IDG Contributor Network: Managing the Software-Defined WAN
In previous articles I discussed how SD-WAN is an attractive step forward from simple IPsec VPNs as well as multi-vendor, multi-technology hybrid WANs, driving new functionality and quality levels into these networks. One important question is how next-generation WANs are managed – and by whom.
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Management is a fairly broad subject – what does it consist of in this context? There’s the orchestrator, where the configuration profiles and policies for each device reside. This can be cloud hosted or deployed on-premise, but somebody needs to perform the service design and configuration management roles regardless of where it resides. There are the edge devices themselves, which are typically managed through the orchestrator’s southbound interface. And finally there are the difficult, fragmented components around the edges: ISPs, MPLS vendors, metro Ethernet providers, maintenance vendors, field engineering resources – all of these must be effectively managed to deliver a workable solution.
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