The Prisma SD-WAN Instant-On Network (ION) models of hardware and software devices enable the integration of a diverse set of wide area network (WAN) connection types, improve application performance and visibility, enhance security and compliance, and reduce the overall cost and complexity of your WAN. Built with the intent to reduce remote infrastructure, Prisma SD-WAN enables the cloud-delivered branch.

Enterprises have traditionally deployed multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) networks, using hardware routers, to connect branch offices to centralized data centers. With cloud adoption on the rise, end user applications like videoconferencing and office productivity solutions are increasingly delivered as cloud services. Legacy WAN architectures have debilitating limitations when organizations attempt to migrate to the cloud or utilize commodity internet connections in their branch offices. For SD-WAN, you need a networking solution that:

Steers traffic and defines networking and security policies from an application-centric perspective, rather than a packet-based one.
Minimizes manual operations and enables agile DevOps deployments via API integrations.
Supports the cloud-delivered branch architecture by enabling all branch infrastructure, such as networking and security, to be delivered from the cloud.
Modes of Operation
All aspects of configuration, management, and monitoring of ION hardware and software devices are performed from the multitenant Prisma SD-WAN cloud management portal, eliminating the need to individually configure devices at each location. No additional servers or storage are required.

Managed through the central cloud controller, ION devices include two modes of operation.

In analytics mode, the solution provides end-to-end visibility and analytics of your applications and networks, operating independently of the full suite of Prisma SD-WAN capabilities. ION devices are deployed in the network, at the WAN edge, and automatically begin examining application data on the network to identify the application and measure several key performance indicators of each session. Statistics from your network are stored securely in the Prisma SD-WAN cloud management portal, which can be used to configure ION devices, define applications and sites, and monitor end-toend application performance and availability.

In control mode, Prisma SD-WAN builds on the visibility and analytics foundation set by analytics mode and allows the ION devices to begin intelligently taking action based on policy for performance, compliance, and security. Routing functions, including path selection, prioritization, and security, can be integrated into the ION device to reduce the amount of hardware and operational expense associated with each remote office.