Packet replication is a key feature of SD-WAN that improves application performance by minimizing packet loss.
How does it work? The whole job of a network is to send packets from one location to another. Sometimes, packets disappear before they ever get to their destination. This phenomenon, as I’m sure you can guess, is called packet loss. And, while common, excessive packet loss can have a negative effect on the performance of the applications you rely on.
When you introduce packet replication over your SD-WAN, your network will send every packet twice over redundant connections. On the receiving end, the SD-WAN has the ability to sift through all the packets, make sure they’re in the right order and discard the dupes.
So when would a customer use packet replication? Well, really, any time packet loss is an issue, but it’s especially useful for real-time applications like voice and video. Nobody likes choppy phone calls or buffering video, so introducing packet replication can drastically improve the experience for users who rely on those applications.
Want to learn more? Check out other episodes of Nitel’s Bits & Bytes.