SD-WAN Deep Dive Part 3: Monitoring, Operations, and Optimisation

November 2018 - Reading Time: ~12 minutes

We wrap up our three-part deep dive into SD-WAN by focusing on what happens after deployment — the critical stage of monitoring, operations, and ongoing optimisation. Building on Part 1 (architecture) and Part 2 (design and implementation), this post dives into visibility, control, operational strategy, and SD-WAN evolution.

Introduction: Operational Maturity in SD-WAN Environments

Deploying SD-WAN isn’t the finish line — it’s the beginning of a new operational paradigm. Success depends on proactive monitoring, rapid incident response, and iterative policy improvements. SD-WAN provides the instrumentation to elevate these capabilities, but organisations must know how to harness them.

Centralized Visibility and Control Plane Metrics

Modern SD-WAN solutions centralise telemetry from thousands of edge devices, making it possible to monitor metrics such as control channel uptime, tunnel status, routing updates, and configuration drift. Controllers offer real-time dashboards for immediate insight into control plane health.

Real-Time Analytics and SLA Enforcement

SLA-based routing requires accurate, near-real-time measurements. SD-WAN platforms measure jitter, loss, latency, and MOS scores on a per-path, per-application basis. Dynamic path selection policies rely on these metrics to switch to optimal paths.

Managing Overlay Health: Probes, Alerts, and Alarms

Built-in active probes such as ICMP, HTTP, and synthetic traffic simulations allow constant path validation. Alerting mechanisms notify operations teams of degradation events, path flaps, or performance anomalies — often before users feel the impact.

SD-WAN Policy Tuning and Feedback Loops

As conditions evolve, policies must adapt. Operations teams monitor real-world application performance and user experience, feeding insights back into QoS and routing policies. This feedback loop improves efficiency and aligns WAN behavior with business needs.

Case Study: SLA Violation Detection and Path Re-Selection

Consider an enterprise with dual broadband links and a 150 ms latency SLA for VoIP. Continuous monitoring identifies path degradation on the primary link. SD-WAN controllers automatically reroute VoIP traffic to the secondary link, preserving call quality. Historical analytics validate the event and adjust threshold policies to reduce false positives.

Automation and AIOps in SD-WAN NOCs

The rise of AI-driven operations (AIOps) transforms how NOCs interact with SD-WAN telemetry. Pattern recognition, anomaly detection, and root cause inference reduce MTTR. Some SD-WAN vendors embed ML to correlate events and suggest or automate remediation.

Integrating Monitoring Tools with External Systems (SNMP, Syslog, API)

SD-WAN must play well with existing toolchains. Exposing telemetry via SNMP, syslog, REST APIs, and streaming protocols enables integration with platforms like Splunk, SolarWinds, or custom-built dashboards. Webhooks and automation scripts further extend monitoring granularity.

Capacity Planning and Growth Forecasting

Historical data is invaluable for trend analysis. SD-WAN reporting engines track bandwidth consumption, session counts, top applications, and user behaviors. This data feeds capacity planning models, justifies circuit upgrades, and guides hardware refreshes.

Future Outlook and Evolution of Operations Practices

As SD-WAN matures, operational frameworks converge with DevOps and NetDevOps. Infrastructure as code, continuous policy delivery, and closed-loop automation reshape how engineers manage WANs. The next frontier includes SASE integrations, ZTNA context-awareness, and proactive security analytics embedded into the SD-WAN fabric.

Eduardo Wnorowski is a network infrastructure consultant and Director.
With over 23 years of experience in IT and consulting, he helps organizations maintain stable and secure environments through proactive auditing, optimization, and strategic guidance.
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SD-WAN vs MPLS in 2018: Where Are We Now?

November 2018 • 7 min read

Introduction

In 2018 the networking world buzzes with discussions about SD-WAN. Vendors flood the market, and enterprises weigh the pros and cons of moving away from traditional MPLS circuits. But is SD-WAN truly ready to displace MPLS at scale? And in what use cases does it make sense?

The Legacy of MPLS

MPLS has long been the gold standard for enterprise WAN. It offers predictable latency, tight SLAs, and traffic engineering. Carriers bundle it with managed services, making it attractive to businesses lacking in-house WAN expertise. However, MPLS also comes with high costs, inflexible provisioning, and lengthy deployment timelines—issues that motivate a shift.

The SD-WAN Proposition

Software-Defined WAN introduces agility to the network edge. It leverages broadband, LTE, and even satellite to create virtual overlays. Policies steer traffic based on performance, application type, or security needs. Centralized orchestration replaces CLI-based provisioning. SD-WAN promises better economics and faster rollouts—but these benefits depend on proper implementation.

2018 State of the Market

By late 2018, we observe large-scale SD-WAN adoption across verticals. Financial institutions pilot it in branches. Retail chains use it for point-of-sale systems. Multinational corporations embrace hybrid WANs—MPLS for critical paths, Internet for non-sensitive apps. Gartner predicts over 40% of enterprises will evaluate SD-WAN by year-end.

Security Becomes a Key Differentiator

Early SD-WAN solutions focus on connectivity, not security. In 2018, vendors shift to embed firewalls, segmentation, and even cloud-based ZTNA. Integration with cloud security platforms like Zscaler or Palo Alto Prisma becomes a market expectation. SD-WAN is no longer just a routing solution—it’s part of the broader secure edge architecture.

Performance and SLA Realities

Critics point out that public Internet lacks the deterministic quality of MPLS. This holds true, especially for real-time apps like voice and video. However, SD-WAN mitigates this through path monitoring, FEC, and dynamic failover. The key lies in deploying diverse transport types and validating the last-mile performance.

Cost Optimization—But With Caveats

SD-WAN reduces cost per Mbps by enabling use of commodity broadband. Enterprises escape expensive MPLS lock-ins. Yet, total cost of ownership depends on licensing, hardware refreshes, and additional security layers. Some enterprises overestimate savings by ignoring these factors. Careful financial modeling is required before transition.

Operational Models Are Shifting

SD-WAN demands new skills. Network teams now manage overlays, policies, and application-based routing. Tools shift from CLI to GUI and API. Enterprises invest in retraining staff or outsourcing SD-WAN management to MSPs. Operations center workflows evolve as visibility moves from routers to orchestration portals.

Cloud and SaaS Traffic Patterns

Traditional WAN designs backhaul Internet traffic to data centers for inspection. SD-WAN enables local breakout for services like Microsoft 365, Salesforce, and AWS. This reduces latency and offloads data center firewalls. As cloud adoption rises, SD-WAN becomes the de facto method for optimizing user experience.

SD-WAN vs MPLS: Complementary or Competing?

For most enterprises in 2018, SD-WAN does not fully replace MPLS. Instead, they coexist. Branches run hybrid WANs. MPLS provides SLA-backed backbone, SD-WAN provides agility and cost savings. The future points to more Internet-first WANs—but MPLS remains relevant where predictability matters most.

What to Watch Going Forward

• SD-WAN convergence with SASE and cloud security
• 5G and edge computing extending SD-WAN use cases
• Carrier-managed SD-WAN offerings increasing in popularity
• Open standards and interoperability between SD-WAN vendors
• Analytics and AI driving performance optimization

Conclusion

In 2018, SD-WAN transitions from hype to maturity. Enterprises see real value—but also encounter real complexity. MPLS still holds its place for mission-critical paths, but SD-WAN rewrites how branch connectivity scales. Going forward, success belongs to those who balance flexibility, security, and performance.

Eduardo Wnorowski is a network infrastructure consultant and Director.
With over 23 years of experience in IT and consulting, he helps organizations maintain stable and secure environments through proactive auditing, optimization, and strategic guidance.
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