This article by Michael Leonard was originally published on the Citrix Blog here.
Organizations are looking to deploy SD-WAN to enable their digital transformation.
With the trend towards using VoiP, watching more video, and using SaaS applications from the cloud workers in branch offices need a solution to improve their experience. These applications use more band and their performance is sensitive to the quality of the WAN connection and IT organizations are increasingly challenged to provide a high quality of service for applications to their remote locations.
SD-WAN solves these challenges in a number of ways. SD-WAN directs traffic over multiple links in an active/active model. It duplicates packets for latency sensitive applications. It connects users directly to the cloud over the Internet.
As a result of these benefits SD-WAN is becoming popular.
About 20% of respondents to a recent survey said that they are planning to deploy SD-WANs in the next 12 months. Another 30% of respondents reported that they are considering deploying SD-WANs. *
Deploying SD-WAN requires resources and expertise and not everyone wants to take on that challenge.
SD-WAN solutions have two drawbacks:
1) They require branch appliances, either physical or virtual, which must be purchased and deployed.
2) Those appliances must be configured, managed and monitored which takes staff with networking expertise.
For many organizations a managed SD-WAN solution is the answer.
A recent survey found that about half of the respondents are either looking to a global service provider (27%) or a managed service provider (16%) to set up their SD-WAN. *
Now, there is a better way to deploy SD-WAN: as a managed service by a Citrix Service Provider.
Citrix works with a number of managed service providers through our Citrix Service Provider program and some of them are beginning to offer a managed SD-WAN service based on Citrix NetScaler SD-WAN.
One of these managed service providers is RapidScale. They recently announced Citrix NetScaler SD-WAN as a part of their Cloud Platform offering. RapidScale offers a host of services from their Cloud Platform including email, Skype, desktop-as-a-service using Citrix Xen App and XenDesktop, data recovery and virtual servers. While they can offer SD-WAN as a standalone service, their goal is to make it part of an integrated solution delivered from their Cloud Platform to make those cloud-delivered services better.
See the video to hear more about the service from Duane Barnes, SVP, Technology (@duanebarnes):
RapidScale Launches SD-WAN – August TechTalk with Duane Barnes (@duanebarnes) from RapidScale
The Citrix SD-WAN managed service from RapidScale has many benefits:
NetScaler SD-WAN enables RapidScale to deliver a service that will assure that branch office employees can access their applications over the WAN as quickly and reliably as they can over the LAN. SD-WAN enhances the performance of the hosted virtual application services like XenApp and XenDesktop by ensuring that they are sent over the best available link with the lowest latency.
- Intelligent packet-based path selection recognizes each application and directs it according to policies.
- Bi-directional monitoring ensures faster fail over from one link to another.
- Packets for latency-sensitive applications like VoiP are duplicated to protect voice traffic with lossless failover.
The SD-WAN service enables RapidScale to create resiliency in the network by providing active/active redundant links that are both in use at the same time. This is a benefit over the current practice of having active/passive links with one link idle even though it is being paid for. With this network RapidScale can ensure business continuity by providing rapid back up to secondary data center using a combination of broadband and MPLS links.
NetScaler SD-WAN supports dynamic routing and stateful firewall services, so RapidScale can deploy these services on their customers’ sites and provide managed branch networking.
The SD-WAN service is deployed with zero touch deployment capability. Once plugged in, the appliances phone home to get their configuration. It’s all done remotely with no installers on site and no need for technical personnel from the customer.
RapidScale provides value-added services for the SD-WAN service such as monitoring the performance of the network and tuning it for improved application delivery.
RapidScale is excited to be rolling out their SD-WAN service to customers across the U.S.A.
It’s suitable for customers with two or more locations and there are no limits on number of branch offices.
Follow RapidScale on Twitter, @Rapid_Scale!
To learn more about the NetScaler SD-WAN solution from Citrix visit this page, NetScaler SD-WAN – WAN Virtualization and Branch Networking
* Survey citations are from, SD-WAN in 2017: Growth, Investment and Concerns
