SD-WAN Migration in a Connected World: Overcoming Challenges and Maximizing Benefits
Key Takeaways:
**1. Understanding SD-WAN Implementation: SD-WAN, while offering significant advantages over traditional WAN architectures, requires a detailed understanding of the organization's existing infrastructure and applications. Proper implementation yields insights into applications, robust edge-to-edge security, and improved end-user performance.
**2. Planning and Integration: Modern IT infrastructure necessitates careful planning and integration for SD-WAN projects. Solutions must manage various network access types and route diverse traffic securely based on enterprise policies.
**3. Critical Steps for Smooth Transition: Every organization aims for minimal disruption during SD-WAN deployment. Critical steps include:
- Analyzing IT Estate: Understand the IT environment comprehensively, including applications, traffic patterns, cloud services, and connectivity.
- Quality Access Consideration: Avoid simple bonding of multiple poor access types; ensure quality and capability match application performance expectations.
- Integration with Infrastructure: SD-WAN complements existing infrastructure, requiring analysis of application and protocol usage to optimize routing and bandwidth.
- Security and Public Internet Usage: Implement proper encryption and containment policies to mitigate risks associated with using the public internet.
**4. Vendor Selection: With numerous SD-WAN vendors, selecting the right one involves analyzing feature sets, support capabilities, and alignment with organizational WAN requirements.
**5. Addressing Skills Gap: A significant challenge is the skills gap for managing SD-WAN environments, necessitating expertise in SD-WAN policy and configuration. Consider engaging a managed services provider for skills and operational know-how.
**6. Pilot Deployment and Testing: Run pilots to identify pain points, validate network design against application priorities, and ensure correct utilization of network access types. This accelerates an effective SD-WAN rollout.
**7. NTT's Offerings: NTT provides near real-time network analytics, cloud-based security services, direct access to skilled engineers, AI-driven operations, and proactive issue detection, streamlining the SD-WAN migration process.
**8. NTT DATA Partnership: Interested organizations can learn more about NTT DATA's role as a trusted partner in facilitating smarter networking futures.
By focusing on these areas, organizations can successfully migrate to SD-WAN, leveraging its benefits while overcoming common implementation challenges.
