Overview
Q. What is Cisco SD-WAN Cloud Interconnect with Equinix?
A. Cisco SD-WAN’s integration with Equinix allows you to provision on-demand branch connectivity to multiple sites and to the world's leading cloud provider networks, like AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure, directly from your SD-WAN controller. Part of Cisco SD-WAN Cloud OnRamp, Cloud Interconnect is integrated with Equinix Network Edge, a network service that deploys network devices virtually and interconnects to the cloud in minutes using Equinix Fabric. The joint solution simplifies provisioning, delivers reliable network performance, and decreases the cost and complexity of operating your network.
Through the automation capabilities of the Cisco SD-WAN vManage controller, you can deploy your Cisco SD-WAN overlay while integrating the dynamic and highly reliable underlay of the Equinix network, and take advantage of both a cloud consumption model and dynamic provisioning of your WAN connectivity. Cisco vManage provides a single, easy-to-use console to automate deployment of connections from site to site and from site to cloud, reducing provisioning from weeks to minutes. Equinix provides secure, reliable connectivity to Equinix’s global ecosystem via 240+ colocation data centers in 70 markets across 31 countries and 6 continents. Please check out
Equinix Network Edge for the latest features, partner lists and available sites.
Q. How is Cisco SD-WAN Cloud Interconnect different from previous connectivity options through the Equinix Network Edge portal?
A. Previously, cloud interconnect was done separately using vManage and the Equinix portal. With Cloud Interconnect, all the end-to-end connectivity is provisioned through Cisco vManage using API calls to Equinix, providing multiple benefits and time savings to customers. In addition, Cisco automates discovery and deployment of cloud resources such as AWS Transit Gateways, AWS Direct Connect gateways, Azure Virtual Hub, Google Cloud routers, etc, so that customers can truly take advantage of a single pane of glass approach for all their network connections to the cloud. Cisco also ensures that traffic traversing the private backbone of Equinix is encrypted end-to-end. Cisco extends the SD-WAN fabric over the private underlay all the way into the cloud service provider by hosting virtual SD-WAN routers in transit VPCs/VNETs. This not only allows for end-to-end encryption for branch to cloud traffic, but also overcomes any failures of the underlay by automatically steering traffic from the branch to cloud over the internet.
Benefits
Q. What are the benefits of this solution?
A.
● Full stack automation: Orchestrate both Cisco SD-WAN overlay and Equinix underlay with Cisco SD-WAN Cloud Interconnect via vManage.
● Normalized experience: Bring any cloud with any carrier. No domain expertise is needed.
● Multipath optimization: Implement policy to segment and select any path through any carrier.
● Centralize visibility: Enable Cisco SD-WAN multicloud monitoring for end-to-end visibility.
● Single vendor experience: Ordering, onboarding, provisioning, and support are all from Cisco.
● Cloudlike consumption: Benefit from significant cost savings over traditional routes, and pay only for what you need.
● Encrypted Multicloud Interconnects: SD-WAN tunnels created between interconnect gateway (Equinix Network Edge) and the cloud service provider allow for branch to cloud traffic to be completely encrypted through the Equinix Fabric.
Q. What types of enterprises benefit from this solution?
A. Any organization that wants to connect to cloud applications quickly, securely, and reliably would benefit from this solution. For example, an organization deploying a new office location no longer needs to wait for direct connect links (with letters of authority taking days or even weeks) or for Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) links to be deployed (usually taking months). Instead, they can deploy an Equinix connection in a matter of minutes. Once deployed, the organization has the same policy, security, and access throughout the whole network, including the cloud, extending Cisco SD-WAN over the Equinix cloud-agnostic, private interconnection platform.
Q. How does Cisco ensure that the data traversing the Equinix Fabric is secure?
A. Cisco ensures that the traffic traversing the private backbone of Equinix is encrypted end-to-end. Extending the SD-WAN fabric over the private underlay all the way into the cloud service provider, not only allows for end-to-end encryption for Branch to Cloud traffic, but also overcomes any failures of the underlay by automatically steering traffic from the branch to cloud over the internet.
Use cases
Q. What are the use cases for Cisco SD-WAN Cloud Interconnect with Equinix?
A. The Equinix underlay can connect branches to cloud workloads in two use cases:
● Site to site
● Site to cloud
● Cloud to cloud
Deployment and platform support
Q. How do I deploy and manage the Cisco SD-WAN Cloud Interconnect with Equinix solution?
A. Users have the convenience of managing their SD-WAN fabric and connectivity to clouds and other branches through a single orchestrator, Cisco vManage. All policy administration, connections, and virtual router instances are API driven. Users select the bandwidth of the connections needed and the locations where they want to connect.
Q. Which Cisco platforms are supported with this solution?
A. This solution is available on the Cisco SD-WAN platform.
Q. When is the solution available?
Q. What are the components of the solution?
A. There is a Cisco component and an Equinix component. Customers need to purchase the following as part of the solution:
● Cisco Cloud Services Router 1000V (CSR 1000V) license.
● Equinix Network Edge: Compute instance on which the CSR 1000V is hosted.
● Virtual Connection via Equinix (priced by bandwidth and region).
Ordering and billing
Q. How is the Cisco SD-WAN Cloud Interconnect with Equinix solution ordered and billed?
A.
● Purchase a CSR 1000V license through the Cisco Commerce website (CCW).
● Equinix will bill directly for Equinix components (interconnections and Network Edge).
Q. How are the different Cisco and Equinix components deployed together?
A. Complete end-to-end connectivity is configured through Cisco vManage:
● Provision Network Edge at Equinix, and apply the CSR 1000V license at Network Edge.
● Create the connections at Equinix with the required bandwidth and choice of regions.
● Establish connections to cloud service providers, like AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure, as needed.
Resources
Q. Where can I find more information on Cisco SD-WAN Cloud Interconnect with Equinix?
A.
● Cisco SD-WAN Cloud Interconnect with Equinix AAG
● Cisco SD-WAN and Equinix White Paper
● Cisco SD-WAN Cloud OnRamp
● Equinix Network Edge
● What is SDCI? webpage
● Cisco and Equinix partnership page