How SD-WAN Enhances Cloud Connectivity

Cloud computing has become an indispensable component of modern business operations, with 94 percent of organizations reporting that they have migrated a substantial portion of their IT infrastructure and applications to remote data centers. However, outdated wide-area network (WAN) architectures often prevent organizations from realizing all the benefits of the cloud.

Accessing cloud applications and services with traditional hardware-centric WANs creates several challenges. Bandwidth limitations hamper the real-time responsiveness required by data-intensive cloud applications. Additionally, backhauling traffic through central data centers introduces inefficiencies that nullify most of the benefits of direct cloud connectivity.

As a result, more organizations are adopting software-defined WAN (SD-WAN) platforms to enhance cloud connectivity and address the limitations of traditional WANs. According to a recent study from TeleGeography, 47 percent of companies have already installed SD-WAN, while 86 percent are in the process of adopting the technology.

Here are some of the many SD-WAN features that significantly improve cloud connectivity:

Application Awareness

SD-WAN solutions are application-aware, meaning they can identify and prioritize traffic based on the specific needs of each application. For example, the SD-WAN controller can determine if enough bandwidth is available for latency-sensitive voice and video applications. If not, the solution can throttle less-sensitive apps to conserve bandwidth for higher-priority workloads.

Optimized Routing

SD-WAN solutions use intelligent routing algorithms to dynamically select the best path for data traffic based on real-time conditions. This optimization ensures that cloud-bound traffic takes the most efficient route, reducing latency and improving overall performance.

Bandwidth Utilization

SD-WAN allows for better utilization of available bandwidth by load balancing traffic across multiple paths. This is particularly beneficial for organizations with multiple Internet connections or a combination of Internet and private connections such as MPLS. By distributing traffic intelligently, SD-WAN helps avoid bottlenecks and congestion, improving cloud application performance.

Dynamic Path Selection

SD-WAN can dynamically select the best path for traffic based on the real-time performance of the network. If a particular path experiences degradation or becomes unavailable, SD-WAN can automatically reroute traffic to ensure continuity and performance.

Direct Integration

Cloud on-ramp solutions enable direct connectivity between branch offices and cloud services, eliminating the need to backhaul traffic through a central data center. Because direct connectivity allows you to bypass the public Internet for direct cloud access, it averts many of the threats that come with a public pathway. Direct connectivity solutions are often used in multi-cloud environments, allowing organizations to connect efficiently to multiple providers.

Integrated Security

SD-WAN integrates numerous security features such as encryption, firewalls and secure connectivity protocols. The integrated security features help mitigate the risks associated with Internet access, providing a balance between accessibility and data protection.

Conclusion

Cloud computing offers the agility and flexibility necessary to support today’s distributed operations, but outdated network architectures can present significant challenges and limitations. Shifting to an SD-WAN platform addresses those challenges and drives quantifiable improvements in efficiency, productivity and resilience. Contact us to learn more about enhancing cloud connectivity with SD-WAN.