Network Performance Mangement | 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

11 Sep

Top 100 Furniture Retailer Chooses FatPipe SD-WAN to Ensure Business Continuity

SALT LAKE CITY, UT– One of America’s top 100 furniture retailers* has chosen FatPipe SD-WAN technology for multi-line network redundancy and fail-over. Processing orders and general office communications are supported by a site-to-site VPN infrastructure directly connected to its headquarters. “Computer automation is a key element to our overall business process,” said the Network Engineer. A stable VPN is essential to the furniture outlet’s ability to conduct business.

The company realized how mission critical its VPN was when communications to one of its warehouses was cut off for one entire business day due to a downed line. The line was physically cut, accidentally, on account of construction in the area. The data stream was stopped and productivity was significantly affected. They experienced delays in putting through orders because they had to revert to manual processes. Their inventory control was difficult to maintain and had to be reconciled from paper records once the data line was available again.

“Our entire business process for that location was affected when our VPN went down,” said the Network Engineer. Other applications, including email, accounting, inventory software, and warehouse management software all were run over the VPN. “We hit the point where downtime is unacceptable,” said the Network Engineer.

He and his team researched ways to mitigate the effects of WAN downtime. They first considered BGP. According to the Network Engineer, it was a hassle. “We started the ball rolling on implementing BGP and the more we got into it, the more difficult it was becoming, so we looked for an easier solution that was just as effective, but less expensive and time consuming. We chose FatPipe SD-WAN.”

Not only can FatPipe’s SD-WAN conduct line failover automatically, it is dynamic and works with the company’s diverse combination of data lines including DSL – something BGP simply cannot do. The company uses FatPipe to aggregate a mixed breed of DSL, T1, wireless, and Metro-Ethernet rings at the various sites. Data is automatically failed over to available lines if a connection, component, or service fails.

The company also enjoys the added benefit of FatPipe’s patented security overlay technology, MPSec, which provides an additional layer of security.

The Network Engineering teams are implementing other mission critical applications, including VoIP, over its VPN, where IP data route control and QoS will come into play. These features are integrated into FatPipe’s SD-WAN solution.

ABOUT FATPIPE

FatPipe® Networks founders Dr. Ragula Bhaskar and Sanchaita Datta invented the concept of software defined wide area networking and hybrid WANs that eliminate the need for hardware and software, or cooperation from ISPs and allows companies to control WAN traffic. FatPipe currently has 11 U.S. patents and over 180 technology claims related to multipath, software defined networking. FatPipe technology provides the world’s best intra-corporate wide area network solutions that transcend Internet and other network failures to maintain business continuity and high transmission security. FatPipe, with several thousand customers, has offices in the United States, and around the world, with over 700 resellers worldwide including almost all national resellers in the US.

*FatPipe does not release the names of its customers as a general policy of confidentiality.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Hayley Doehler

(801)281-3434 ext. 2221

E-mail hayley@fatpipeinc.com

31 Aug

Law Firm Chooses FatPipe SD-WAN Solution

Firm Uses FatPipe SD-WAN Technology to Achieve Reliability & Redundancy for Its VPN & VoIP Applications by Augmenting MPLS With Dedicated Internet Connections

SALT LAKE CITY, UT–(Marketwired – August 27, 2015) – A leading law firm well known for its public service and pro bono advocacy has chosen FatPipe SD-WAN technology. With over 450 lawyers specialized in litigation and corporate transactions supporting multinational corporations, wide area network (WAN) connectivity is crucial for the firm.

As an integral part of its communications system, the firm deploys a wide variety of services and applications over its WAN. They utilized MPLS circuits to support the primary WAN needs and were looking for a way to increase bandwidth and WAN reliability. The firm did not want to incur the exorbitant costs of additional MPLS circuits. Through extensive research on how to accomplish its objective, the law firm chose FatPipe’s SD-WAN technology.

“We decided to go with FatPipe SD-WAN because we were looking to increase bandwidth, balance load, and have a failover solution using MPLS and Internet connections. FatPipe gave us the flexibility we were looking for, using both private and public lines,” said the Senior Networking Engineer.

The firm combines MPLS circuits and 100 Mbps connections using FatPipe SD-WAN technology at its New York and Washington DC sites, along with two FatPipe devices setup in automatic unit failover mode at its headquarters located in Chicago. It runs many of its applications originating from the corporate office in Chicago, including payroll, accounting and extranets, which is why it has the failover unit cluster. Every office has its own data center and local Exchange servers to support email and local file exchanges such as litigation support applications.

An IPSec VPN tunnel was setup between the offices as an alternative path if the MPLS goes down. Utilizing FatPipe policy routing tools, the firm runs VoIP and backups on the MPLS, while the day-to-day data transfers, emails, and Intranets for clients are active on its VPN using the 100 Mbps Internet connections.

“FatPipe has met our objectives indefinitely,” said the Senior Networking Engineer. “It works beautifully. We have experienced a few circuit failures, and none of our end-users noticed because of FatPipe’s automatic failover. Management is easy too.”

The team also enjoys an excellent working relationship with FatPipe’s technical support staff, knowing that they are available whenever they have questions.

“FatPipe’s SD-WAN technology has performed above our expectations, with no failure whatsoever since deployment,” he added.

ABOUT FATPIPE

FatPipe® Networks founders Dr. Ragula Bhaskar and Sanchaita Datta invented the concept of software defined wide area networking and hybrid WANs that eliminate the need for hardware and software, or cooperation from ISPs and allows companies to control WAN traffic. FatPipe currently has 11 U.S. patents and over 180 technology claims related to multipath, software defined networking. FatPipe technology provides the world’s best intra-corporate wide area network solutions that transcend Internet and other network failures to maintain business continuity and high transmission security. FatPipe has offices in the United States, and around the world, with over 700 resellers worldwide including almost all national resellers in the US. FatPipe does not release the names of its customers as a general policy of confidentiality.

Contact Information
For more information, please contact:
Hayley Doehler
(801) 281-3434 ext. 2221
Email contact

28 Aug

Global BPO Chooses FatPipe SD-WAN Solution

Call Center Uses FatPipe SD-WAN Technology for Sub-Second Failover of VoIP Calls to Its 50,000+ Employees

SALT LAKE CITY, UT–(Marketwired – August 19, 2015) – A leading outsourcing call center of customer care and back-office processes with offices in 100+ delivery sites in over 20 countries has chosen FatPipe’s SD-WAN technology to fortify its wide area network. The company was losing hundreds of thousands of dollars due to intermittent failures of its VoIP system. The system took up to 30 minutes to restore at locations that experienced line degradation or failure. This halted phone activity between customers and agents. By installing FatPipe SD-WAN technology at multiple sites across the globe the company was able to achieve automatic and intelligent line failover, keeping calls connected even when lines failed without dropping calls or shutting down IP telephones. FatPipe SD-WAN technology assured connectivity to all calls. The agents and customers were not stranded on “dead lines,” losing business and halting productivity. Also, the system did not have to be replaced.

The company was using VoIP over an MPLS network to connect to customers. They were challenged by intermittent VoIP service disruptions and degradations that many times resulted in calls being dropped. Jitter, line degradation and local loop/last mile failures caused major disruptions, this was exacerbated when the main phone switches lost connectivity when a line failed or when it perceived a line was down due to the latency issues.

The IP phones at any location experiencing degradation of services such as jitter, high latency, or a service outage were disconnected from the VoIP system. The call center would have to re-register with the main switch — a process that took up to 30 minutes to restore. The staff, meanwhile, could not work; they had to wait for the phone system to come up.

The company lost over 21,000 hours in productivity, resulting in paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in total paid hours to agents that could not take or make calls. The company needed an alternative solution to purchasing and installing new switches, which would cost millions of dollars. The call center found the answer with FatPipe SD-WAN technology.

FatPipe was installed at various locations around the world to intelligently and automatically failover calls to alternative connections when disruptions or line failures occurred. FatPipe boasts a sub-second failover of VoIP calls, for superior failover capabilities.

FatPipe SD-WAN technology used FatPipe’s patented MPSec VPN tunneling between devices for failover. Calls remained up with no interruption if there was an available line, and held if both lines were down. The switch did not have to re-register IP phones.

FatPipe SD-WAN technology is a non-BGP application, making installation and management easy. The company increased its productivity exponentially, increased customer satisfaction, and agents regained confidence in the system. Lastly, since FatPipe SD-WAN technology works with any type of router, the company did not have to replace its older routers or switches saving millions of dollars.

ABOUT FATPIPE

FatPipe® Networks founders Dr. Ragula Bhaskar and Sanchaita Datta invented the concept of software defined wide area networking and hybrid WANs that eliminate the need for hardware and software, or cooperation from ISPs and allows companies to control WAN traffic. FatPipe currently has 11 U.S. patents and over 180 technology claims related to multipath, software defined networking. FatPipe technology provides the world’s best intra-corporate wide area network solutions that transcend Internet and other network failures to maintain business continuity and high transmission security. FatPipe has offices in the United States, and around the world, with over 700 resellers worldwide including almost all national resellers in the US. FatPipe does not release the names of its customers as a general policy of confidentiality.

Contact Information
For more information, please call
Hayley Doehler
(801)281-3434 ext. 2221
e-mail Email contact

01 Aug

Gain Greater Visibility and Management of Your Network

FatPipe has recently begun shipping version 7.1.1. As part of this new release, FatPipe introduced EnterpriseView™. EnterpriseView is a new FatPipe product designed to ease the implementation and management of FatPipe appliances at multiple locations.

EnterpriseView is designed to manage and maintain multiple FatPipe devices across a global network. This can either be incorporated in Greenfield or existing installations. Managing each device can be a big challenge, EnterpriseView solves this problem with an easy to implement software module that can be retro-installed or incorporated in new installations.

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