ChannelVision Magazine

CV: While the promise and the premise of the technology are good, the devil is always in the details. What are some best practices for ensuring that the transition from MPLS to SD-WAN goes smoothly? Silver Peak’s DH: First, it’s important to note that an SD-WAN gives an enterprise the freedom and flexibility to combine multiple kinds of transport, including broad- band internet, LTE wireless and, of course, MPLS. This facilitates a smooth transition to an SD-WAN without needing to replace MPLS outright, or all at once. Many enter- prises are choosing to use an SD- WAN to augment MPLS with direct internet connectivity at existing sites, at a pace that suits their own unique requirements, and eventu- ally, when they choose, the MPLS links can be retired. In many cases, these same enterprises are adopt- ing dual broadband connectivity for new sites. This caps their MPLS spend while they reap the benefits of internet connectivity. In order to facilitate a smooth transition, SD- WAN edge devices should ideally support BGP routing, which is com- monly used at the edge of conven- tional MPLS networks. It is also important to select an SD-WAN solution that is able to match the enterprise’s application availability and performance goals. Some basic SD-WAN solutions are limited to dynamically selecting one of the available paths based on network measurements. However, at times, neither path may meet an application’s QoS objectives, and then the application is going to be impacted. Because of this, SD- WAN solutions with rudimentary path selection tend to be very reli- ant on retaining at least one MPLS link in the mix. More advanced solutions, like the Silver Peak Unity EdgeConnect SD-WAN solution, allow enter- prises to leverage multiple paths in parallel and use advanced error correcting techniques to deliver application availability and QoS that exceeds any of the underlying transport paths. Viptela’s RP: Enterprises fall into two transformational catego- ries: They want to augment MPLS with internet/LTE, or they want to replace it altogether. Since we have gone through the transition with a few hundred customers, we always ask them to follow a phased approach: 1. Embark on a transport strategy – determine what they need at each site (MPLS, internet, 4G/LTE) and the criticality of each site; 2. Then profile applications and us- age to determine what level of SLA they need; 3. Design and architect the network – have a blueprint that provides virtual reality Conference Phones Trade-in Program www.yealink.com Model 2200-07880-001 POLYCOM SOUNDSTATION 2 W/WIRELESS Konftel 250 Konftel 300 (Analog) Konftel 300IP (IP) Konftel 300Wx (Wireless IP w/out DECT Base Station) Vtech VCS702 Vtech VCS752 Polycom IP5000 Polycom IP6000 Polycom IP7000 Yealink CP860 $250 CP960/ CP960-WirelessMic $220 $140 $200 $220 $120 $145 $140 $190 $250 $150 $230 CP920 $200 $120 $180 $200 $100 $125 $120 $170 $230 $130 Select the latest audio conferencing solution from Yealink to replace your old equipment. Take advantage of our trade-in program. Rebates up to 250 USD per phone. Apply oneline at Yealinkbuyback.com. Email buyback@yealink.com CP960+CPW90 CP920 To Truly Make Conferencing Clear and Easy Range features include: • 5-way HD audio conference • Yealink Noise Proof • 20ft (6m) microphone pickup • Wireless Microphone support • Integrated Bluetooth, WiFi & USB port 27 January - February, 2018 | Channel Vision