WAN optimization in the age of a distributed workforce

Business networks have become much more complex in recent years. Take the branch office, for example. According to the article Search Networking, WAN Optimization Policy Goes Deep (1), branch offices used to have modest network requirements, but now often burden the WAN as employees access virtual desktops, applications, and data centers from a myriad of devices.

Some of the issues affecting distributed networks include:

• Branches – Often, overseas locations need reliable, cost-effective WAN access. Unfortunately, MPLS struggles to provide reliable performance overseas (and is expensive).
• Virtual machines – Virtual machines are hosted that require reliable access to start working. If the network is clogged, the performance of the virtual machines invariably drops.
• Remote workers and BYOD – Remote work has become much more common. At the same time, people coming to the office often bring their own devices. Both of these trends can put a strain on the network.
• Cloud applications – Cloud-based applications are certainly convenient, allowing remote workers to access them from any computer. However, as with cloud-hosted virtual machines, network bottlenecks impact application performance.

The increasing complexity of business networks makes WAN optimization a necessity. After all, if branch and remote workers don’t have reliable access to their desktops, applications, and data, productivity and morale will suffer.

According to the WAN Optimization Principles article in Search Networking, application acceleration and WAN optimization policies now consider user identities, roles, location, and time of day as part of the WAN optimization implementation. This can provide priority access during peak times, such as the beginning of the day when employees first log in. By leveraging user-level WAN optimization, it becomes possible to ensure that sufficient bandwidth is prioritized for defined users and roles (2).

For example, the article discussed a CTO who needed to access an Excel file from a server on the other side of the world via WAN. Before implementing Aryaka’s WAN Optimization service, it takes 10 to 20 minutes for the CTO to receive the file. Once the service is deployed and user-based priority is configured, the same file can be delivered in less than a minute.

Although more complex than ever, business networks can benefit from a new type of WAN optimization: WAN Optimization as a Service.

Works Cited:
(1). http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/feature/WAN-optimization-policy-goes-deep-Think-user-time-location
(2). http://www.aryaka.com/products/wan-optimization-as-a-service/