Arista VeloCloud SD-WAN

Arista VeloCloud SD-WAN is a software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) platform. It connects branch offices, regional hubs, data centers, and cloud workloads over a mix of broadband, MPLS, and 5G links. A cloud-hosted VeloCloud Orchestrator configures and monitors the network, VeloCloud Gateways carry traffic and exchange routes, and VeloCloud Edge appliances sit at each site. The vendor sells it with built-in branch security and integrations with third-party security service edge (SSE) products.

Audience

Network and security engineers at enterprises with many branch sites, and managed service providers that run SD-WAN for multiple customers.

Product Lineage

The product has had four owners or brands, and its name has changed several times.

• VeloCloud Networks (to 2017): The product began as a cloud-delivered SD-WAN from the start-up VeloCloud Networks.
• VMware (2017 to 2023): VMware announced in November 2017 that it would acquire VeloCloud to extend its NSX network virtualization platform into the WAN, and the deal closed in VMware's fiscal fourth quarter of 2018. The product was sold as VMware SD-WAN by VeloCloud.
• Broadcom (2023 to 2025): Broadcom completed its acquisition of VMware on November 22, 2023, and the product was sold as VMware VeloCloud SD-WAN. Broadcom stated in 2024 that VMware was returning to the VeloCloud brand for its SD-WAN and SASE solutions.
• Arista Networks (2025 to present): Arista announced on July 1, 2025 that it had acquired the VeloCloud SD-WAN business from Broadcom. The product is now sold as Arista VeloCloud SD-WAN, and its administration guides are published by Arista. Version 6.4 is the guide I read, and the version selector lists 7.0, 6.4, 6.3, 6.2, 6.1, 6.0, and 5.2.

Documentation, release notes, and reviews under the earlier names describe the same product line at earlier versions.

Key Capabilities

• Dynamic Multipath Optimization (DMPO): The vendor's patented technology that monitors each link continuously, steers traffic per packet by application, and applies error correction on demand.
• Overlay network: Edges build an overlay with multiple tunnels over their links. Edges can act as standalone devices, hubs, or spokes. Gateways are stateless, scale horizontally, and act as route reflectors for their Edges. Partner Gateways supply routes with preference values.
• Routing: Dynamic routing with OSPF or BGP, route summarization, and business policy. The vendor's documentation describes a proprietary routing protocol, VCRP, secured through VCMP transport, with route preference set by Overlay Flow Control (OFC) and Distributed Cost Calculation (DCC).
• Zero-touch provisioning: Edges are provisioned from the cloud without IT staff at the site.
• Segmentation: Network segments and security zones, configured in the Orchestrator.
• Branch security: A Layer 7 stateful firewall, intrusion detection and prevention, URL filtering and reputation services, DNS filtering, geo-IP filtering, external dynamic lists, denial-of-service protection, and edge-to-edge encryption. Edge Threat Management (ETM) adds threat detection on the Edge.
• SSE integrations: The vendor lists integrations with Zscaler, Symantec Web Security Service, Palo Alto Prisma Access, Netskope One SSE, Forcepoint SSE, and Microsoft SSE.
• Cloud connectivity: Integration with AWS Cloud WAN, Azure Virtual WAN (including IPsec tunnel automation), and Google Cloud Network Connectivity Center, with Gateways on AWS GovCloud (US).
• Operations: The vendor lists Arista Autonomous Virtual Assist (AVA), deep application recognition, and dynamic application-based slicing.
• Management: Multi-tenant Orchestrator with enterprise user management, single sign-on, and key-based authentication to Edges.

Technical Specifications

• Edge hardware: The 7x0 Series are branch appliances with integrated 5G. The 4100 and 5100 Series are 30G and 100G appliances for large branches, regional hubs, and data centers. A Virtual Edge is also available.
• Orchestrator: A multi-tenant, cloud-based configuration and monitoring portal.
• Related Arista products: The vendor lists Arista WAN Routing, CloudEOS, and CloudVision alongside the SD-WAN.

The vendor states that its network includes more than 3,000 cloud gateways and more than 150 SASE points of presence.