350-401 Question 43
Select 3A company is considering deploying an SD-WAN solution to improve their branch office connectivity and reduce WAN costs. However, they are concerned about potential limitations and challenges. Which of the following are valid benefits and limitations of SD-WAN solutions that the company should consider?
- A
SD-WAN simplifies network management by providing centralized control and policy enforcement.
- B
SD-WAN can completely eliminate the need for MPLS circuits in all scenarios.
- C
SD-WAN improves application performance by providing intelligent path selection and traffic prioritization.
- D
SD-WAN solutions may require an initial investment in software licenses, hardware, and training.
- E
SD-WAN inherently provides end-to-end encryption for all traffic without additional configuration.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answers: A, C, D
Explanation
SD-WAN offers significant benefits such as centralized management and improved application performance, but it also comes with limitations like initial deployment costs and the need for configuration to enable certain features like encryption. It is important to carefully evaluate these factors during the decision-making process.
- A. Correct.
This is correct. One of the key benefits of SD-WAN is its centralized management, which simplifies policy enforcement and network configuration across multiple sites.
- B. Incorrect.
This is incorrect. While SD-WAN can reduce dependence on MPLS circuits by leveraging broadband or LTE, there may still be use cases where MPLS is required, such as for specific SLAs or legacy applications.
- C. Correct.
This is correct. SD-WAN can improve application performance by dynamically selecting the best path for traffic based on real-time conditions and prioritizing critical applications.
- D. Correct.
This is correct. While SD-WAN has cost-saving benefits in the long term, it often requires an upfront investment in new hardware, software licenses, and staff training to ensure proper deployment and management.
- E. Incorrect.
This is incorrect. While SD-WAN provides security features like encryption, it does not inherently encrypt all traffic by default. Configurations may be required to enable specific security policies.