The Dynamic Cloud Needs the Software Defined WAN

Grazed from EnterpriseNetworkingPlanet.  Author: Arthur Cole.

Software defined networking (SDN) is the last step toward creating the fully virtual data center. In the age of the cloud and Big Data, however, a single data center is no longer enough for most organizations.  What they need is a virtual, multisite data ecosystem that can be parsed into very finite instances or harnessed into massive computing environments.  But to do that, the enterprise needs to start pushing SDN over the wide area network (WAN).

The need for the software defined WAN

The subject was front and center at the most recent gathering of the Open Network User Group (ONUG), where, according to IT Connection’s Mike Fratto, the general consensus was that the telecom service provider market has been too slow in the uptake of dynamic WAN connectivity…


Therefore, the enterprise will need to step up to the plate itself, with a key application for the software defined WAN being the movement of bulk storage from site to site. Placing an abstraction layer on the WAN will go a long way toward fulfilling this goal. It will also optimize long-haul networks for continual workflows while reducing on-site hardware at remote sites and branch offices…

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