In the SD-WAN bootstrap process, which component authenticates devices and provides initial coordination?

• A. vManage
• B. WAN Edge
• C. vBond
• D. vSmart

Answer: (C)

During SD-WAN bootstrap, the first layer of trust and the initial direction to the rest of the fabric are handled by the vBond orchestrator. vBond authenticates the WAN Edge device using the bootstrap credentials and decides whether it’s allowed to join the network. Once authenticated, vBond provides the edge with the locations of the other control-plane and management components (vSmart and vManage) and helps establish the first secure control-plane connection. This enables the edge to register with vManage for management and to receive routing policies from vSmart, effectively bringing the device into the SD-WAN fabric.

vManage is the centralized management plane used for configuring and monitoring the fabric; it comes into play after bootstrap for ongoing provisioning and policy management. vSmart runs the control plane that distributes routing and policy information to the edges. The WAN Edge is the device being joined and enrolled; it relies on vBond to initiate and coordinate the bootstrap process.