Final answer:
Cloud-based WAN management uses SDN techniques and a Cloud Controller for simplified, centralized management of WAN, LAN, and cloud connections, enabling rapid adaptation to changing network needs.
Step-by-step explanation:
Rather than managing each network's cloud connections separately, cloud-based WAN management provides cloud-based management of WAN, LAN, and cloud connections. This involves using centralized software-defined networking (SDN) techniques to simplify the operation and improve the performance of a network.
SDN allows network administrators to manage network services through abstraction of lower-level functionality. This is typically done by decoupling the control and forwarding planes of the network, which enables the network control to become directly programmable and the underlying infrastructure to be abstracted for applications and network services.
One of the key components of a cloud-managed network is a Cloud Controller or a Cloud Management Platform (CMP). This controller provides a centralized view of the entire network and allows for easier deployment and management of network resources, policies, and services.
With cloud-based WAN management, companies can rapidly adapt to changing needs, such as adding new sites, scaling bandwidth requirements, or implementing advanced security policies, all through a single, streamlined interface.