How does SD-WAN fabric support public cloud integration with AWS, Azure, and GCP using gateways or direct connect?

• A. Use VPN tunnels or cloud gateway connections (Direct Connect/ExpressRoute equivalents) to connect to cloud VPCs, apply SD-WAN policies for cloud-bound traffic, and optimize SaaS/cloud access
• B. Only use public internet without gateways
• C. Use only MPLS networks
• D. Disable path steering for cloud traffic

Answer: (A)

SD-WAN fabric extends into public cloud by provisioning gateways or dedicated cloud connections to cloud providers (AWS Direct Connect, Azure ExpressRoute, GCP Cloud Interconnect) and connecting those to cloud VPCs. Traffic to cloud resources is carried over secure tunnels or direct links from the SD-WAN edges, then governed by SD-WAN policies that determine routing, QoS, and security for cloud-bound traffic. This approach gives you predictable performance, better security, and centralized control for accessing IaaS resources and SaaS, while still allowing optimization across multiple transports.

Using only the public internet bypasses the cloud gateways and the SD-WAN’s control over path selection, resulting in less predictable performance and fewer policy-driven optimizations. Relying exclusively on MPLS ignores the flexible, internet-optimized paths that SD-WAN leverages for cloud access. Turning off path steering eliminates the ability to choose the best path for cloud traffic, reducing efficiency and reliability.