Corporate network transformation with SD-WAN. A practical approach

In this paper, a practical approach is presented for transforming corporate Wide Area Networks (WAN) using Software-Defined Networking (SDN). This case study describes how the deployment of Software-Defined Wide Area Networking (SD-WAN) technology in a multinational corporation was utilized as a tool to facilitate the company's digital transformation strategies. With this aim in mind, the current architecture of the company's corporate network was analyzed and a network architecture based on SD-WAN technology was designed. The proposed design allows the SDN solution to coexist within the productive network infrastructure, making possible a transparent implementation to the business operations. Next, the plan for deploying the designed architecture is described using the selected (and proprietary) Cisco Meraki SDN solution. An analysis of the benefits is presented in terms of the solution's performance and security. Finally, the conclusions are discussed and some future work is proposed based on the company's real-life scenario.