Tag Archives: WAN security

01 Feb

WAN Edge and SD-WAN, what you need to know

There are plenty of articles and information on the WAN Edge.    Perhaps the question to ask is, so what? How does this affect today’s multi-line hybrid WAN?  With research suggesting there will be 50 billion devices attached to the Internet in the next 3 to 5 years, how does the corporate network manage access to their applications and information stored, both on premise, in the cloud and from WAN edge devices?

Today’s corporate WAN’s are complex, and the top issues faced by IT management are still the security of data flowing across the network, managing access, the co-mingling of on premise and cloud-based applications, and reliable, high speed connectivity.   Adding new WAN EDGE devices is simply adding new access and data flow challenges that require careful management.   But who has extra IT staff for this?   They key to success rests with the management of this data traffic.

WAN of Things

The WAN ‘edge’ is evolving into the new WAN of things.  Remember IoT?   WANoT could be how data is to be served to users, no matter where they are, and no matter what device they use.   The question then changes to how to ensure secure, reliable access to applications and information no matter what the access route.

Data can be anywhere these days, applications too.   It is the secure, reliable access to this data, the applications and information needed to be successful in today’s digital society.

WAN Edge devices have computational power

WAN Edge devices have evolved to where they now have computing power, meaning a major portion of data analysis and computational functions are being handled “at the edge”. For example, routers are WAN edge devices, as are switches, but so are weather sensors and satellite tracking devices in shipping.  The proliferation of these “smart” devices with computational power can transform the business WAN, especially if the data from these devices becomes mission critical. Instead of a device sending data only, it is now able to compute and send results of that computational analysis back to the WAN.  This data is then sent to a web property or reporting tool. The downside of all of this computational activity that it adds more traffic to the network.

Control and management of data flow is not new, but is certainly becoming more critical, especially with more and more devices attaching to networks.   WAN traffic management is the key and IT administrators are seeking solutions that automate the management of this traffic.

So, what about “SD-WAN”?   Surely this was the answer to the IT administrators desire for WAN traffic control and management?   Well, it seems that since the advent of SD-WAN, many businesses have been trying to implement a solution that supposedly promises nirvana.   But this has had mixed results at best. The problem is that SD-WAN means different things to different people. Some SD-WAN solutions are complex, some are off premise or cloud based, and some cannot deliver on the promise of true WAN traffic management.

What is True WAN Traffic Management?

Recent research with customers across the globe suggests that “true” WAN traffic management requires sophisticated software that can automatically manage any traffic type, on any type of link.   Today , businesses want to customize their data traffic that results in secure, highly reliable data flow across the WAN, with limited, if any, administration oversight. This software must have the ability to customize HOW to direct this WAN traffic, especially if it has come from a WAN Edge device, using tools that can prioritize link usage with options to customize the flow.    Requested options are, interface type, application signature, protocol, IP address or destination, port source or destination or a combination thereof. True traffic management must also have the ability to set thresholds, based on almost any criteria, allowing for complete customization of how this traffic is directed across the circuits.

Identification of WAN Edge devices then becomes much easier, and the traffic flowing to and from them, customized and optimized. Using this true traffic management,  it does not matter what type of device it is, where it is located, or how it is connecting to the network.   Providing seamless, secure, and reliable access is paramount as is ease of installation and management.

FatPipe Networks has been developing and providing WAN traffic solutions for over 20 years.  With 13 seminal patents, over 182 technical claims, FatPipe is a leader in the industry for SD-WAN, WAN Edge solutions and true WAN traffic management.

FatPipe is continuously innovating and developing to meet customer demand.  FatPipe’s Software-Defined WAN (SD-WAN) and SDN traffic management solutions lead the industry with a security module that is FIPS 140-2 certified.   With a rich, complete suite of software to customize application traffic on premise or in the cloud, as well as for remote users and offices, FatPipe offers true WAN traffic management.  Cloud approved, FatPipe also supports any link type including Fiber, Copper, Wireless (3G:4G:5G LTE), and satellite.

Recently, FatPipe received a rating of 4.9 out of 5 by Gartner, and 100% of customers reviewed stated they would recommend FatPipe. The nearest competitor had 4.8 and 86% respectively.

If you are adding WAN edge devices, or are wanting to manage WAN traffic securely and cost effectively, you have to consider FatPipe Networks solutions.

Contact FatPipe today – 801-683-5656 or visit www.fatpipeinc.com

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.

Network Security

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:

  1. Easy to install
  2. Support ALL link types (existing legacy systems (BGP) as well as Internet, satellite, 3G,4G,5G, LTE, cable)
  3. Support multiple links in one device (up to 12 interfaces is not uncommon)
  4. Support bandwidth ranges from 10Mb up to 40 Gig.
  5. Provide secure management of BOTH inbound and outbound traffic.
  6. Allow customization and assignment of application traffic on certain links with instant failover
  7. 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.
  8. Cloud support with emphasis on secure traffic transmission and instant failover capabilities to multiple link types.
  9. Zero touch branch deployment
  10. Options to host or outsource to MSP
  11. Opex or Capex offerings
  12. 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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