FatPipe Networks Blog

29 Oct

SD-WAN Growing Use Cases for the Cloud

SD-WAN: Growing Use Cases for the Cloud

It’s remarkable how fast software-defined wide-area networking (SD-WAN) has gained momentum. Many people ask why. The answer is: SD-WAN is expanding the functionality of automating and management access to cloud applications.

The primary trigger for the growth and interest in SD-WAN is the shift, over the past decade, of a massive amount of applications to the cloud (both private and public). Networks in the client-server era were built to access applications that were housed either at an enterprise site or, more rarely, in a private data center. But the cloud shifted the game — creating the need for fast access to applications wherever they reside, including the cloud when accessed across the Internet.

Cloud Connection Challenges

From the CIO or CTO’s perspective, cloud has many benefits but also presents many challenges from the network and security point of view. Cloud applications can speed the velocity and agility of IT, enabling your workforce to connect and build on new applications on demand.

But the challenge is that you need to build a new infrastructure to support these cloud applications. There are several challenges to connecting your workforce to this new world of agile cloud applications. Here are a few:

Application Performance: Cloud means there are many routes for workers to connect – and generally they do so using the network, not always under control of the corporate network. They could be using Internet broadband to connect to a cloud application or they might be on a corporate WAN. SD-WAN technology can add network intelligence to the corporate WAN to recognize which applications are being accessed and connect them in the most efficient, cost effective way. It can provide Internet breakout to make sure that general Internet traffic is not routed through expensive private data-center connections (such as MPLS). And furthermore, SD-WAN technology can be used to connect directly to recognize the most common cloud applications (Microsoft Office 365, Salesforce), and connect to application-specific gateways that speed up applications access.

Security: With the increased use of the Internet and cloud technologies, it’s harder for IT staff to assure security when employees are using the network to connect to the cloud. SD-WAN can enable additional network visibility and security functions that assure that cloud applications are being accessed in a secure way. More importantly, by enabling network branches and endpoints with SD-WAN, IT staff can gain more insight into how the networks are being used and implement security policies.

Agility and Automation: In the hardware-based WAN world, networks were connected with complicated hardware configurations and leased lines, making changes to the network topology and architecture difficult. In order to connect to the cloud, a more responsive network is needed to gain control and visibility over cloud connections. With SD-WAN, networks can be more quickly orchestrated and changed using software, increasing the speed with which IT and networking staff can respond to changing business demand. In addition, SD-WAN deployments can often be set up using software-based automation tools such as templates.

End-User Attraction: Making Life Easier

What’s most powerful about SD-WAN is that it has the potential to solve several of these challenges at once, by providing an integrated, software-driven platform for automating network policy and applications.

Cloud applications mean that traffic flows within the network have drastically changed and become inefficient. The technology to handle these new traffic flows is embedded in many SD-WAN platforms.

SD-WAN emerged with a few use cases anchored to the need for fast cloud access, but those use cases are now expanding, according to Futuriom research. That is because the WAN is a key enabler — and also possibly stumbling block — for cloud applications.

So how exactly does SD-WAN do that? The MEF, a global industry alliance comprised of more than 150 networking technology and service-provider organizations, is working to reduce the confusion surrounding SD-WAN technologies and solutions. As part of their work the MEF has identified the following as being fundamental capabilities of SD-WAN managed services:

Secure, IP-based virtual overlay network
Transport-independence of underlay network
Service assurance of each SD-WAN tunnel
Application-driven packet forwarding
High availability through multiple WAN links
Policy-based packet forwarding
Service automation via centralized management, control and orchestration
The MEF also identified some value-added services that are beyond the fundamental SD-WAN service offering. This includes WAN optimization and advanced security services.

These expanding capabilities of SD-WAN show why it’s growing so fast – it’s become the Swiss army knife of WAN automation and management. This is why IT and network managers have taken a liking to the approach is that streamlines the management of many of challenges posed to given users a better experience in connecting to the cloud.

FatPipe Networks has been developing and delivering traffic management solutions for over 17 years and was “SD-WAN before SD-WAN was cool”- Gartner. With 12 seminal patents and a comprehensive suite that addresses any SD-WAN need, FatPipe Networks is a must for any WAN administrator considering or updating their WAN traffic management needs

01 Oct

SD-WAN can jump start digital transformation initiatives

SD-WANs can jump start digital transformation initiatives

ZK Research data shows that 94% of companies have at least one digital transformation initiative underway. The research firm also found that a shocking 75% of CxOs admittedly do not know what their industry will look like or who their competitors will be in five years. This means that success in the digital era isn’t based on the company that has the lowest prices, best products, or even the top people.

Sustaining a market leading position is predicated being agile and having the ability to quickly adapt the business to seize new opportunities faster than the competition. The digital era is Darwinism at its finest – it’s the most adaptable that survives and the rest are fodder for the winners. This is why the transition to digital is at the top of every CxOs priority list.

While the concept of becoming digital makes sense, executing a plan to transform can be quite intimidating for most organizations, particularly well established businesses that haven’t relied on technology in the past, as there’s a perception that digital transformation requires big moonshot-like initiatives and investments. Retailers believe they need to Amazon over night while taxi and car service companies want to Uber up. The fact is, while there is urgency, there’s no need to try and make that hard pivot overnight. In fact, moonshots often fail and business and technology leaders need to understand that digital transformation is more about executing manageable chip shots rather than complex moonshots.

The chip shot reference should make it clear that I’m an avid golfer and I’ll extend the analogy further by pointing out digital transformation should be done one shot at a time and SD-WANs can facilitate that. For example, a bank might put a futuristic plan together for “digital banking” that involves a number of new technologies, such as virtual reality, digital signs, Internet of Things, digital mirrors and other advanced technology. One might look at the end game and find the journey so daunting that it paralyzes them.

A better way to approach this type of digital plan is through a series of smaller initiatives where the deployments can be controlled and managed the ROI easily calculated. For example, the bank may choose to put video terminals in an office at all branch locations, allowing customers to talk directly to product experts, even if that branch has no local personnel with that knowledge base. This is a small, manageable change that’s easy to implement with a measurable ROI. Without video, experts travel from branch to branch limiting the number of appointments per day to just a few. With video, product experts can be available all day long giving the bank the ability to sell more products to more people.

What does SD-WAN have to do with this? The answer is everything! We live in a customer experience driven world where a good customer experience leads to loyalty and a higher share of wallet. A bad experience will drive customers away, perhaps never to return. One interesting factoid that supports this, comes from ZK Research, which found that two-thirds of millennials changed loyalties to a brand in 2018 because of a single bad experience.

Here is where a little SD-WAN will pay big dividends as video requires a high quality, low latency and jitter free network. Imagine being in a bank, sitting a high end customer down in front of a terminal only to experience a horrible video experience. That customer may never try and service again. Instead of fueling customer acquisition might be chasing them away. Also, the bank may be less likely to recommend it, giving the impression the project was a waste.

The key takeaway here is that success with digital transformation is dependent on network modernization, particularly the WAN where bandwidth isn’t a bountiful commodity. Businesses require an agile, secure and dynamic network capable of supporting whatever applications are deployed. Legacy WANs cannot support digital businesses, but SD-WANs are built from the ground up with agility and flexibility in mind. With the banking example, the video service requires flawless connectivity and SD-WANs can automate the process of prioritizing traffic or reserving bandwidth to ensure the quality remains high. When the call is over, the reservation on bandwidth needs to be removed to not impact other applications. These processes on a legacy network, using manual processes are slow, time consuming and error prone and will likely lead to application problems. SD-WANs make this touch free.

The digital era has arrived and IT leaders need to be prepared. This requires agility and dynamism at the network layer as it’s the resource that connects everything. SD-WANs create a foundation that enables businesses to accelerate their digital efforts.

FatPipe Networks have been developing and innovating SD-WAN solutions for 18 years. For the best of breed SD-WAN solutions, call FatPipe today at 801-683-5656. FatPipe Networks www.fatpipeinc.com

24 Sep

What’s in an SD-WAN?

What’s in an SD-WAN?

By R. Scott Raynovich, Principal Analyst Futuriom

Software-defined wide-area networking (SD-WAN) technology combines many desired enterprise networking features – including security, bandwidth optimization, and application acceleration – and delivers them with a cloud-managed networking architecture.

One of the primary benefits of SD-WAN technology is that it implements new network services and features in software, without requiring hardware upgrades. Enterprise and service-provider buyers are interested in the multiple benefits of SD-WAN, including improving and managing broadband Internet, reducing network costs for both connectivity and operating expense (opex), and improved management and automation. Service providers are aware of this trend and are scrambling to put together managed services offerings, as their MPLS offerings will clearly be replaced by SD-WAN services in the long term.

The Network’s Cloud Evolution

One of the big trends with information technology is the move to the cloud. Enterprises now expect to buy IT services, on-demand, from the cloud. The network is moving to the cloud as well. Enterprise network managers seek the agility and flexibility of managing their network from the cloud, while at the same time getting locked into proprietary equipment on expensive private lines. Gains in Internet availability and bandwidth optimization technology, such as WAN optimization, de-duplication, load-balancing, and link balancing, have become more sophisticated, enabling enterprises to leverage Internet broadband for business applications. This is driving the rapid expansion of the SD-WAN market, which provides all of this functionality in a cloud-delivered model

The Network’s Cloud Evolution

Futuriom’s ongoing interviews with enterprise end users as well as service providers delivering SD-WAN reveals the following goals in connecting the WAN in these new cloud environments:

Optimize and accelerate WAN traffic to the cloud
Improve overall network security
Reduce costs related to WAN bandwidth
Leverage multiple access technologies such as fiber, DSL, and wireless
Increased flexibility in CPE so that management can be outsourced or updated with software-only upgrades
Improve capability to purchase, provision, and manage network services via the cloud, using software

Customers can solve all of these problems with a single SD-WAN offering that addresses these challenges with specific features. Take a look at the features that can now be typically included in an SD-WAN package:

Let’s highlight why all of these SD-WAN features are important.

Router replacement and Open CPE: Managing proprietary hardware and customer premises equipment (CPE), including branch-office routers, can be expensive and time consuming. SD-WAN can be used to simplify the deployment and management of CPE – especially if you are a retail company that has to manage hundreds or thousands of branches. SD-WAN functionality can be delivered on open, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware and managed from the cloud, helping to streamline and automate management.

Enhanced Security and Cloud VPN: One of the allures of SD-WAN technology is that it can be used to deploy a virtual private network (VPN) as a software overlay using end-to-end encryption. This helps meet security requirements for businesses that may want to connect branch offices or retail outlets but also have high security requirements. But SD-WAN platforms can also be used to deliver value-added security services such as stronger encryption, malware detection, and intrusion detection services (IDS). Security is becoming an important checklist item for SD-WAN.

WAN Optimization: SD-WAN can be used to improve the performance of applications on the network. WAN optimization, once a discrete function delivered with a hardware or software appliances, is being integrated into SD-WAN functionality. Many SD-WAN technologies include WAN optimization functionality and we expect this to be a checklist item in SD-WAN deployments.

Application Performance Enhancement: Cloud WAN solutions can be built that optimize access to cloud applications by monitoring traffic and routing higher-priority business applications ahead of leisure services such as Netflix and YouTube. Additionally, many WAN services can peer directly with cloud services to offer a “fast lane” to the business applications. These techniques can be used to “offload” enterprise WAN backhaul, routing cloud traffic directly to the source using a combination of broadband technologies. This will also have the effect of challenging the traditional ADC model of providing these services as part of a discrete hardware device. In addition, some SD-WAN vendors are working with cloud vendors to set up specialized cloud gateways and POPs in cloud datacenters to provide more direct access to cloud applications.

Cloud Management: As we have outlined, SD-WAN functionality can be deployed using COTS hardware and then managed from the cloud. This means that new network features, functionality, and updates can be managed with software over the network, rather than forklift upgrades, yielding a network-as-a-service model.

The SD-WAN market is now rapidly moving to customer deployments and accelerating because it delivers a more flexible, agile, and feature-rich platform to manage the enterprise WAN. Futuriom believes that in 2019 the market will continue to accelerate and drive into the billions of dollars, as it replaces some legacy technologies for VPN, ADC, edge routers, and firewalls. The market is consolidating around software-delivered and adaptive WAN services that can connect either through thin customer clients or industry-standard CPE.

FatPipe Networks have been selling software defined networking solutions for over 20 years and have specialized in providing customers with best of breed security, (one of the only SD-WAN providers with FIPS 140-2 government certification) reliability, flexibility (can support up to 15 interfaces in one device) and is easy to manage, providing a single pane interface view of the entire network.

FatPipe Networks www.fatpipeinc.com

10 Sep

Not all SD-WAN solutions solve the problem

Buy SD-WAN – it will solve your network issues and improve your efficiencies. Really? How often have you been approached by an IT solution provider who represents a particular vendor’s product and convinces you that it will solve your problem? You trust them and buy their solution only to find it can only do 50% of you need it do.

This is very common in today’s market. Most WAN administrators want very simple things. A network that works efficiently, securely, and “autonomously” so that they can concentrate on delivering applications to their user base that help drive company profits.

So why is it so challenging to implement Software-Defined WAN (SD-WAN) solutions that work as desired? Research has shown that a large percentage of SD-WAN solutions deployed are either re-tooled or worst case – removed because they have not met specific needs.

Don’t buy the Hype!

Marketing plays a significant role in decisions made. Certain features and functions are marketed to solve business needs, but savvy administrators do not buy the hype. They require suppliers to prove effectiveness of the recommended solution.

Here is where the rubber meets the road.

Businesses will do Proof of Concept, and it is usually a good way to determine if the products will solve the problems. Or is it? Only if your POC has been designed to show you how the solution solves the “real” problem, not mask it with fancy screens showing how it “may” solve it without really getting to the bottom of the issue. The pressure to close the sale is always the driving force.

The truth is, most vendors want to help you solve your network problems. However, there is a flood of opportunists who simply want to make some cash. Simply put – software-defined network solutions should be simple to understand, simple to implement and above all, simple to manage!

Key Issues Facing Administrators

Now it is well known that businesses are most wary of the security of their data flowing across their network. How can they ensure that this traffic is secure from origin to destination and back? What about cloud-based applications, the internet as a reliable link, back up off-premise, and application performance? Can SD-WAN provide a comprehensive solution to ALL the issues, not just a subset?

Firewall companies will sell an SD-WAN solution, router companies will sell an SD-WAN solution, and ISPs will sell an SD-WAN solution. Which is right for your business?

It is all about the “S”

It is the “S” in SD-WAN that is critical to decision making. Without a comprehensive, integrated and simple to manage software suite, your SD-WAN may look a little like a cobbled together smorgasbord of hardware and software that is frequently difficult to navigate, difficult to remediate issues and impossible to customize. To exacerbate the problem – you need to retrain your IT staff, get new certifications or worse still, hire expensive administrators. And just wait until you have to upgrade! What happened to the SD-WAN that will solve my problems and be much more efficient?

The best approach to an SD-WAN solution is to focus your research and effort on the “S”. It is the software that drives the management of traffic on your network, not the hardware. It is the software that will give your business the flexibility and control required to ensure your data is secure, no matter which link is used, or where it is destined, and it is the software that will allow simple and easy to manage traffic management.

So, the software MUST be able to work on multiple platforms, virtual machines, large or small edge devices, and provide the user with a simple, easy to understand and use interface that provides a complete view of your entire network to enable effective traffic management.

It really is about Traffic Management

After all, it is about traffic management, isn’t it? The software you choose (the SD-WAN solution you choose) will determine the security, flexibility, reliability, and performance of your network. Can you afford NOT to look at the best of breed “S”?

FatPipe Networks have been developing networking solutions for over 20 years and were the first to sell “SD-WAN” into the market, even before SD-WAN became a buzz word. FatPipe’s software suite is unmatched in the industry with a comprehensive solution that addresses security, reliability, performance, compatibility and most importantly, is simple to install and easy to manage! Regarded as “best of breed SD-WAN” FatPipe works with any link type, including cable, wireless, 3G, 4G, 5G, LTE, satellite, broadband, and legacy systems such as BGP.

If you are serious about the “S” in SD-WAN, you must include FatPipe Networks in your evaluations.

26 Jul

12 Attributes of a Best of Breed SD-WAN

12 Attributes of a Best of Breed SD-WAN Solution & Why You Need One for Secure Traffic Management

SD-WAN is really about traffic management. Sure, zero touch deployment is not necessarily a traffic management solution, but the reason software is driving WAN deployments and configurations is simply that it is capable of managing your data links and traffic across these links.

Extensive research has established that security is the number one issue faced by WAN administrators. Hosting your data in the cloud, hybrid cloud or on premise has created the need for highly secure traffic management between users and your data. There are a lot of SD-WAN solutions out there that claim to have the capabilities to manage this traffic securely, but not all SD-WAN is the same.

If you think security, firewalls are part of the conversation. Firewalls are designed to detect and prevent intrusion, but are not WAN traffic management devices. Traditional Routers are designed to route traffic over multiple links, but have been complicated to install and definitely complicated to manage.

SD-WAN has certainly disrupted the traditional networking industry and today, software managing your data traffic is becoming much more commonplace. For SD-WAN to be successful in today’s complicated networks, it must be simple to install and, above all, simple to use and administrate. It must be able to run on popular hypervisors, be compatible with cloud infrastructures and understand multiple link types, including legacy systems, such as BGP networks, as well as the less expensive and ubiquitous broadband networks.

So how does the WAN administrator find the best SD-WAN solution when there is so much choice and marketing hype? Understanding the features and functions of pure SD-WAN is important, especially when it comes to security of your data.

Best of breed SD-WAN solutions will come with the following features:

Easy to install
Support ALL link types (existing legacy systems (BGP) as well as Internet, satellite, 3G,4G,5G, LTE, cable)
Support multiple links in one device (up to 12 interfaces is not uncommon)
Support bandwidth ranges from 10Mb up to 40 Gig.
Provide secure management of BOTH inbound and outbound traffic.
Allow customization and assignment of application traffic on certain links with instant failover
Ability to determine healthy links instantly, which allows for instant failover, of BOTH inbound and outbound traffic. This usually means the methodology used to test the links is very important. Ask what algorithms the software uses to test the links.
Cloud support with emphasis on secure traffic transmission and instant failover capabilities to multiple link types.
Zero touch branch deployment
Options to host or outsource to MSP
Opex or Capex offerings
Most important! Easy to use management tool! It must provide a simple to use traffic management tool that allows for quick, easy and intuitive changes to any link or application traffic not matter where that application or link is located on the WAN. You should NOT have to retrain your IT staff or pay for certified staff to manage your SD-WAN implementation.

Of course, this is not a comprehensive list, but if you are looking for an SD-WAN solution to sustain your systems for some time to come, you need to consider each of the features above and map them to your long-term plan. Remember, security is the number one issue, so do not look at any SD-WAN solution that cannot provide selective encrypted data flow across the network, and preferably choose solutions that incorporate stateful firewall IDS/IPS features. SD-WAN will definitely benefit the efficiency of your network, but do not settle for limited capabilities, knowing that your user count will increase and your network will expand.

FatPipe Networks has been developing and selling SD-WAN solutions for over 17 years, and are widely known as the “inventors” of SD-WAN. The software suite is extremely comprehensive, but what is most talked about is the easy to use interface, EnterpriseView™ – which is a single pane view of the network allowing administrators easy access and with simple to understand menus, administrators can make changes to traffic management, no matter the destination, starting point or route taken.

FatPipe Networks encryption is FIPS 140-2 certified, making it the only SD-WAN vendor with an encryption module approved by government agencies. To add to the security capabilities, FatPipe recently announced firewall support next generation firewall IPS/IDS features allowing users the luxury of having a highly secure traffic management solution with integrated firewalling.

FatPipe’s comprehensive SD-WAN suite is unique in the industry especially its patented SmartDNS™ which provides customers with INBOUND fail-over capabilities, not seen in other SD-WAN offerings. FatPipe also provides industry leading policy-based routing, giving administrators the ability to set thresholds based on common network issues, such as latency, jitter, and packet loss that will trigger if certain user defined conditions are met, ensuring data is not lost or compromised due to congestion or other link issues.

FatPipe is certainly a top contender if you are seriously considering SD-WAN or are upgrading your current network solution. Call FatPipe today at 1-801-683-5656 x 1224.

www.fatpipeinc.com

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