Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN with AWS FAQ

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Table of Contents

 

 

Overview

Q. What is the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN with AWS solution?
A.  Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN, through its Cloud OnRamp portfolio, automates the extension of enterprise WANs to public clouds, simplifying the setup of SD-WAN gateways and the discovery of cloud resources like VPCs/VNETs, along with customer VPN segmentation. In partnership with AWS, Cisco has integrated AWS Transit Gateway and AWS Cloud WAN services to facilitate secure infrastructure connectivity across AWS regions and enable dynamic global network creation with intuitive network management and a centralized policy framework for enhanced security. With Cloud WAN, the two organizations have co-innovated to create a unique, dynamic WAN service built on AWS Tunnel-less Connect. This collaboration leverages AWS's global backbone, providing access to workloads, site-to-site communication, and interregional connectivity, delivering a secure, flexible, and highly available middle-mile solution. The joint networking approach promotes simplified management, on-demand deployment, and optimized performance, making it ideal for enterprises seeking efficient and secure cloud integration.
Q. What benefits does the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN with AWS  solution offer?
A.  Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN with AWS offers enterprise customers several benefits, including:

     Secure and resilient cloud access: Ensures secure cloud and middle-mile networking with end-to-end encryption over AWS cloud routers and private backbone, applying consistent segmentation across global site-to-site, site-to-cloud, and cloud-to-cloud environments.

     Simplified IT operations: Reduces operational complexity by enabling on-demand global network deployment within minutes. This joint solution enhances management and operations through full network stack automation, centralized provisioning, and orchestration via Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager.

     Increased performance and visibility: Integrates with Cloud WAN to provide a high-performance, dynamic SD-WAN fabric, improving application performance with a guaranteed service-level agreement and consistent uptime of 99.99%*, alongside monitoring capabilities for both underlay and overlay networks.

* For multi-availability zone (multi-AZ) deployments – AWS Cloud WAN Service Level Agreement.
Q. What makes Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN with AWS Transit Gateway unique?
A.  Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN with AWS Transit Gateway stands out for its ability to orchestrate and manage Transit Gateways, providing segmentation support for cloud workloads and establishing a peering mesh across regions for multi-region and site-to-site connectivity. Additionally, it enables users to discover and connect to existing Transit Gateways, which can still be managed independently of Cisco SD-WAN Manager.
Q. What makes Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN with AWS Cloud WAN unique?
A.  Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN with AWS Cloud WAN is distinguished by its co-innovated architecture, Tunnel-less Connect, which enhances performance and delivers a more robust networking solution compared to traditional methods. This integration, fully automated via Cisco SD-WAN Manager, provides simplified management and enhances security with native segmentation and unified global policy, seamlessly spanning both SD-WAN and cloud environments.
Q. Can Cisco SD-WAN extend connections to existing AWS Transit Gateways?
A.  Yes, Cisco SD-WAN can extend connections to existing AWS Transit Gateways using Cloud OnRamp automation. This capability enables users to seamlessly discover and integrate Transit Gateways by deploying a cloud gateway equipped with Catalyst 8000V virtual routers connected to the Transit Gateway. Most importantly, the customer retains ownership and management of the Transit Gateway, ensuring control over their cloud infrastructure.
Q. Who is the solution designed for?
A.  The solution is ideal for:

     Organizations with deployments in one or multiple AWS regions seeking to connect their SD-WAN branches to global workloads.

     Organizations with existing Transit Gateways, or those planning to establish new Transit Gateways or a Cloud WAN core network.

     Organizations exploring alternative middle-mile network connectivity options that offer flexible consumption, enhanced reliability, and cost savings compared to traditional methods.

     Organizations aiming to utilize segmentation options, ensure end-to-end security, and benefit from a private backbone through AWS Cloud WAN or AWS Transit Gateway, alongside Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN for secure cloud and middle-mile access.

     Organizations in search of a managed solution for cloud workload connectivity.

     Organizations currently considering or utilizing both Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN and AWS.

Q. What are the different use cases for Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN with AWS ?
A.  Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN with AWS supports a variety of site-to-site, site-to-cloud, and interregional cloud use cases to enhance network performance and security:

     Global network expansion: Seamlessly extend your enterprise WAN to AWS regions worldwide, ensuring secure and efficient connectivity between sites, clouds, and regions.

     Interregional workload connectivity: Facilitate smooth communication and data exchange across different AWS regions, optimizing application performance and resource utilization.

     Simplified cloud management: Automate the deployment and management of cloud resources, reducing operational complexity and enhancing visibility through centralized controls.

     Enhanced security and segmentation: Implement robust security measures with native segmentation and unified global policies to protect data across SD-WAN and cloud environments.

     Dynamic and high-performance networking: Leverage AWS's global backbone to create a resilient and responsive network infrastructure, ensuring consistent uptime and performance.

Q. How does AWS Cloud WAN differ from AWS Transit Gateway?
A.  AWS Cloud WAN and AWS Transit Gateway serve different networking purposes within AWS environments:

     AWS Cloud WAN: Designed to simplify the management of a global network, AWS Cloud WAN provides a centralized hub to create, manage, and monitor a unified network across multiple regions. It supports automated network configuration and policy management, enabling efficient scalability and global connectivity.

     AWS Transit Gateway: Focused on connecting multiple VPCs and on-premises networks within a single region, AWS Transit Gateway acts as a regional hub for routing traffic between these networks. It facilitates peering connections and simplifies network topology within a region, but doesn't inherently offer the global management capabilities that AWS Cloud WAN provides.

In essence, AWS Cloud WAN is tailored for comprehensive global network management, while AWS Transit Gateway is optimized for regional connectivity and integration.
Q. When is the solution available?
A.  Solution availability is as follows:

     Cisco SD-WAN with AWS Transit Gateway (new Transit Gateway created) is available beginning with Cisco IOS® XE SD-WAN Release 17.5 and Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Release 20.5

     Cisco SD-WAN with AWS Transit Gateway (existing Transit Gateway discovery and connection) is available beginning with Cisco IOS® XE SD-WAN Release 17.18 and Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Release 20.18, scheduled for the second half of 2025.

     Cisco SD-WAN with AWS Cloud WAN is available beginning with Cisco IOS® XE SD-WAN Release 17.12 and Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Release 20.12

Deployment

Q. How do I deploy and manage Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN with AWS solutions?
A.  These solutions can be deployed using the Cisco SD-WAN Cloud OnRamp for Multicloud feature in Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager.
Q. What are the components of the solution?
A.  You need the following as part of the solution:

1.     Cisco Catalyst 8000V Edge Software license (priced by bandwidth) - needed for all solution types except Branch Connect which allows a branch to connect directly to the Transit Gateway

2.     AWS Transit Gateway (priced by connections and data usage) or AWS Cloud WAN (priced by number of network edges, edge connections, and data usage)

Ordering and licensing

Q. How is the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN with AWS Cloud WAN solution ordered?
A.   

1.     The Catalyst 8000V can be ordered through the AWS Marketplace with the Pay-as-You-Go (PAYG) offer or through Cisco Commerce as Bring Your Own License (BYOL).

2.     The AWS Cloud WAN solution will be billed on a PAYG model in your AWS account.

Q. What licensing options are available?
A.  Cisco DNA Advantage license is required. Learn more about Cisco DNA Software for SD-WAN and Routing here.

Resources

Q. Where can I find more information about the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN with AWS Cloud WAN solution?
A.   

     Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN with AWS Cloud WAN AAG

     Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN with AWS Cloud WAN overview video

     Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN with AWS Cloud WAN webinar

     Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN with AWS Cloud WAN podcast

     Cisco SD-WAN Cloud OnRamp

 

 

 

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