Can Software-Defined WAN replace MPLS?
Let’s say, if you are managing a sizeable financial institution network, or a real-time broadcasting company that requires high-quality live video streaming via CDN (Content Data Network). It demands a high quality of service along with high-grade security. Sure, you are not going to use broadband. Instead, you will need to use a deep, powerful connection with reliable service levels, which is MPLS.
Traditionally, enterprises that have many locations have not typically wanted to rely on public networks. Because of this, MPLS networks is put into place in support of enterprises and their branches. But now, with the ever-increasing move to cloud-based applications, MPLS has proven sometimes to be insufficient to handle all the WAN requirements of today. Cloud applications, which sit in data centers outside of a company’s private network, must at some point pass through the public network before they reach the application. Hence, the value of an MPLS network is insufficient when cloud applications become critical to a company’s business.
What is the play of SD-WAN technology here?
SD-WAN is application and user aware, which allows it to direct traffic over the most effective route for high performance and low latency in near real-time. Real-time data or Mission -critical data will still be sent through MPLS, while other lower-priority apps like web traffic, emails can be sent over the public internet. Also, SD-WAN can reroute your data through alternative channels when your MPLS goes down, giving you the failover, you need without the cost of maintaining redundant connections.
When you think of network security, MPLS is a private network, which means that it isn’t exposed to outside hackers via the internet. Meanwhile, SD-WAN encrypts data to provide a secure overlay that is independent of medium. Together with traditional MPLS network security capabilities like secure web gateway services and next-gen firewalls, MPLS and SD-WAN work together to help keep data safe and sound.
If you are thinking of MPLS costs vs SD-WAN, remember that SD-WAN will help you cut some of your traditional MPLS costs, but not all of them. It will not help you eliminate MPLS; you still need that reliability. What SD-WAN can do is help you identify the need to scale your costy MPLS to meet your critical needs by instead letting software help maximize your current investment.
So, Can Software-Defined WAN replace MPLS?
Ultimately, it is not especially useful to compare SD-WAN vs. MPLS one-to-one—they are complementing to each other: that is, one is not an alternative for the other. And more precisely, one is not going to cannibalize or replace the other.
SD-WAN does let you use less expensive connections for some business applications. But in most circumstances, you are not going to replace all your MPLS connections once you switch to SD-WAN.
By
Srinivasan Arumugam