Configuring Dynamic Path Control

Dynamic Path Control (DPC) is the mechanism for intelligently routing applications over multiple WAN paths, including the Internet. DPC uses real-time information about the state of each path to assess and direct traffic.

With DPC, you can easily direct real-time traffic, such as voice or video, to the connection with the lowest packet loss or lowest latency.

Because network conditions change constantly, the path with the least loss or latency might not always be the same. DPC uses latency, packet loss, and throughput utilization data to make intelligent routing decisions for any application on the WAN.

Points to consider before configuring DPC:

n	DPC can be configured between any pair of appliances with more than one tunnel connecting them.

n	When configuring a route policy for DPC, the Destination must either be auto-optimized or a Peer that’s connected by more than one tunnel.

How to configure DPC in the Route Policy

The examples below show how to configure the three available types of dynamic path control: load balancing, low-loss, and low-latency.

Although we’ve used CIFs, SSH, and FTP traffic to illustrate, the steps work with any application. Note that these examples are not intended to be recommendations about how to handle that specific traffic in your network.

For all DPC configuration, go to Configuration > Route Policies.

w	To route an application across the path with lowest latency

1	Click Add Rule.

2	Under Application, select cifs_smb.

3	Under Destination, choose [auto-optimized].

4	Under Path, choose low-latency.

w	To route an application across the path with lowest loss

1	Click Add Rule.

2	Under Application, select ssh.

3	Under Destination, choose [auto-optimized].

4	Under Path, choose low-loss.

w	To load balance an application across multiple paths

1	Click Add Rule.

2	Under Application, select ftp.

3	Under Destination, choose [auto-optimized].

4	Under Path, choose load-balance.

After you’ve created your entries, click Apply, and then click Save Changes.

How to configure a Preferred Interface

In the route policies, you can also configure traffic to prefer a specific interface.

If the preferred interface is down or unavailable, traffic falls over to another available WAN interface.

Note The example below uses CIFS, but the steps work for any application.

w	To route an application across a preferred path

1	Go to Configuration > Route Policies.

2	Click Add Rule.

3	Under Application, select cifs_smb.

4	Under Destination, choose [auto-optimized].

5	Under Path, choose a valid interface in the Preferred Interface section of the drop-down menu.

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