Aruba SD-WAN (ACSDP) key terms

A software-defined approach to wide area networking that abstracts control from hardware, centrally manages policies, and dynamically routes traffic across multiple links including broadband, MPLS, and LTE.

A virtual network built on top of a physical underlay, using tunnels to connect sites and enforce policies, enabling secure and flexible communication without changing the underlying infrastructure.

The physical or logical infrastructure that provides actual transport for overlay traffic, including routers, switches, and links such as MPLS, internet, and cellular.

A management approach where a central controller or orchestrator configures, monitors, and enforces policies across all SD-WAN devices, simplifying operations and ensuring consistency.

An automated process that allows network devices to be deployed without manual configuration, using a central controller to push configurations and software images when devices first connect.

A set of rules that govern how traffic is handled, including routing, security, and quality of service, often defined centrally and applied consistently across the SD-WAN fabric.

The process of directing application traffic over specific WAN links based on policies, link quality, or application requirements to meet performance and compliance goals.

The dynamic choice of which WAN path to use for traffic, often based on real-time measurements like latency, jitter, and packet loss, to ensure optimal application performance.

A routing method that identifies applications and applies specific forwarding policies, such as sending voice over low-latency links and bulk data over cheaper links.

A technique that examines packet payloads to identify applications and protocols, enabling application-aware routing and security enforcement in SD-WAN.

A virtual private network that uses tunneling and encryption to securely connect sites or users over a shared infrastructure, providing confidentiality and integrity.

A suite of protocols that secures IP communications by authenticating and encrypting each packet, commonly used to build secure tunnels in SD-WAN overlays.

A virtual link that encapsulates packets from one network protocol within another, allowing secure and transparent transport across an underlying network.

The division of a network into isolated logical segments to enforce security and contain breaches, often using VPNs or VRFs to separate traffic types or tenants.

Virtual Routing and Forwarding, a technology that allows multiple routing tables to coexist on the same router, enabling network segmentation and overlapping IP addresses.

The process of selecting paths for traffic to travel across networks, using protocols and algorithms to determine the best next hop toward a destination.

Border Gateway Protocol, the standard exterior gateway protocol used to exchange routing information between autonomous systems, often used in SD-WAN for overlay and underlay routing.

Open Shortest Path First, a link-state interior gateway protocol that calculates the shortest path within a single autonomous system, commonly used in enterprise underlays.

Service Level Agreement, a contractual guarantee of performance metrics such as uptime, latency, and jitter, used in SD-WAN to define thresholds for path selection.

A test packet or message sent across a network path to measure performance characteristics like latency, jitter, and loss, informing path selection and SLA monitoring.

A set of techniques to prioritize certain traffic types, ensuring critical applications receive sufficient bandwidth and low latency while less important traffic is deprioritized.

A set of rules that control access, encryption, and threat protection for network traffic, often enforced centrally in SD-WAN to ensure consistent security across sites.

A firewall that includes advanced features like application awareness, intrusion prevention, and threat intelligence, often integrated into SD-WAN devices for branch security.

A security tool that monitors network traffic for malicious activity and takes action to block or prevent detected threats, often deployed as part of an SD-WAN security stack.

A security technique that creates fine-grained, granular segments down to the workload level, enforcing least-privilege access and reducing the attack surface.

A security model that requires strict verification for every user and device, assuming no implicit trust, and enforcing least-privilege access across the network.

A centralized software platform that automates the configuration, deployment, and management of SD-WAN devices and policies across the network.

The use of software to perform tasks with minimal human intervention, such as configuration, provisioning, and policy enforcement, improving efficiency and reducing errors.

The continuous observation of network performance, health, and security, using tools to collect metrics, logs, and alerts for proactive management.

The automated collection and transmission of data from network devices to a central system for analysis, enabling real-time visibility and informed decision-making.

The systematic process of identifying, diagnosing, and resolving network issues, using tools like logs, packet captures, and performance metrics.

The recording of events and messages generated by network devices and software, used for auditing, troubleshooting, and security analysis.

The process of analyzing network data to uncover patterns, trends, and insights, often used to optimize performance, predict issues, and enhance security.

The application of artificial intelligence and machine learning to IT operations, enabling automated anomaly detection, root cause analysis, and predictive maintenance.

Application Programming Interface, a set of rules and protocols that allows different software applications to communicate and exchange data, enabling integration and automation.

A feature that provides optimized and secure connectivity from branch sites to cloud services, often using direct internet or private connections with policy enforcement.

A physical or logical connection between sites or to the internet, such as MPLS, broadband, or LTE, used to transport WAN traffic.

The underlying network service that carries data between locations, such as MPLS, internet, or cellular, providing the physical or virtual connectivity for the overlay.

A centralized software component that manages the control plane of an SD-WAN, making routing and policy decisions and distributing them to network devices.

The interconnected set of SD-WAN devices and links that form a unified virtual network, enabling seamless communication and policy enforcement across sites.