Item: Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN
Rating: 8
Author: Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We deploy SD-WAN across other locations, obviously when we have primary and secondary connections to all our locations for diversity, we use Cisco SD-WAN to manage all the traffic that's funneling through the primary and secondary circuits and we actually use it now for application awareness routing. We just deployed that feature and it's actually allowing us to manage the traffic once one circuit is flapping and actually automatically fails over to the secondary.

Pros and Cons

Pros

I will say the ease of use. I know it's very much a template based with feature templates and device templates when deployed properly. I truly believe that the tool can be very, very effective and actually quite robust for us to leverage for globally because we manage a lot of distribution centers and it's all over the world and a different environment in each and every location and obviously across the global markets as well. We've got a wide range of use cases and how it would be very beneficial to each of our business units that we support.

Cons

I will say the way we use it now, and I think what happened was the way it was deployed, it was fine, but unfortunately over the course of the years we've gotten a little out of hand with our device templates and feature templates. I think if there's any form of feedback that I would give to Cisco is how do we find ways to improve the environment as it stands so we get to a certain point with the environment and then we don't know how to undo it or fix it or optimize the environment. Because right now we're in a position where we're playing a lot of catch up and clean up and if there was a way or some tool or feature that we can take advantage of that would allow us to optimize that environment where we will kind of corner ourselves into a lot of problems in the future. There's some feature or something that we could take advantage of that will allow us to optimize that environment and not let it get out of control pretty easily. That would be my suggestion.

Return on Investment

It's been very positive. I think the one thing that we've had some issues in the past is how some of the actual appliances that we have installed on, we've actually had it set up in some virtual appliances and had some issues in the past, but mostly on physical appliances. We've actually had it installed on, it's been nothing but it's been stellar for us.

Alternatives Considered

Cisco Meraki SD-WAN

Actually quite well, I will say. Like I said, I think the one thing that is probably holding us back is what do we need to do to clean up our environment now if we're able to do that right now, I think we wouldn't even be in this RFP process.

Key Insights

Do you think Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN's feature set?

Yes

Did Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN again?

Yes

Other Software Used

Cisco ThousandEyes

Likelihood to Recommend

I would say in most office environments they would be very, very useful. The environment that we are in is food and beverage distribution warehouses where environments can change. It's really hot, it's really cold. We've got oversaturation of maybe 30 foot high rack space pallets. Things are where the environment is kind of changing dynamically and it can essentially cause potential problems in the environment, which will in turn allow us to have to make adjustments to how that communication is funneling in and out of that facility.

Comments

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