Top Reasons to Get SD WAN Training

As organizations expand their operations across multiple locations, they face challenges in managing their wide area network (WAN) infrastructure efficiently. Software-Defined WAN (SD WAN) technology has emerged as a solution to address these challenges. SD WAN allows businesses to optimize their WAN connectivity, improve application performance, and enhance security. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the top reasons why IT professionals should get SD WAN training

Introduction

As businesses continue to expand their operations, managing their WAN infrastructure effectively becomes crucial. Traditional WAN solutions are complex, expensive, and lack the flexibility to adapt to changing business needs. SD WAN technology has emerged as a viable solution to address these challenges. With SD WAN, businesses can optimize their WAN connectivity, enhance application performance, and improve security. IT professionals who are trained in SD WAN can help their organizations achieve these benefits and stay ahead of the competition.

What is SD WAN?

SD WAN is an acronym for Software-Defined WAN. It is a technology that enables businesses to optimize their WAN infrastructure using software-defined networking (SDN) principles. SD WAN allows organizations to manage their WAN connections centrally, using a software-based approach. This approach provides businesses with greater flexibility, scalability, and agility, allowing them to respond to changing business needs quickly. Also read - Is SD-WAN Worth it in 2023?

Benefits of SD WAN

Optimized WAN Connectivity

SD WAN allows businesses to optimize their WAN connectivity by using multiple transport technologies such as MPLS, broadband, and LTE. This approach provides businesses with greater flexibility in selecting the best connectivity option for each location based on their specific needs. SD WAN also enables businesses to monitor and manage their WAN connections centrally, providing greater visibility into network performance and traffic flow.

Enhanced Application Performance

SD WAN can enhance application performance by providing better traffic management, prioritization, and optimization. With SD WAN, businesses can prioritize critical applications such as voice and video, ensuring that they receive the necessary bandwidth and network resources. SD WAN also enables businesses to optimize application traffic using advanced techniques such as compression, caching, and deduplication, resulting in faster application performance.

Improved Security

SD WAN provides businesses with better security by using advanced security features such as encryption, firewall, and intrusion prevention. With SD WAN, businesses can apply security policies consistently across all their locations, ensuring that their network is secure and protected from cyber threats. SD WAN also provides businesses with greater visibility into their network security posture, allowing them to detect and respond to security incidents quickly.

Cost Savings

SD WAN can help businesses save costs by reducing their WAN expenses. With SD WAN, businesses can use multiple transport technologies such as broadband and LTE, which are less expensive than MPLS. SD WAN also allows businesses to optimize their network traffic, reducing their bandwidth requirements and associated costs. SD WAN also reduces the need for manual network configuration and management, resulting in lower operational expenses.

Flexibility and Scalability

SD WAN provides businesses with greater flexibility and scalability, allowing them to adapt to changing business needs. SD WAN enables businesses to add or remove locations easily, without the need for significant network changes. SD WAN also allows businesses to scale their network resources dynamically, ensuring that they can meet their changing bandwidth and performance requirements.

Who Needs SD WAN Training?

IT professionals who are responsible for managing their organization's WAN infrastructure should consider getting SD WAN training. This includes network engineers, system administrators, IT managers, and security professionals. SD WAN training is also beneficial for service providers who offer WAN services to their customers.

Types of SD WAN Training

There are various types of SD WAN training available, including online courses, instructor-led training, self-paced learning, and hands-on workshops. Online courses provide learners with access to course materials and training videos, which they can study at their own pace. Instructorled training involves attending classroom sessions led by an experienced trainer. Self-paced learning combines online training with hands-on exercises, allowing learners to practice their skills in a simulated environment. Hands-on workshops provide learners with practical experience in configuring and managing SD WAN solutions.

SD WAN Training Course Outline

SD WAN training courses cover various topics, including the basics of SD WAN, WAN optimization techniques, security, and management. Some of the key topics covered in SD WAN training courses include:

 Introduction to SD WAN

 Benefits of SD WAN

 WAN Optimization Techniques

 SD WAN Deployment Models

 SD WAN Security

 SD WAN Management and Monitoring

 SD WAN Architecture and Design

 SD WAN Use Cases

Where to Get SD WAN Training?

There are several training providers that offer SD WAN training, including Cisco, VMware, Silver Peak, and Fortinet. These vendors provide various types of SD WAN training, including online courses, instructor-led training, and certification programs.

SD WAN Certification Programs

SD WAN certification programs are designed to validate an individual's knowledge and skills in SD WAN. Some of the popular SD WAN certification programs include:

 Cisco CCNP Enterprise - SD WAN Specialist

 VMware Certified Professional - Network Virtualization (2021)

 Fortinet Network Security Expert (NSE) 7 - SD WAN

SD WAN Training for Service Providers

Service providers who offer WAN services to their customers can benefit from SD WAN training to enhance their service offerings. SD WAN training for service providers covers topics such as service delivery, service management, and customer support. Service providers can also get certified in SD WAN to demonstrate their expertise and differentiate themselves in the market.

Conclusion

SD WAN technology is rapidly gaining popularity among businesses looking to optimize their WAN infrastructure. IT professionals who are trained in SD WAN can help their organizations achieve the benefits of this technology, including improved performance, enhanced security, and cost savings. SD WAN training is available in various formats, including online courses, instructorled training, and certification programs. By getting trained in SD WAN, IT professionals can stay ahead of the competition and advance their careers.