One of the primary selling points of WAN optimization is the ability to reduce server clutter in the branch office. Consolidating and centralizing servers in the data center where they can be more easily secured and managed makes sense for many enterprises, which is why it's such a popular trend. However, WAN optimization appliances haven't solved the problem of downed WAN links, which can render the branch office ineffective if services like DHCP, DNS, and Active Directory are hosted centrally in the data center. Vendors have acknowledged this shortcoming, and are quickly providing solutions that address these issues.
Three New WAN Optimization Approaches
As WAN optimization vendors look for ways to address the issue of running critical services locally, or allowing branch offices to run certain applications locally without having to use physical servers, they have come up with three approaches: