As companies continue to expand their operations across geographic boundaries, they face a number of challenges in terms of network connectivity. Traditional Wide Area Network (WAN) architectures, which use Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) connections, have significant limitations when it comes to handling the complexity of modern cloud-based applications and multi-site networks. That’s where SD-WAN Fortigate comes in.
SD-WAN Fortigate is a software-defined WAN (SD-WAN) solution that uses Fortinet’s FortiGate firewalls to provide secure, scalable, and agile connectivity between geographically distributed sites. Unlike traditional WANs, which require dedicated private connections, SD-WAN Fortigate uses a combination of different broadband links like broadband internet connections, MPLS, 4G/LTE, and satellite to connect all the sites. This not only helps reduce costs by eliminating the need for expensive dedicated links but also improves performance and availability by providing intelligent load balancing and failover between the multiple links.
Let’s look at how SD-WAN Fortigate enhances agility and cuts costs for enterprises:
1. Easy Provisioning and Management: SD-WAN Fortigate simplifies WAN provisioning, management, and orchestration. Enterprises can easily activate new branches or sites with zero-touch deployment and granular application-aware routing policies with centralized visibility and control over all the sites, applications, and users in real-time.
2. Improved Performance and Availability: SD-WAN Fortigate intelligently diverts traffic through the best available path based on the application type and network conditions to ensure high-quality user experience and business continuity. This helps avoid application degradation or downtime even if one of the WAN links experiences a failure.
3. Enhanced Security: SD-WAN Fortigate provides enterprise-grade security features like secure Multi-path Direct Internet Access (MDIA) and Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) to secure the WAN from any potential threats or attacks. The solution uses Fortinet’s security fabric to monitor the traffic, detect potential threats, and enforce security policies across all the sites.
4. Reduced Costs: SD-WAN Fortigate eliminates the need for dedicated private links, which can be expensive and inflexible. Enterprises can now leverage multiple cheaper broadband links like broadband internet connections and 4G/LTE to connect all their sites, which translates into significant cost savings without compromising on performance and availability.
In conclusion, SD-WAN Fortigate provides enterprises with a next-generation WAN solution that delivers enhanced agility, improved network performance, and reduced costs. With centralized orchestration, security, and management, enterprises can streamline their WAN infrastructure and enjoy a hassle-free network regardless of geographic location.