Hybrid networks strategy

The uses on corporate WAN networks are continually evolving with the rise of collaborative tools (VoIP, Visio, IM...), public cloud based applications, connected objects, personal usages... Indeed, according to a recent study, companies are witnessing the following:

• 20% is the yearly global growth of traffic 
• 30% of traffic is critical
• 40% of traffic's destination is Internet

These evolutions are driving companies to rethink their WAN strategies. Hybrid networks emerge as an alternative to a full provider based MPLS network. With sites connected simultaneously to both MPLS and Internet, hybrid strategy is about taking the best from the two worlds. In fact, for each application the best link is chosen according to the following criteria: 

Below is an example of a Hybrid strategy where critical private applications and real time traffic are routed on MPLS, non critical private applications are offloaded on Internet and public cloud based applications as well as surf are routed directly to Internet. Note that security scheme must be carefully adapted: on site firewalls, cloud based proxies... Note also that network availability is naturally increased with a hybrid architecture.

Routing traffic can be network level based using PBR or application level based using more intelligent technologies such as Ipanema, Stonesoft, Fortinet, Riverbed... The advantage of such technologies, depending on vendors, is the possibility to integrate security functions such as firewall, compression functions and application QoS functions with traffic monitoring tools.

Hybrid strategy can be even pushed further with multiple Internet and MPLS connections with different providers. 

Finally, in order to build a better hybrid strategy, some questions must be asked:

• Is my security scheme adapted to my hybrid architecture? how can I have the same level of security? a homogeneous security policy?
• Can I, or my service provider, manage the potential complexity of hybrid networks?
• Are my managed solutions with my provider compatible with hybrid architecture? what are the technical limitations?
• When calculating all the costs of hybrid networks, is it financially interesting for my case?