queries to ask yourself before narrowing down on the SD-WAN solution:
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- What kind of multi-cloud computing strategy do you have in place for your business?
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- Which multi-cloud application are you using?
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- Does your business involve remote connectivity and multiple locations?
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- What is your main goal behind using an SD-WAN solution?
With all these queries answered, you will have a framework of what your business requires and the functionalities your SD-WAN architecture must possess. When your business depends on multi-cloud computing, it is mandatory that you choose a solution that offers shaping, prioritization and compression of traffic based on the network performance.
Latency is one huge drawback when adopting multi-cloud computing. If latency occurs, the SD-WAN solution you choose must be able to identify the most important traffic and direct the bandwidth immediately to those critical applications.
What to look for in an SD-WAN solution designed for Multi-Cloud Environments?
Now that you know the dependence of a multi-cloud environment on SD-WAN infrastructure, it is vital that you look for the following features in the SD-WAN solution you choose:
1. Ability To Meet The Expectations of Various IaaS Providers
When you look for the right SD-WAN solution for your enterprise, it is crucial that you select the networking solution that has the ability to meet the technical requirements imposed by various IaaS providers like Amazon, IBM, Microsoft and Google. The SD-WAN solution that sticks to a centralized approach of management will be able to assess important traffic that requires transmission to these cloud applications. Most importantly, SD-WAN platforms should be able to recognize traffic that isn’t secure and policy compliant.
2. Address Performance Issues Effectively
An SD-WAN solution optimized to work for all types of cloud environments has application awareness capabilities. In short, they are designed to effectively manage bandwidth and common performance-related issues when dealing with a multi-cloud environment. As mentioned previously, a well-defined SD-WAN network solution should be able to prioritize traffic and instantly manage connections to the required multi-cloud platform. All of this must be achieved without compromising the speed of data transfer.
Undoubtedly, SD-WAN offers better functionalities and more flexible integration options. Besides offering agility, SD-WAN provides security like none other. Deployment of applications and management of the same becomes easier and more cost-effective with SD-WAN. Lowered risk and control enforcement is another striking functionality that can be achieved using high-edge SD-WAN solutions. Taking a security-driven approach towards networking and improving user experience, and simplifying operations are what you must aim for while selecting an SD-WAN architecture. If you depend on a multi-computing environment, choosing a highly functional and flexible SD-WAN solution will benefit your business to the maximum extent.
With so many vendors available, it is difficult to make the right choice; hence direct your IT team to analyze and choose the right SD-WAN solution. Though all SD-WAN solutions come with built-in features, selecting a flexible one is advisable. It must be able to integrate with third-party applications for enhanced functionality and performance.
SMOAD SD-WAN technology delivers centralized control for all your mission-critical applications.
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