WAN Optimization Tab

Monitoring > Bandwidth > WAN Optimization > Summary

The WAN Optimization tab provides details about WAN Optimization configuration and usage for selected appliances.

You can change the time period for which to display WAN Optimization statistics. Click the 1hr, 4hr, 1d, or 7d button; or click Custom to specify a custom date and time period in the Range fields.

When an application needs acceleration, the WAN Optimization engine increases throughput bandwidth to the licensed WAN Optimization amount. For example, if the licensed WAN Optimization limit is 300 Mbps, the engine can accelerate traffic to that amount per second. If the engine determines that it could accelerate traffic to higher speeds if more licensed bandwidth were available, it sends 300 megabits in the first second interval, 300 megabits in the next second interval, and marks that last interval as having insufficient WAN Optimization. Because WAN Optimization statistics are recorded on a per-minute basis, it marks the entire minute as having insufficient WAN Optimization.

Based on a licensed WAN Optimization limit of 300 Mbps:

• Transactional data that requires a transfer of, for example, just 75 MB (600 megabits) of data would result in the transfer of 300 megabits in the first second interval and 300 megabits in the next second interval with that last interval being marked as having insufficient WAN Optimization. WAN Optimization statistics would indicate one minute of insufficient WAN Optimization, even though only one second is actually marked as having insufficient WAN Optimization. In this case, you probably do not need to increase your WAN Optimization bandwidth license.

• Continuous transfers of data, such as occurs for backups and replications over a period of hours or days, require continuous WAN Optimization. In this case, WAN Optimization statistics, such as Minutes Insufficient WAN Optimization, are more precise than in the previous transactional data example. For example, if the transfer of 1 terabyte of data is needed, a licensed WAN Optimization limit of 300 Mbps would be insufficient because the WAN Optimization engine could speed this up to whatever the link speed allows.

Total WAN Optimization bandwidth available to your network is controlled by your license. You can purchase additional WAN Optimization bandwidth if needed. If you have licensed WAN Optimization bandwidth available, you can assign WAN Optimization to appliances on the Licenses tab or on an appliance’s Deployment page. You can also configure WAN Optimization allocation by using Business Intent Overlays.

NOTE: Your network uses a single queue for WAN Optimization across all appliances. When that queue is completely utilized, appliances will have insufficient WAN Optimization for any additional demand.

The WAN Optimization license functions as a shaper. When the WAN Optimization license is exceeded, TCP traffic is queued and shaped to optimize the bandwidth. Not having enough WAN optimization has an adverse effect on TCP applications. It is highly recommended that you obtain an amount of WAN Optimization equal to your entire WAN bandwidth.

For UDP traffic, not having enough WAN Optimization causes the traffic to be sent un-optimized. Because optimized UDP traffic involves compression of data, the traffic is sent uncompressed.

You can identify applications that use the WAN Optimization engine, and then use Access Control Lists (ACLs) and rules to permit or deny those applications from WAN Optimization. To identify your top application-related flows, use the Flows tab (Monitoring > Bandwidth > Flows > Active & Recent Flows) to list flows by total bytes sent.

Change WAN Optimization Configuration

To change WAN Optimization configuration, select one or more appliances in the table, and then click Configure WAN Optimization. The Update WAN Optimization Bandwidth dialog box opens.

Increase or decrease WAN Optimization bandwidth by 20%, or set it to a specific value in Kbps. Click Save to apply changes, or click Cancel to not apply changes and close the dialog box.

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