Prisma SD-WAN Integrates With Azure to Simplify Cloud Connectivity

Cloud adoption has become synonymous with simplicity! The flexibility of accessing applications, data, and workloads directly from the cloud while removing the complexity of building and managing infrastructure has rapidly increased the use of the public cloud. A growing hybrid workforce and applications quickly moving to the cloud have further accelerated cloud adoption. However, organizations’ traditional data center backhauled architecture, and lack of personal expertise create serious challenges during their cloud journey, resulting in added cost and complexity.

Cloud Connectivity Simplified with SD-WAN

Organizations need a branch solution that simplifies and automates cloud connectivity at scale while securely connecting to the cloud applications to improve application performance, reduce complexity and provide greater security. With these requirements in mind, I am thrilled to announce the Palo Alto Networks Prisma SD-WAN enabling connectivity to Azure virtual WAN(vWAN). This extends our strong partnership with Prisma Access and Azure integration, further enabling organizations to achieve their secure access service edge (SASE) strategy for converged networking and security in the cloud. Gartner recognizes this growing trend by stating, “By 2024, more than 70% of software-defined wide-area network (SD-WAN) customers will have implemented a secure access service edge (SASE) architecture, compared with 40% in 2021.”

"We’re thrilled to see Palo Alto Networks continue to enable the business’s cloud journey," states Reshmi Yandapalli, Principal Product Manager at Azure. "Prisma SD-WAN customers can now leverage this integration to simplify connectivity to Azure. Using Azure Virtual WAN Service, Prisma SD-WAN CloudBlade can provide secure and fully automated cloud connectivity at scale across branch offices, resulting in improved user experience."

Simplify and Fully Automate Cloud Connectivity with Complete Visibility using CloudBlades

Prisma SD-WAN Azure Virtual WAN CloudBlade automates branch connectivity to Azure virtual wide area network (vWAN) with seamless virtual Instant-on Network (vION) deployment in the Azure by leveraging simplified UI-based workflow. It is based on Palo Alto Networks CloudBlades, an API-based platform that delivers rich branch services at speed and scale, without any disruption. Prisma SD-WAN Azure Integration CloudBlade, Prisma SD-WAN fabric connectivity to Azure helps customers save costs and simplify operations.

Prisma SD-WAN’s turnkey integration with Azure provides customers multiple benefits:

Automate Branch-to-Cloud Connectivity

• Provision Prisma SD-WAN AppFabric seamlessly to Azure, such that tunnels from all SD-wan branch sites to Azure are brought up automatically without any manual intervention.
• Single console to manage branch and cloud configurations while provisioning at scale across branch locations to Azure vWAN

Higher resiliency

• Automate cloud connectivity with zero service disruption using CloudBlades that does not require any controller, cloud, or branch appliance updates.
• Improve application resiliency with fully automated high available cloud gateway (vIONs) deployments in Azure that ensures redundancy and seamless failover.

Extend application performance

• Extend deep application visibility with Layer 7 intelligence to Azure with Prisma SD-WAN’s application-defined approach.
• Gain granular performance insights from branch to Azure to improve user experience and significantly reduce troubleshooting efforts with automation using ML and data science capabilities.

Deliver Flexible Cloud Security with Prisma Access

• Leverage Prisma Access and Azure integration to secure cloud application access for a hybrid workforce.
• Use Prisma Access or Azure security flexibly based on access, availability, and performance SLAs to secure applications and users.

To learn more about the benefits of Prisma SD-WAN and Azure integration, check out our solution brief.