Understanding Forcepoint’s Dynamic Application Steering
In today’s cloud-first world, staying competitive requires a network that is not only efficient but also adaptable, secure, and cost-efficient. Traditional wide-area networks (WANs) predominantly relying on MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching) are often bogged down by high costs, lack of scalability and outdated security measures.
Forcepoint Secure SD-WAN with Dynamic Application Steering capability helps organizations around the world improve their network and application performance with simplified network management and reduced cost. Here is how:
Application Identification
Forcepoint Secure SD-WAN understands not all applications are created equal. Some are mission-critical, while others are less demanding. Forcepoint’s Dynamic Application Steering capability uses hybrid technology, including detailed application fingerprinting and advanced analysis such as destination server certificate validation to ensure that every application on your network is recognized accurately. Dynamically allocating resources based on the specific requirements of each application means that essential applications like your video conferencing or CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tools are prioritized and receive the required network resources.
Why it matters:
- Increased productivity—By accurately identifying applications, Forcepoint ensures that your critical business applications receive the resources needed for enhanced performance. Without frustrating slowdowns, users can focus on their tasks, improve productivity, and maintain efficient workflows.
- Enhanced security—Accurate application identification isn’t just about performance, it’s also about security. Forcepoint’s approach helps protect your network by ensuring that users cannot access harmful applications and content scanning is adaptive to reduce the risk of breaches.
Link Performance Evaluation and Optimization
Forcepoint Secure SD-WAN optimizes link performance whether your network traffic is flowing through SD-WAN internet breakout or with the SD-WAN tunnel mesh. With advanced link performance evaluation, Forcepoint monitors links for bandwidth, latency, jitter and other factors that affect application performance. Applications are then configured to select the link that best meets their needs.
Why it matters:
- Uninterrupted business operations—Forcepoint’s advanced application routing ensures that applications are routed efficiently, even before they reach their destination, leading to uninterrupted and smooth business operations.
Multi-Link Tunnel Mesh
Forcepoint Secure SD-WAN Multi-Link tunnel mesh builds resilient and scalable connectivity over various link types. It builds a logical path between gateways that utilize different connections and balances traffic over all available links, whether its fiber, DSL, mobile broadband, satellite or MPLS, or any other IP transit. Common network issues like dynamic IP addressing and dynamic NAT are handled seamlessly, alleviating problems for administrators. Our Multi-Link Teechnology increases the total network bandwidth to enhance the network capability. To reduce networking costs at branch sites, backup links can be configured to ensure that high-cost links are only used as a last resort.
Why it matters:
- By actively balancing traffic over all available links, organizations can maximize network bandwidth for faster data transfer, reduced bottlenecks, and improved user experience.
Centralized Management for Scale
Managing a sprawling network infrastructure can be a nightmare. Forcepoint Secure SD-WAN provides a centralized management system that simplifies the entire process. Administrators can effortlessly control and configure policies fromnd deploy them across thousands of engines. This approach saves time, reduces the risk of errors, and ensures a consistent and secure network environment across all locations.
Centralized Management Under the Hood:
- Template based policy structure—Easily build policies that can be shared and managed with different engines.
- Certificate management—SD-WAN Manager automates highly secure configurations, freeing administrators from this manual burden.
- Forcepoint Secure SD-WAN Orchestrator—Enables distribution of full-scale mesh configurations to thousands of engines.
- Endpoint Context Agent—Allows endpoint executables to be used as policy selectors provides policy granularity and traffic visibility.
Why it matters:
- Centralized management ensures that configurations remain consistent, enabling scalability and security across the network, reducing the risk of misconfigurations that can lead to costly downtime.
Whether you’re looking to improve cloud connectivity, secure your branch locations, or need to boost application performance, Forcepoint Secure SD-WAN will accelerate and transform your business operations.
To learn more about FlexEdge Secure SD-WAN read the Solution Brief or visit the SD-WAN product page.
