The VeloCloud SD-WAN solution was built as a “transport-independent” product that is easy to implement and that permits the use of any type of physical transport connection, from MPLS to cable to cellular LTE.
VeloCloud tackles software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) with the intention of simplifying the way organizations configure their branches within the WAN, and to improve the performance and cost-effectiveness of the WAN.
“SD-WAN is a transformational approach to simplify branch office networking and assure optimal application performance,” said Michael Wood, vice president of marketing at VeloCloud. “Unlike traditional WANs, SD-WAN delivers increased network agility and cost reduction. SD-WAN has its roots in Software-Defined Networking (SDN), the underlying principle of which is to abstract the network hardware and transport characteristics from the applications that use the network.”
The VeloCloud solution is cloud-native and built on those SDN principles. It offers cloud-based service delivery, orchestration, and analytics to create a flexible architecture that addresses the demands of today’s organizations.
In December 2017, VMware acquired VeloCloud as part of its push to become an SD-WAN vendor.
VeloCloud SD-WAN Components
VeloCloud SD-WAN is delivered as a service in the cloud with a separate orchestration plane, control plane, and data plane. It includes the following components:
- Secure network overlay. The SD-WAN architecture’s separate control plane and data plane layers improve network service agility by moving intelligence from the data plane into the programmable control plane.
- Scalable, secure cloud network. To form a secure cloud network, this SD-WAN uses standards-based encryption (e.g., AES) to provide secure connectivity over any type of transport. VeloCloud SD-WAN devices are authenticated to the management plane, assigned business policies, and then granted access to the cloud network.
- Virtual service delivery. Services are deployed from a catalog of applications. Based on the type of service, the services are delivered at the branch, in the private data center, or in the cloud.
- Orchestration and analytics. This layer provides the control plane for forwarding traffic to and from on-premises and cloud nodes, across the multiple underlying transports and with the policy‐driven insertion of distributed network services. There is no IT administrator-dependent branch office installation required.
VeloCloud SD-WAN Products
- VeloCloud Edge. A compact, easy-to-install device that provides secure optimized connectivity to applications and data.
- VeloCloud Gateway. Deployed at cloud data centers around the world, these gateways provide scalability, redundancy, and flexibility; optimize data paths to all applications, branches, and data centers; and deliver network services from the cloud.
- VeloCloud Orchestrator. Delivers network-wide business policy creation, distribution, and enforcement based on applications, traffic, and network conditions.
Uniquely, VeloCloud uses two business models to offer its networking service. First, it is available as a monthly per-branch subscription model. Second, large organizations and service providers can use VeloCloud’s networking technology and run the product as their own service.
Collaboration with AT&T
VeloCloud was named a 2016 “Cool Vendor” in enterprise networking by Gartner. In October 2016, AT&T announced its collaboration with VeloCloud to produce an AT&T SD-WAN product. VeloCloud SD-WAN remains an essential component of the AT&T Integrated Cloud ecosystem focused on SD-WAN.
VeloCloud SD-WAN: Key Takeaways
- In 2017, VeloCloud was acquired by VMware in order to jumpstart VMware’s SD-WAN.
- The vendor’s SD-WAN has separate orchestration, control, and data planes.
- For security, the VeloCloud SD-WAN uses encryption, authentication, and business policies on traffic.
- There are three products in the VeloCloud SD-WAN portfolio: the VeloCloud Edge, VeloCloud Gateways, and VeloCloud Orchestrator.
Source: TeksmartIT