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Cisco is recognised as a leader in the Magic Quadrant for their capability and contribution to the SD-WAN market. Cisco's portfolio includes Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN which incorporates advanced integrated security, licensed software, and management and orchestration tools. In combination with Cisco Umbrella, Cisco SD-WAN is capable of delivering a complete SASE solution with SD-WAN. According to Gartner's analysis, Cisco supports approximately 46,000 enterprise customers with SD-WAN solutions on a global scale. These customers represent a diverse range of sizes and industries. Looking ahead over the next 18 months, we anticipate that Cisco will focus on enhancing their security dashboard. We also predict that Cisco will increase integrations with third-party providers in the Security Service Edge (SSE) space. This strategy is likely to support a dual-vendor approach to Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) and improve cloud onramp capabilities for multi-cloud implementations.
We started by configuring a basic setup of Cisco SD-WAN within our network demo lab by initially referring to the Cisco SD-WAN Design Guide. Within this phase, the overall goal was to achieve setup of basic network architecture which is detailed within the Cisco Bring up Process. The setup of the Cisco SD-WAN Manager, Validator, and Controller forms the basics of establishing a stable and network framework.
Once the initial phase was completed, we optimised network performance across bandwidth and Quality of Service (QoS). Using the Cisco SD-WAN Manager, I configured QoS settings based on a set of commonly used SaaS applications.
The steps involved creating class maps within the Localised Policy section under Configuration > Policies. Each class map was assigned to a specific queue to align with our network’s traffic management objectives.
Using the QoS Map section, I defined the bandwidth and buffer allocations for each queue. The QoS Map configuration demonstrated that the network was capable of managing data loads effectively with optimal performance levels.
Below: Selecting resource groups within Cisco vManage.
The configuration of SASE security required referring to the Enterprise Firewall Configuration Guide. The setup involved establishing zone-based firewall policies with firewall rules and rule sets, and then applying these policies to the defined zone pairs. This step resulted in an initial network security posture to defend against potential security vulnerabilities.
The management of Cisco SD-WAN (via the Cisco SD-WAN Manager) provides continuous monitoring, real-time insights into traffic, application performance, and network health. The Cisco SD-WAN Manager offers quick configuration adjustments in response to network changes, including QoS settings and security policies. Troubleshooting and diagnostic tools enable IT teams to rapidly address and resolve network issues, which reduces downtime and ensuring network stability.
Below: Cisco SD-WAN Network Path Insights.
The final aspect of the configuration process addressed multi-cloud integration which is one of the main Cisco Systems SD-WAN selling points. Following the Cloud OnRamp Configuration Guide, I implemented settings which setup our demo cloud connectivity with optimised traffic for cloud application performance.
In conclusion, the configuration of Cisco SD-WAN addressed aspects of network architecture which included performance optimisation, security, management, and multi-cloud integration.
Cisco's SD-WAN has evolved over time with improvements and fixes made in response to user feedback and technological advancements. Initially, users found Cisco SD-WAN complex and challenging to understand without gaining significant experience via training. While Cisco SD-WAN remains complex, improvements to simplify the solution have been made.
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