Dynamic path control is a key feature of SD-WAN that steers traffic to the best network path based on real-time network conditions.
Think of it like using Google Maps to navigate. The expressway may be the fastest route on most days, but if there’s an accident clogging up traffic, Google is going to tell you to take side streets.
Dynamic path control keeps traffic flowing by ensuring that packets are always taking the quickest route to their destination based on current conditions of the individual connections.
To do this, your SD-WAN service sends out what’s called a scout packet every few seconds. As the name suggests, the scout packet is sent across each SD-WAN connection to scout out how well traffic is flowing. The SD-WAN service uses that information to determine how it’s going to continue sending packets over the network.
So, to summarize. Because of dynamic path control, a customer’s SD-WAN service will always route traffic over the connection that will get it to its destination most efficiently. This increases network performance, which means better application performance, increased staff productivity, and a better overall use of your network investment.
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