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HPE Aruba Networking EdgeConnect SD-WAN

Score6.7 out of 10

26 Reviews and Ratings

What is HPE Aruba Networking EdgeConnect SD-WAN?

The HPE Aruba Networking EdgeConnect SD-WAN platform addresses the challenges associated with backhauling cloud-destined traffic to the data center, thereby reducing the cost of bandwidth connectivity from the data center to cloud providers.

HPE Aruba Networking EdgeConnect SD-WANs are a solid SD-WAN solution with a single bigger flaw

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We currently use HPE Aruba Networking EdgeConnect SD-WAN solution as our method for connecting our sites via SD-WAN. Primarily our environment is a fully meshed environment, which is an easy to configure option with the HPE Aruba Networking EdgeConnect SD-WAN solution. It's a very reliable product which allows for our high uptime demands that has come with an amazing customer vendor relationship.

Pros

  • Linking multiple sites quickly and efficiently
  • High uptime
  • HA Configurations with active active load balancing
  • Fully SaaS controller that is only dependent upon WAN devices having internet access (which they should be plugged into)

Cons

  • There are a lot of menus for items to hide under
  • Often there are alarms that are false positives due to bugs in the code - these are usually rectified in the next patch but that seems to be a common occurrence with updates
  • Can only have 7 "BIOs" - which are effectively policies that you use to choose how traffic is handled in terms of routing and QoS
  • Devices throughput is capped by Aruba licensing meaning that's an additional concern you'll have to monitor and take into consideration when choosing ISPs.
  • Alerts sometimes don't tell you things you'd like to know (like when a site is nearing its bandwidth cap)

Return on Investment

  • It's simplified and expedites traffic by building and managing tunnels between all sites
  • Does have integrations with Zscaler Internet Access which is a product we've recently onboarded
  • Has a semi high learning curve as it can do a lot (suffers from the same issue as Aruba ClearPass where it can do so much which makes it a daunting tool to learn, but a powerful one)

Usability

Alternatives Considered

Palo Alto Networks Prisma SD-WAN

Other Software Used

HPE Aruba Networking ClearPass Policy Manager, Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls - PA Series, Zscaler Digital Experience (ZDX), Zscaler Internet Access, Zscaler Private Access, HPE Aruba Networking Switches

Well designed and easy to use SD WAN

Pros

  • Fairly easy to manage once its setup and running
  • Updates are easy and handled with little downtime
  • Price is just right for the product functionality

Cons

  • Configuring the product initially can be complex and confusing
  • Support could respond quicker
  • More features would always be nice

Return on Investment

  • Changed the way we manage remote sites
  • Saved us funds in the LAN budget
  • Created new opportunities to roll out functions at these sites

Other Software Used

Juniper WLA & WLC Series (discontinued), Dell EMC PowerFlex (formerly VxFlex or VxRack), Cisco Aironet 1800 Series Access Points

A cutting edge way to get your sites all into the same network!

Pros

  • An intricate system of connections that make it seem like your outside sites are all on one single LAN
  • Well priced in their category as others are a bit pricier for the same services
  • Aruba is backed by a well staffed support team that can get you through your issues

Cons

  • Ran into some weird bugs along the way that required support to address
  • Not having physical devices that you can reboot yourself takes a bit of control away
  • Administrators have a bit of a learning curve in figuring out the new system

Return on Investment

  • ROI is still to be determined as you have to calculate the existing hardware costs
  • Theoretically you could be saving lots of time managing all the hardware in between sites
  • SDWAN is still new and may take an entirely new budget to accomplish

Other Software Used

Dell EMC Networker, Juniper WLA & WLC Series (discontinued), Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers

Works well for Aruba network users

Pros

  • The software and web interface is nicely designed
  • Fewer bugs than some other competing services

Cons

  • The right support team for your product can be difficult to get ahold of
  • Integration with Cisco is not as super tight as integration with Aruba devices
  • Some of the advanced features are difficult to use

Return on Investment

  • It has created a bit of overhead as another control panel that needs to be managed
  • Recovery of invested costs will take some time
  • Time is saved on the separate management of sites

Other Software Used

KnowBe4 PhishER, Cisco Firepower NGFW (formerly Sourcefire), Cisco DNA Analytics and Assurance