SD-WAN Terminology and Abbreviations

Application Flow

A subset of the IP packets that arrive at an Ingress SD-WAN UNI, identified by a set of Application Flow Criteria, and distinct from the subset for any other Application Flow at that SD-WAN UNI.

Application Flow Criterion

A rule that is used to classify IP Packets at an SD-WAN UNI.

Application Flow Group

An aggregation of Application Flows at an SD-WAN UNI that can be used to assign a common Policy to the Application Flows and/or share bandwidth commitments and limitations among Application Flows.

Egress IP Packet

An IP Packet transmitted to the Subscriber Network by the Service Provider at a UNI.

Ingress IP Packet

An IP Packet received from the Subscriber Network by the Service Provider at a UNI.

Internet Breakout

The forwarding of Application Flows, based on Policy, to (and from) the Internet via one or more Internet Underlay Connectivity Services located at SD-WAN Edges in the SD-WAN Service.

Defined: SD-WAN Internet Breakout

SD-WAN INTERNET-BREAKOUT Policy Criterion

Appendix A: SD-WAN Processing Application Flows (Informative)

Local Internet Breakout

Internet Breakout in which Ingress IP Packets at an SD-WAN UNI are forwarded over an Internet Underlay Connectivity Service at the SD-WAN Edge where the UNI is located.

Defined: SD-WAN Internet Breakout

SD-WAN INTERNET-BREAKOUT Policy Criterion

Appendix A: SD-WAN Processing Application Flows (Informative)

Policy

A set of rules that can be assigned to an Application Flow, possibly through membership in an Application Flow Group, that determines the handling by the SD-WAN Service of IP Packets in the Application Flow.

Policy Criterion

One of the rules that compose a Policy

SD-WAN BANDWIDTH Policy Criterion

SD-WAN BILLING-METHOD Policy Criterion

SD-WAN ENCRYPTION Policy Criterion

SD-WAN PUBLIC-PRIVATE Policy Criterion

SD-WAN BACKUP Policy Criterion

SD-WAN Virtual Connection (SWVC) List of Policies Service Attribute

SD-WAN Policy Criteria specification and interaction

SD-WAN

Software Defined Wide Area Network (see SD-WAN Service)

SD-WAN Edge

Network functions (physical or virtual) that are located between the Underlay Connectivity Service UNI and the SD-WAN UNI.

SD-WAN Service

An application-aware, policy-driven connectivity service, offered by a Service Provider, that optimizes transport of IP Packets over multiple underlay networks. MEF SD-WAN Services are specified using Service Attributes defined in this MEF Standard.

SD-WAN Service Provider

A Service Provider for an SD-WAN Service

Defined: SD-WAN Subscriber and SD-WAN Service Provider

SD-WAN Subscriber

A Subscriber of an SD-WAN Service

SD-WAN User Network Interface

The demarcation point between the responsibility of the SD-WAN Service Provider and the SD-WAN Subscriber.

SD-WAN Virtual
Connection

An association of SD-WAN Virtual Connection End Points in an SD-WAN Service that provides the logical construct of a L3 Virtual Private Routed Network for a Subscriber.

Defined: SD-WAN Virtual Connection and SWVC End Point

SD-WAN Virtual Connection (SWVC) Service Attributes

SD-WAN Virtual
Connection End Point

A logical construct at an SD-WAN UNI that partitions Ingress IP Packets into Application Flows, applies a Policy to each IP Packet based on the associated Application Flow, and selects an appropriate path to transport the IP Packet over the SWVC.

Defined: SD-WAN Virtual Connection and SWVC End Point

SD-WAN Virtual Connection (SWVC) Service Attributes

Service Provider

An organization that provides services to Subscribers. In this document, “Service Provider” means “SD-WAN Service Provider”.

Service Provider
Network

The aggregation of Underlay Connectivity Services, TVCs, SD-WAN Edges, controllers, and orchestrators used to deliver an SD-WAN Service to a Subscriber.

SLA

Service Level Agreement

Subscriber

The end-user of a service. In this document, “Subscriber” should be read as meaning “SD-WAN Subscriber”.

Defined: SD-WAN Subscriber and SD-WAN Service Provider

Subscriber

Subscriber Network

A network belonging to a given Subscriber that is connected to the Service Provider at one or more UNIs.

SWVC

SD-WAN Virtual Connection

SWVC End Point

SD-WAN Virtual Connection End Point

Tunnel Virtual Connection

A point-to-point path between SD-WAN Edges across an Underlay Connectivity Service that provides a well-defined set of transport characteristics (e.g., delay, security, bandwidth, etc.).

TVC

Tunnel Virtual Connection

UCS

Underlay Connectivity Service

Underlay Connectivity Service (UCS)

UCS UNI

Underlay Connectivity Service User Network Interface

Normative Terms

Defined: SD-WAN UNI

Underlay Connectivity Service

A Service providing connectivity between two or more of the Subscriber's locations, over which an SD-WAN Service is provided; for example, an IP Service or a Carrier Ethernet service.

Underlay Connectivity Service Provider

An organization that provides an Underlay Connectivity Service to a Subscriber or SD-WAN Service Provider.

Underlay Connectivity Service UNI

A UNI in an Underlay Connectivity Service

UNI

Short for User Network Interface. In this document, UNI without a modifier (such as “UCS UNI”) means SD-WAN UNI.