SD-Access Ready
Campus edge fabrics that extend software-defined policy from the WAN into the building — identity-based access, role-determined VLAN assignment and micro-segmentation on a single wired-plus-wireless fabric. A user or device gets the same posture regardless of which wall port or AP they connect through.
Overview
When you decide to deploy SD-WAN or SASE, the last thing you want is to discover your underlying circuits do not support the features your architecture depends on — sub-second failover, path quality measurement, application-aware steering. SD-Access Ready ensures your DIA and MPLS circuits are pre-configured for SD-WAN integration from day one. The right CPE, BGP policies, CoS marking, and monitoring hooks are in place before the SD-WAN controller ever sends its first probe.
Clevertek scopes every engagement to your environment — capacity, sites, compliance and support model — so you get a tailored plan rather than a fixed SKU. Pricing is quote-only, and our solutions architects will work through your requirements before any proposal.
Our approach
We audit your existing circuits and CPE against SD-WAN readiness requirements — path monitoring capability, BGP multi-homing support, interface and VLAN configuration, and class-of-service compatibility. We then remediate any gaps: updating CPE configurations, enabling IP SLA or BFD for sub-second path failure detection, configuring CoS marking and DSCP trust boundaries, and provisioning the additional VLANs and subnets SD-WAN overlays need. When the SD-WAN overlay is deployed, the underlay circuits behave exactly as the orchestration layer expects.
Why work with us
Pre-deployment circuit audit
We assess every circuit against SD-WAN readiness — port capacity, routing protocols, CoS support, and failover behaviour — before the SD-WAN deployment starts.
BFD and sub-second failover
BFD (Bidirectional Forwarding Detection) configured on every circuit for 50ms path failure detection — the SD-WAN controller gets notified the instant a link degrades.
CoS marking and DSCP trust
DSCP trust boundaries configured on CPE so application-aware SD-WAN traffic marking is preserved across the underlay. CoS-to-DSCP mapping aligned with your priority strategy.
Dual-stack IPv4/IPv6 ready
Underlay circuits support dual-stack, giving the SD-WAN overlay protocol flexibility for transport selection.
Tunnel and overlay VLAN provisioning
VLANs, subnets, and IP addressing pre-provisioned for SD-WAN overlay tunnels — so the SD-WAN edge devices plug into a configured, documented environment.
Underlay monitoring integration
Circuit-level monitoring data (latency, loss, jitter, throughput) fed into the SD-WAN orchestration layer for real-time path quality scoring and application steering decisions.
Key benefits
What this solution delivers for your business.
No rework during SD-WAN deployment
Underlay circuits ready for SD-WAN from the start. No mid-deployment discoveries that require carrier requests, CPE replacements, or architectural compromises.
Optimal SD-WAN path selection from day one
Path quality monitoring at the circuit level gives the SD-WAN controller accurate data for application steering — not best-guess routing through unmonitored underlays.
Faster SD-WAN rollout timelines
Pre-configured underlay circuits eliminate weeks of remediation work during the SD-WAN deployment window. Rollout proceeds on schedule.
Reduced deployment risk
Common SD-WAN deployment failures — incompatible CPE, missing VLANs, CoS mismatch — are identified and fixed before the overlay deployment begins.
Unified underlay and overlay monitoring
Circuit-level and overlay-level visibility from a single platform — no separate tools for underlay health and SD-WAN performance.
Predictable performance for SLA-backed applications
CoS-to-DSCP alignment ensures priority traffic marked by the SD-WAN overlay is preserved end-to-end across the underlay.
What's included
Part of this managed service.
Circuit readiness audit
Complete assessment of existing circuits against SD-WAN underlay requirements.
- Port capacity and utilisation
- Routing protocol support
- CoS/DSCP capability
- Failover path assessment
BFD configuration
Bidirectional Forwarding Detection enabled on every circuit for sub-second failure detection.
- 50ms detection interval
- 3x multiplier for reliability
- Interface tracking
- Integration with routing
CoS and DSCP alignment
DSCP trust boundaries and CoS-to-DSCP mapping configured for end-to-end traffic prioritisation.
- DSCP trust on CPE interfaces
- CoS-to-DSCP mapping
- 4-8 class policy maps
- QoS validation testing
Underlay monitoring integration
Circuit-level telemetry fed into SD-WAN orchestration for path quality scoring.
- IP SLA / RPM probes
- Latency/loss/jitter metrics
- Bandwidth utilisation
- API integration with SD-WAN controller
Overlay infrastructure provisioning
VLANs, subnets, and IP addressing pre-provisioned for SD-WAN overlay tunnels.
- Transport and LAN VLANs
- Overlay subnet allocation
- Loopback and tunnel addressing
- Documented handover
Where it helps
Real-world scenarios where this solution delivers measurable outcomes.
SD-WAN migration preparation
Before deploying SD-WAN across a multi-site enterprise, audit and remediate all existing circuits to SD-WAN-ready status — avoiding deployment delays from unexpected underlay issues.
New site SD-WAN onboarding
When provisioning circuits for a new site that will join an existing SD-WAN fabric, configure the underlay for SD-WAN compatibility during circuit provisioning — so the site is ready when the overlay is deployed.
MSP managed network standardisation
Standardise underlay circuit configurations across hundreds of client sites — so any site can be onboarded to an SD-WAN fabric without per-site remediation.
Questions buyers actually ask
Do I need different CPE for SD-WAN readiness?
Not necessarily. Many existing CPEs can be reconfigured for SD-WAN compatibility. We audit your current devices and only recommend replacement if the hardware lacks required features like BFD or CoS.
How long does the readiness process take?
Audit takes 1-2 weeks for a typical multi-site network. Remediation timeline depends on findings — configuration changes take days, CPE replacements take longer.
Is this a one-time project or ongoing?
Typically a one-time assessment and remediation, followed by a documented standard for future circuit provisioning to maintain SD-WAN-readiness.
Does this work with any SD-WAN vendor?
Yes. The readiness configuration is vendor-agnostic — BFD, CoS, and underlay monitoring work with any SD-WAN overlay (VMware, Cisco, Fortinet, Versa, etc.).
Ready to scope a solution?
Talk to a Clevertek solutions architect about your requirements — no obligation.