VMware VeloCloud SD-WAN Reviews

I have to set up SD-WAN infrastructure for a large global carrier company in China. Initially, we discuss with the partner the number of users and networks within China to decide the number of VCE VCGs needed. Various models of the VCG are deployed at customer sites, and orchestrators are set up in Shanghai and Beijing to serve customers. We deploy six VCGs in North and South China to support customers in different cities. A co-management ratio is agreed upon, granting administrative rights to partners for configuring the VC VCG through the VCO.

VMware VeloCloud SD-WAN is recognized as an SD-WAN leader, offering user-friendly solutions that help end customers and enterprises solve network optimization issues efficiently. Its proprietary Dynamic Multipath Optimization (DMP) technology is regarded as the most powerful and valuable function by VMware VeloCloud SD-WAN. I see customer transformation to VMware VeloCloud SD-WAN networks showing a 30 to 40 percent increment per year.

I provide VMware virtual cloud to my clients. There are several in Taiwan and across different countries. 

I implement the VMware SD-WAN solution in the manufacturing industry and the banking industry.

 Each client is different and has a different network design, and they work in different infrastructures. We faced different challenges and tried to resolve them. If we changed the topology, we had to resolve new problems.

In the cluster, I've learned to utilize the HA mode for improvements. And the integration of Ampere as a service and the Internet service enhances high availability functions.

The second feature is that because of the VeloCloud SD-WAN, we can exceed the application service. We define the quality of service layer to improve their application service experience globally. 

The third feature is enhancing the firewall service in the SD-WAN solution to help the equipment protect themselves from network attacks.

VMware solution could analyze the data through the site and the detection. We define the policy. For example, we define the ERP service in the high-level quality of service. But, after changing the file transfer policy label, when we try to go through the virtualized environment, the solution recognizes the package very fast. In the banking industry, I did a POC to compare the virtual solution and the multicast solution. I can clearly see the result when the traffic enters different devices, and the reception speed is different. VMware Cloud mainly surprised me because the speed is very, very fast.

When the type of package enters the equipment, it breaks a line in the reception speed. It’s very, very fast. So it surprised me.

We use it for our remote office WAN connectivity.

The dynamic multi-path optimization feature is good because we don't have to worry about routing. It's more dynamic. In traditional routing, it was a bit challenging. DMPO takes care of the routing on its own, and it's more intelligent. It's a load balancer, so we don't have to do anything for load balancing between transport circuits. It does it own its own. 

One of the solution's most valuable features is the VMware core automation stack at an SDDC. It includes NSX, the VMware virtualization layer for the networks (the LAN virtualization), which works extremely well with the VMware SD-WAN solution and is the primary advantage over all the others. None of the other vendors could integrate with the virtual LAN, making it quite complicated and virtualized to be fully automized.

The other extremely nice function from some vendors is that VMware has been integrating VMware SD-WAN with the cloud vendors or software-defined networking. Microsoft Azure is the most important because I work mostly with Azure customers. So far, VMware is the only SD-WAN solution that integrates with Azure Virtual WAN. 

Furthermore, if you want to fully utilize the cloud vendors' hardware networking, as in Azure Virtual WAN, Azure backbone, Microsoft and VMware support everything. No other vendors provide those two. An important element for my customers was their use of different hardware stacks for networking and security. If you go for a software-only product, like VMware, you don't need to replace your firewalls and routers immediately. This is where Fortinet and Cisco differ significantly from VMware.

To improve the product, the company, alone or with a good partner, should manufacture their own hardware brand with boxes to make the product more shippable.  

Implementing VMware is much more difficult, time-consuming, and expensive than implementing Fortinet or Check Point. With Fortinet, you pay a couple of hundred dollars for hosting and a low-cost firewall, there's only one box to ship to each site, and it's much easier to manage.

Moreover, it would be easy for the large telecom operators and system integrators to sell the solution. It would also be a good fit for customers with multiple small offices, who I currently advise to choose hardware-vendor SD-WAN solutions over VMware.

For our light branches and remote workers deploying secure connections, VMware is much more when you're looking to make direct connections to the cloud, especially where you don't necessarily have a lot of on-prem data. We have data centers where all our information is stored with the help of VMware. VMware SD-WAN is also good for everything in Microsoft 365 or Azure.

Feature-wise, VMware SD-WAN is a really strong cloud web security product. If you're looking to be able to provide your staff with remote access that doesn't need VPN into the router and go out to the internet, then I would say that VMware SD-WAN is a really good product for that. VMware has slightly better options and a variety of features in terms of what you can get with them. So if they have cloud web security, they have CASB, all those kinds of options you can then integrate, meaning you need to have one router. You can have decentralized firewalls, essentially cloud-based firewalls, which help remote staff connect directly to the internet rather than securely going via a corporate network.

Our clients use the product for connectivity in their headquarters and branches. They use the product for cloud connectivity in their branches.

The solution helps connect the branches to the cloud. It's the most desirable technology at this time. The product is consistent and is one of the best despite the competition. It provides a variety of solutions. They are always up to date with the features.

I am an infrastructure architect and I use SD-WAN to connect sites for clients. My client is a bank and they are planning a wireless connection where you put SIM cards on the SD-WAN.

My client saved money because SD-WAN is more cost effective compared to MPLS.