Traditional WANs connected users to data center-hosted applications through dedicated MPLS circuits. This model proved inadequate for today's cloud-centric landscape, leading to the development of Cisco SD-WAN. This software-defined solution separates hardware from control, virtualizing much of the routing. It establishes a secure, software-based, virtual IP fabric that overlays standard network transport services, including MPLS, the public internet, and broadband.
Cisco SD-WAN comprises orchestration, management, control, and data planes, automating router onboarding, centralizing configuration and monitoring, network topology establishment, traffic flow decisions, and packet forwarding. This approach simplifies WAN management and enhances flexibility for cloud networking.
The Cisco SD-WAN solution comprises key components, each serving a specific role:
- Management Plane (vManage): A centralized network management system offering a user-friendly GUI to monitor, configure, and maintain all SD-WAN devices and network links.
- Control Plane (vSmart Controller): This software component centrally manages the SD-WAN network, securely connecting to vEdge routers, distributing routes and policy information via the Overlay Management Protocol (OMP), and enabling secure data plane connectivity.
- Orchestration Plane (vBond Orchestrator): Orchestrates vSmart and vEdge connectivity, authenticates vEdge devices, and facilitates communication for devices behind NAT.
- Data Plane (vEdge Router): Available as hardware or software, it ensures secure data connectivity between sites over multiple WAN transports, handling traffic forwarding, security, encryption, QoS, and routing protocols, such as BGP and OSPF.
- Programmatic APIs (REST): Provides programmatic control for vManage administration.
- Analytics (vAnalytics): Introduces a cloud-based predictive analytics engine for Cisco SD-WAN, enhancing network intelligence.