Connecting Sites to the Simplifyd WAN Edge Cloud

Sites

Simplifyd WAN Edge provides two ways to connect sites to the Simplifyd WAN Edge Cloud:

• Simplifyd WAN Edge devices
• GRE Tunnels using third-party devices

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Overview of Site Types

There are different connection types to link a site to the Simplifyd WAN Edge Cloud. Each has distinct benefits depending on your use case, performance requirements, and existing infrastructure:

Simplifyd WAN Edge Device (Physical & Virtual)

A Simplifyd WAN Edge device is a proprietary appliance (physical or virtual) that connects your office or data center to the WAN Edge Cloud. Virtual appliances are available for AWS, Azure, GCP, and VMware cloud data centers.

Key advantages:

• Quick and automated setup for both physical and virtual devices
• Always connects to the optimized PoP and continuously monitors network performance
• Recovery mechanisms: direct site-to-site (WAN Recovery) and Internet Recovery
• Full support for active/active traffic configurations

GRE Tunnel

If you already have third-party appliances like firewalls or routers, you can use a GRE tunnel to connect them to the Simplifyd WAN Edge Cloud.
The appliance connects over public Internet or a private WAN circuit to a Simplifyd WAN Edge PoP.

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Sites Connected via WAN Edge Devices vs GRE Tunnels

Sites connected using Simplifyd WAN Edge Devices provide features and advantages that GRE Tunnel sites do not support:

Last-Mile Optimization

Simplifyd WAN Edge Devices include:

• Packet size optimization – Adjust TCP parameters for optimal MTU
• TCP acceleration – Reduce RTT using the PoP in the communication path
• MTU optimization – Continuous MTU adjustment for best performance
• Packet loss mitigation – Duplicate packets over multiple links
• Per-packet load balancing – Active/active traffic optimization

Improved Metrics and Visibility

• Monitor network traffic in real time
• Metrics include packet loss, jitter, distance, latency
• Single-pane-of-glass view for all sites

Centralized Management

• All devices managed from the Simplifyd WAN Edge Management Application
• GRE Tunnel sites may require separate configurations and updates

Better Performance and Stability

• Devices dynamically connect to the best PoP for optimal performance
• GRE Tunnel connections are static and less adaptable

Internet and WAN Resilience

• Devices have backup mechanisms to maintain connectivity if a PoP is unavailable
• GRE Tunnel connections do not offer the same resilience

Simplified High Availability

• Two devices can run in active/passive HA mode
• Third-party appliances require additional setup for HA

Flexibility for Hybrid Environments

• Devices can communicate over MPLS, direct site-to-site tunnels, or Internet
• GRE Tunnel sites have less flexibility

Bandwidth Management

• End-to-end bandwidth policies managed centrally
• Critical applications receive required bandwidth
• GRE Tunnel sites only support downstream traffic management

Packet Loss Mitigation

• Proprietary technology optimizes last-mile service and mitigates packet loss
• GRE Tunnels do not provide the same level of mitigation

Managed Upgrade Service

• Simplifyd WAN Edge platform automatically upgrades devices
  • Includes new features, performance improvements, and security updates
  • Resolves published vulnerabilities in appliance infrastructure