Implementation of SD-WAN with Intelligent Traffic Steering and Load Balancing Based on SLA Metrics
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31033/IJEMR/16.2.2026.1904Keywords:
SD-WAN, Load Balancing, Intelligent TrafficAbstract
Traditional Wide Area Network (WAN) architectures, largely dependent on static routing and MPLS links, are increasingly unable to meet the performance and flexibility demands of modern cloud-based and real-time applications. These limitations often result in inefficient bandwidth utilization, poor application performance, and limited adaptability to changing network conditions. Software-Defined Wide Area Networking (SD-WAN) addresses these challenges by enabling centralized control and dynamic traffic management.
This paper presents the implementation of an SD-WAN architecture with intelligent traffic steering and load balancing based on Service Level Agreement (SLA) metrics such as latency, jitter, and packet loss. The proposed system is developed in a simulated environment using a FortiGate device with multiple WAN links. Real-time monitoring of link performance allows dynamic path selection to ensure optimal traffic flow.
The results demonstrate improved bandwidth utilization, reduced latency, and seamless failover during link failures. The study highlights the effectiveness of SLA-driven decision-making in enhancing network performance and reliability, establishing SD-WAN as a practical and efficient solution for modern enterprise networking.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Syed Kamran Ahmad, Madhuvan Dixit
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Research Articles in 'International Journal of Engineering and Management Research' are Open Access articles published under the Creative Commons CC BY License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. This license allows you to share – copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format. Adapt – remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
