Aruba integration with AWS Cloud WAN enables network segmentation for cloud

Aruba SD-WAN is now compatible with Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) new AWS Cloud WAN, an innovative cloud networking solution presented at AWS re:Invent. With this new solution, Aruba users will be able to use AWS Cloud WAN’s policy-based framework to design complex WAN topologies with integrated network segmentation that work in tandem with the Aruba SD-WAN fabric. All of the benefits of network segmentation at the edge – in the LAN and WAN – may now be extended across the AWS cloud from headquarters and branches.

“This latest integration with AWS Cloud WAN changes the game for enterprises looking to maximize flexibility and reduce operational complexity while strengthening security posture within their cloud-centric WAN deployments,” said David Hughes,chief product and technology officer at Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company.

He added, “Integrations like these play an important role within Aruba ESP by enabling edge-to-cloud security for organizations as they adopt a Zero Trust SASE approach, while maximizing choice and flexibility as they implement their cloud strategy.”

As companies increasingly use the cloud to host their business applications, they want the most flexible and modern SD-WAN solution possible, one that allows them to get the most out of their cloud investments by improving economics, control, dependability, and performance. These companies also want to use cloud infrastructures like the Amazon Web Services global network to build more flexible and secure enterprise WANs.

With this recent update, Aruba SD-WAN now has the broadest breadth of AWS connectors, making it the cloud onramp of choice for cloud-first businesses. Aruba has been a launch affiliate for new AWS network services for the third year in a row at re:Invent. Aruba announced support for AWS Transit Gateway Connect in 2020, and AWS Transit Gateway Network Manager API-based automation in 2019.

Aruba’s SD-WAN solutions, which are a key component of the Aruba ESP (Edge Services Platform), give businesses a smart, flexible on-ramp to AWS network services, allowing them to effortlessly integrate their SD-WAN with a variety of hybrid and multi-cloud services. Aruba’s integration with AWS Cloud WAN extends LAN/WAN network segmentation and traffic isolation from the edge to and through the AWS global backbone network, providing complete support for cloud connectivity use cases.

The benefits of LAN/WAN segmentation with AWS Cloud WANinclude:

• Improved network security from edge to cloud: Easily segmenting users, devices, applications, and WAN services into secure end-to-end zones in compliance with predefined security policies, regulatory mandates, and business intent provides consistent security policies and automated enforcement across the enterprise. Fine-grained LAN segmentation is translated to course-grained, VRF-like private network segments that extend across the AWS Cloud WAN.

• Faster spin-up of new branch sites and Cloud VPCs: Theintegrated solution, combined with the new “one-click” EdgeConnect VPC instantiation, automates network deployments, removing the complexity associated with manual, step-by-step configuration of the SD-WAN (IPSec tunnels, segmentation, route tables, and VRFs) with the common AWS Core Network Policy, which can be time-consuming and error-prone.

Organizations may now extend policy-based network segmentation from the branch edge into the AWS global network, which includes campus, branch, microbranch, and remote worker solutions. Aruba Orchestrator and Aruba Central enable Aruba SD-WAN integration with AWS CloudWAN, making it simple to install, manage, and run sophisticated WAN networks on AWS. Aruba Orchestrator now allows users to install EdgeConnect SD-WAN instances into AWS VPCs with a single click. This new automated option works in tandem with EdgeConnect’s zero-touch provisioning approach, making the deployment and commissioning of Cloud WAN solutions even easier.