SD-WAN: What Is It? The 5-Minute Primer
SD-WAN in five minutes: what it is, what it replaces, the four-plane architecture, transport-independent overlays, and how it stacks against traditional MPLS WANs.
SD-WAN
Software-Defined WAN, the overlay-based architecture replacing traditional hub-and-spoke MPLS in enterprise networks. Articles tagged SD-WAN cover architecture, Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN (Viptela), SASE convergence, deployment models, and day-2 operational realities.
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QoS in Modern Networks: SD-WAN, Cloud, and Application-Aware Steering
QoS in 2026 is application-aware steering at the SD-WAN edge plus local queueing per tunnel. Why DSCP stops being honored at administrative boundaries, and how SD-WAN path conditioning compensates.
SD-WAN Security and the SASE Convergence
SD-WAN provides encryption and segmentation but creates an inspection gap. SASE fills that gap with cloud-delivered SWG, CASB, FWaaS, ZTNA, and DLP. The 2026 vendor landscape compared.
SD-WAN Deployment Models: Hybrid, Internet-Only, and Cloud On-Ramp
The four SD-WAN branch deployment models compared (hybrid, internet-only, cloud on-ramp, multi-cloud), HQ patterns, and the typical 18-30 month migration from MPLS-only.
Cisco vManage / SD-WAN Manager: The Operator's Walkthrough
Cisco vManage (now SD-WAN Manager) is the management plane of Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN. Templates, policies, dashboards, the REST API, HA model, and the operational realities at scale.
Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Architecture: vManage, vSmart, vBond, WAN Edge
The four-component Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN (formerly Viptela) architecture: vManage, vSmart, vBond, and WAN Edge. OMP routing protocol, cEdge vs vEdge, fabric bring-up walkthrough.
SD-WAN Architecture: Control, Data, and Management Planes Explained
Every SD-WAN platform shares the same three-plane architecture: management, control, and data. The vendor-specific components (vManage, vSmart, FortiManager, etc.) compared.
SD-WAN vs MPLS: When Each Wins in 2026
SD-WAN and MPLS are not pure substitutes. The technical differences, cost story without the marketing spin, when MPLS still wins, and the hybrid pattern most enterprises end up with.
Cisco SD-WAN in 2026: The Real Value Is Day-2 Operations
Path steering is now table stakes. Real SD-WAN value in 2026 comes from Day-2 operations: template management, observability, policy drift, and upgrade discipline. Here is what actually matters once the rollout is done.