When thinking about how to explain the resilience of a Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) solution leveraging multiple links, there’s no better metaphor than a dually truck setup. For those unfamiliar, a dually truck has dual rear wheels on each side, providing enhanced stability, load capacity, and, most importantly, redundancy. If one of the rear wheels fails—due to a puncture, blowout, or even hostile action—the truck can still operate, albeit with slightly reduced performance.
In the same way, an SD-WAN solution that utilises multiple WAN links ensures that your network stays always online, even if one connection fails. Let’s explore this comparison in detail.
How a Dually Truck Works
Redundancy for Reliability:
A dually truck has four rear tires instead of two. This design ensures that if one tire fails, the remaining tire on that side can support the load and keep the vehicle operational.
Stability Under Pressure:
Dually setups are built for heavy-duty applications like towing trailers or carrying significant loads. The extra wheels distribute weight evenly, providing more stability during operation.
Resilience in Harsh Conditions:
Military vehicles like the deuce-and-a-half truck famously used dually setups for combat and rough terrain. These trucks had to remain operational even if one or more tires were damaged by bullets, shrapnel, or rugged landscapes.
How SD-WAN Mirrors a Dually Truck
Multiple Links for Redundancy:
SD-WAN employs multiple internet connections—such as broadband, LTE, fibre, or satellite—to create a robust network. If one link experiences an outage or severe degradation, the remaining links pick up the slack. This is the equivalent of a dually truck continuing its journey even if one rear tire goes flat.
Load Balancing for Stability:
Just as dual rear wheels evenly distribute weight, SD-WAN distributes traffic intelligently across all available links. This ensures maximum performance and prevents any one connection from becoming a bottleneck.
Resilience Against Harsh Network Conditions:
Much like military dually trucks surviving combat conditions, SD-WAN solutions are designed to handle real-world challenges such as packet loss, latency, and jitter. By leveraging techniques like dynamic path selection and forward error correction, SD-WAN keeps critical applications running smoothly, even in less-than-ideal conditions.
The Benefits of Staying Operational
Always Drive, Always Online
Both dually trucks and SD-WAN exemplify the principle of resilience: the ability to continue functioning despite adversity. For businesses, this means:
Minimised Downtime: A failed internet link doesn’t mean a failed network. SD-WAN automatically reroutes traffic over the remaining connections, keeping operations online.
Consistent Performance: Even under strain, SD-WAN solutions ensure optimal performance for applications like video conferencing, VoIP, and cloud services.
Improved Safety & Security
In a dually truck, the redundancy of wheels reduces the risk of accidents. Similarly, SD-WAN enhances network security by enforcing policies and encrypting data flows, ensuring secure operations even if a link fails.
Adaptability
Just as a dually truck is built to handle heavy loads and rough terrain, SD-WAN adapts to changing network conditions. It provides businesses with the flexibility to utilise any combination of links, from fibre to LTE, making it ideal for remote offices, retail locations, and even military-grade applications.
Why Fusion’s SD-WAN Is the Ultimate “Dually Truck” for Networks
Fusion’s SD-WAN takes the analogy further by implementing features that enhance both resilience and performance:
Dynamic Path Selection: Automatically chooses the best link for each application based on real-time performance metrics.
Seamless Failover: Instantly switches traffic from a failing link to an operational one, ensuring uninterrupted connectivity.
Optimisation Under Load: With advanced bandwidth management and quality of experience (QoE) tools, Fusion SD-WAN maintains performance, even when links are strained.
Wrap
A dually truck is the unsung hero of resilience in the transportation world, just as SD-WAN is for modern networking. Whether you’re hauling heavy loads or running a mission-critical network, the principle remains the same: redundancy ensures reliability. Fusion’s SD-WAN mirrors the strength and dependability of a dually truck, keeping businesses online and operational, no matter the challenges.
So, the next time you see a dually truck on the road, think of your network: Are you running on a single wheel, or do you have the SD-WAN equivalent of dual rear tires to keep you moving?
