Losing sleep and worried about how to manage a multi-site rollout of SD-WAN for your company?
Don't sweat, we've seen a few SD-WAN rollouts before, and if you follow this 3-Phase, 9-Step process you'll avoid many of the pitfalls that hamper network implementations and upgrades.
Phase 1: prepare
If you're like many IT leaders tasked with SD-WAN rollout, you've likely been given a budget and a due date to get everything done. Don't make the mistake of jumping into the project without proper preparation.
Step 1: Create Plan
Your SD-WAN rollout plan should include four principal components. First, you need detailed information on the hardware requirements for each location, which should be established in coordination with your SD-WAN vendor to meet the service level requirements established. Second, you'll need to document configuration requirements for security and routing requirements. Third, it's important to develop a testing plan early and get buy-in from end-users. Finally, you'll want a timeline that takes into account the availability of resources to deploy hardware as well as any special scheduling requirements of each location.
Step 2: Order Hardware
Don't wait to order hardware. As soon as you've finalized your plan, work closely with your SD-WAN vendor to verify all required components and get them on order as soon as possible as hardware inventory availability is limited with vendors. In a later step, you'll be staging and configuring hardware so it's typically best to have a single destination identified for all hardware deliveries and a plan to assure you can verify proper receipt of all components into a secure location.
Step 3: Establish Cutover
Now that you have a gameplan and hardware ordered you should have some pretty firm ideas about the timeline for the roll-out. While you wait for hardware delivery it's a good time to work on your Cutover Plan. The Cutover Plan needs to address when the cutover will occur for each location and should be coordinated to avoid work interruptions, assure resources are available to verify there are no issues and have a clear path to revert changes in the event something goes wrong.
Phase 2: build
Step 4: Stage & Configure
If your storage location for the hardware doesn't have a lot of space, you may need to find a dedicated area to set up for staging and configuration that has the room you'll need. You'll want to organize components by location and work closely with your SD-WAN vendor to configure each location's hardware according to your plan and then properly package each location's hardware separately for shipping.
Step 5: Ship Hardware
Shipping of the hardware for each location often ideally occurs just in time for the planned physical setup at the site. This reduces the risk of storing hardware in less secure locations. To avoid risks, make sure to properly package and label all components, choose a high-quality shipping service and make sure someone at the target location knows to expect the hardware.
Step 6: Setup Network
This is where the rubber hits the road. With ZTP "Zero Touch Provisioning" and proper planning, most of the configuration for each device are automated but somebody still needs to be on site to plug in to the network. Building out the physical implementation of the SD-WAN should occur as a parallel network with your existing infrastructure.
Phase 3: deploy
Step 7: Complete Testing
Based on the testing plan developed and approved in Step 1, it will now be time to execute the tests for each location. It's essential not to just verify connectivity and speeds but also run through security and routing prioritization scenarios that mirror the real day to day activities of each location as much as possible.
Step 8: Day 1 Support
Hardware configured and installed, check. Testing completed, check. There's nothing left to do but flip the switch and go live. Don't assume though that everything will go perfectly. Even with an ideal plan and roll-out, you should always be prepared for the likelihood that once the network traffic starts flowing on your new SD-WAN unforeseen requirements or missed configurations may show up.
Step 9: Monitor System
Your SD-WAN implementation doesn't end with going live, in fact, that's just the beginning of a whole new journey to fine-tune the network, assure end-user satisfaction and leverage the benefits of the advanced technology. Whether it's your internal team or a contracted managed network services provider keeping an eye on things, the network needs to be continuously monitored.
Thanks for taking the time to review our 9 Step Process and we hope it's been valuable to you in your planning and SD-WAN implementation. If you are looking for assistance with SD-WAN implementation or support, Capcon Networks can help, with a deep bench of networking experts and world-class services in SD-WAN consulting and Managed Connectivity.