Application performance based path-selection
Embodiments herein disclose methods for selecting one or more paths for routing application traffic based on application performance metrics for hosted applications. In an embodiment, to select the best path, the available paths can be monitored to understand the performance of specific applications through those paths. Subsequently, the performance data is used to derive an application link score (ALS) for any given combination of application and path. The ALS is then be used to determine the best path for a given application.
1. A method for selecting a path to an application through a Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN), the method comprising:
monitoring available paths through an SD-WAN to reach a hosted application to obtain performance metrics associated with the available paths through the SD-WAN on a per-application and per-path basis;
generating an application link score for a combination of the hosted application and an available path through the SD-WAN for the available paths through the SD-WAN; and
selecting a path for traffic to travel through the SD-WAN to access the hosted application based on application link scores corresponding to the available paths through the SD-WAN;
wherein monitoring available paths through the SD-WAN to reach a hosted application includes active monitoring at a hub node of the SD-WAN and passive monitoring at a branch node of the SD-WAN, and further comprising combining performance metrics from the active monitoring at the hub node with performance metrics from the passive monitoring at the branch node, and using the combined performance metrics to generate the application link score.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating an application link score includes reading a score configuration to determine what performance metrics to use in generating the application link score.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the score configuration is dynamically adjusted.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hosted application is a Software as a Service application.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring, generating, and selecting is performed at the branch node of the SD-WAN.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring, generating, and selecting is performed at the hub node of the SD-WAN.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring, generating, and selecting is performed at the branch node of the SD-WAN and further comprising, at the hub node of the SD-WAN, monitoring available paths through the SD-WAN to reach the hosted application to obtain performance metrics associated with the available paths through the SD-WAN and exporting the performance metrics to the branch node.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the performance metrics are exported from the hub node to the branch node using Border Gateway Protocol (BGP).
9. A non-transitory computer readable medium that stores computer readable instructions, that when executed on one or more processors, implements a method for selecting a path to an application through a Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN), the method comprising:
monitoring available paths through a Software Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) to reach a hosted application to obtain performance metrics associated with the available paths through the SD-WAN on a per-application and per-path basis;
generating an application link score for a combination of the hosted application and an available path through the SD-WAN for the available paths through the SD-WAN; and
selecting a path for traffic to travel through the SD-WAN to access the hosted application based on application link scores corresponding to the available paths through the SD-WAN;
wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed on one or more processors, implement the method, wherein monitoring available paths through an SD-WAN to reach the hosted application includes active monitoring at a hub node of the SD-WAN and passive monitoring at a branch node of the SD-WAN, and further comprising combining performance metrics from the active monitoring at the hub node with performance metrics from the passive monitoring at the branch node, and using the combined performance metrics to generate the application link score.
10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed on one or more processors, implement the method, wherein generating an application link score includes reading a score configuration to determine what performance metrics to use in generating the application link score.
11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed on one or more processors, implement the method, wherein the score configuration is dynamically adjusted.
12. A method for selecting a path to an application through a network, the method comprising:
monitoring available paths through a network to reach a hosted application to obtain performance metrics associated with the available paths through the network on a per-application and per-path basis;
generating an application link score for a combination of the hosted application and an available path through the network for the available paths through the network; and
selecting a path for traffic to travel through the network to access the hosted application based on application link scores corresponding to the available paths through the network;
wherein monitoring available paths through the network to reach the hosted application includes active monitoring at a hub node of the network and passive monitoring at a branch node of the network, and further comprising combining performance metrics from the active monitoring at the hub node with performance metrics from the passive monitoring at the branch node, and using the combined performance metrics to generate the application link score.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein generating an application link score includes reading a score configuration to determine what performance metrics to use in generating the application link score.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the score configuration is dynamically adjusted.