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The manpower required for an SD-WAN deployment varies based on network size, complexity, and management approach (in-house vs. outsourced). Below is a detailed breakdown of roles and responsibilities across different phases.
🛠️ Manpower Required by Deployment Phase
1️⃣ Planning & Design Phase
- 👨💻 Network Architect (1-2) – Designs SD-WAN topology, policies, and integration with existing infrastructure.
- 📋 Project Manager (1) – Oversees timelines, budgets, and cross-team coordination.
2️⃣ Implementation & Deployment Phase
- 🖥️ Network Engineers (2-5) – Deploy SD-WAN devices (routers, controllers), configure VPN tunnels, and test failover mechanisms.
- 🔒 Security Engineer (1-2) – Implements Zero Trust policies, IPS/IDS, and firewall rules for SD-WAN traffic.
- ☁️ Cloud Engineer (1, if needed) – Integrates SD-WAN with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure) using APIs or direct connections.
3️⃣ Operation & Maintenance Phase
- 🎛️ NOC Engineers (3-5, shift-based) – Monitor SD-WAN performance using tools like SolarWinds or PRTG, troubleshoot latency/jitter.
- ⚙️ SD-WAN Administrator (1-2) – Optimizes application-aware routing (e.g., Cisco Viptela, VMware Velocloud).
- 🔍 Security Analyst (1-2) – Conducts threat hunting, log analysis (SIEM), and ensures compliance (ISO 27001, NIST).
📊 Total Manpower Estimate (Based on Company Size)
- 🏢 Small Business (10-50 sites): 3-5 Engineers
- 🏭 Medium Business (50-200 sites): 5-10 Engineers
- 🌎 Large Enterprise (200+ sites): 10-20 Engineers
Managed SD-WAN Services reduce in-house staffing needs, as the provider handles deployment, monitoring, and troubleshooting.
You Should Know: SD-WAN Deployment Commands & Practices
🔹 Cisco SD-WAN (Viptela) Setup
Bring up vEdge router configure terminal system host-name vEdge-1 commit Configure OMP (Overlay Management Protocol) vpn 0 interface eth0 ip address 192.168.1.1/24 tunnel-interface encapsulation ipsec exit exit omp no shutdown exit
🔹 VMware Velocloud Orchestrator API Call
curl -X POST "https://api.velocloud.net/enterprise/getEnterpriseEdges" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer <TOKEN>" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"enterpriseId": 123}'
🔹 Monitoring SD-WAN with Linux Tools
Ping latency test ping -c 10 sdwan-gateway.example.com MTR for path analysis mtr --report-wide --tcp --port 443 sdwan-endpoint.example.com Bandwidth check (iperf3) iperf3 -c remote-sdwan-server -p 5201 -t 30
🔹 Windows PowerShell: SD-WAN Health Check
Test-NetConnection -ComputerName sdwan-controller -Port 8443
Get-NetIPsecRule | Where-Object { $_.Enabled -eq "True" } | Format-Table Name, DisplayName
What Undercode Say
SD-WAN deployments demand a mix of networking, security, and cloud expertise. Automation (Ansible, Python scripts) can reduce manual tasks, especially for large-scale rollouts. Key takeaways:
– Use Wireshark for deep packet inspection (tcp.port == 4789 for VXLAN).
– Leverage GNS3/EVE-NG for pre-deployment lab testing.
– Always validate QoS policies for VoIP/real-time traffic.
For further reading:
Expected Output:
A structured SD-WAN deployment plan with role assignments, CLI snippets for configuration, and validation steps for optimal performance.
References:
Reported By: Breeze Singh – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅
