A network connecting sites in different geographic locations; for Azure's hub-based service, refer to Virtual WAN.
Also called wide area network.
Read more: Microsoft Learn
In the Ultra Transcenders books
Each book explains WAN in context, with comparison tables and the common traps.
Terms in this definition
- Geographic
A Traffic Manager routing method that picks the endpoint according to where the user is located geographically.
- Virtual WAN
A networking service built around hubs that Microsoft manages. The Basic type handles only site-to-site VPN; Standard brings in ExpressRoute, point-to-site and full transit.
Related terms
- IPVPN
Also called any-to-any: an ExpressRoute option that connects the WAN a provider runs for you, typically an MPLS VPN, to Microsoft, making Azure just another branch.
- Site link
Represents a WAN connection between two or more AD DS sites. Its cost, schedule and replication interval feed into how inter-site replication is planned.
- Universal group membership caching
A per-site option for when no global catalog is present locally: DCs there keep a copy of each user's universal group memberships so sign-ins in a branch office carry on if the WAN link goes down.