Product Overview: Lumen SD-WAN
Lumen SD-WAN, formerly known as CenturyLink® SD-WAN, is a sophisticated software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) solution designed to optimize, secure, and simplify network management for businesses of all sizes, including startups, SMEs, and enterprises.
What Lumen SD-WAN Does
Lumen SD-WAN is a powerful platform that enables dynamic, self-service connectivity, allowing businesses to manage their networks efficiently without long-term agreements or upfront investments. It integrates disparate connectivity types, such as MPLS, broadband, and wireless connections, into a seamless hybrid software-defined WAN. This integration ensures that applications perform optimally across various network transports, enhancing overall network performance and reliability.
Key Features and Functionality
1. Unified Network and Security Operations
Lumen SD-WAN combines network and security operations, providing built-in security features such as firewall integration, encryption, and DDoS protection to ensure robust network security.
2. Centralized Management and Visibility
The solution offers a centralized customer portal and management platform, giving users complete visibility and control over their network. This includes real-time analytics, network visibility, and the ability to monitor and report on network issues in real-time.
3. Application Optimization and Prioritization
Features like application acceleration, bandwidth management, traffic shaping, and quality of service (QoS) allow businesses to prioritize critical applications and ensure they receive the necessary bandwidth and performance. This is particularly beneficial for latency-sensitive applications such as VoIP, video, and medical-image file transfers.
4. Dynamic Path Selection and WAN Optimization
Lumen SD-WAN includes dynamic path selection and WAN optimization, which optimize traffic routing and reduce latency, ensuring that applications perform efficiently across the network.
5. Security and Segmentation
The solution allows for network segmentation, enabling businesses to isolate different parts of the network while maintaining secure access to applications. This is crucial for compliance with regulatory and security regulations, especially in sectors like healthcare.
6. Cloud Integration and Multi-Cloud Support
Lumen SD-WAN supports integration with various cloud environments and multi-cloud setups, making it versatile for businesses with diverse cloud strategies.
7. Zero Touch Provisioning and Template-Based Deployment
The platform offers zero-touch provisioning and the ability to create templates for faster site turn-ups and deployment. This simplifies the process of managing multiple branch locations, allowing changes to be implemented across all locations with a single click.
8. Failover Protection and Load Balancing
Features such as failover protection and load balancing ensure high network availability and performance, automatically routing traffic to the best available path and failing over to alternative connections if necessary.
9. UC&C Solutions and Fiber-Based Internet
Lumen SD-WAN also provides tailored Unified Communications and Collaboration (UC&C) solutions for hybrid workforces and supports fiber-based internet for next-generation applications, enhancing overall network performance and user experience.
In summary, Lumen SD-WAN is a comprehensive solution that simplifies network management, enhances security, and optimizes application performance, making it an ideal choice for businesses undergoing digital transformation or seeking to improve their network infrastructure.