The most common means for enterprises to connect branch offices into the corporate data center is predictable, reliable, and relatively secure MPLS. Nevertheless, multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) is expensive and inflexible, often requiring months to bring up a new branch. Today's hyper-connected, cloud-based environments demand greater agility and efficiency. Enter the Software-Defined WAN, which can address this shortcoming in traditional WAN architectures by putting an overlay on top of them. SD-WAN re-imagines the WAN for a new generation of enterprise networks, separating the data plane from the control plane and virtualizing much of the routing that used to require dedicated hardware. By separating underlying transport from a software-based, overlay control plane on controllers owned by the customers, it empowers them to centrally manage security policies and make application-based routing decisions dynamically, all independent of the underlying transport. SD-WAN can, therefore, enable customers to partly take back control from the service providers.
This master thesis's objective is to explore, assess, and analyze the architecture and principle of operations of SD-WAN networks. We have set up a simulation environment where next-generation Cisco SD-WAN virtual IP fabric was put to the test.
|
