Multi-region virtual overlay wide area network

A system for creating a multi-region virtual overlay network for a software-defined wide area network, the system comprising:

• a plurality of network appliances, each appliance of the plurality of network appliances having a plurality of network interfaces for transmitting and receiving data over at least one communication network;
• and
• an orchestrator device in communication with each of the plurality of network appliances, wherein the orchestrator device is configured to:
• process information regarding configuration of each network appliance of the plurality of network appliances;
• assign each network appliance to one region from a plurality of regions in the virtual overlay network, creating at least two regional subnetworks on the virtual overlay network;
• assign each appliance within a regional subnetwork to a role of a hub or a spoke for its region, creating a hub and spoke network topology for the region;
• create a first plurality of virtual tunnels on the virtual overlay network for each region, each of the first plurality of tunnels connecting each appliance assigned a role of a spoke within a region to each appliance assigned a role as a hub in a same region, in accordance with the hub and spoke network topology for the region;
• and
• create a second plurality of virtual tunnels on the virtual overlay network to connect at least one appliance assigned a role of a hub within a region to at least one appliance assigned a role of a hub in each other region, for inter-region connectivity.

A method for creating a multi-region virtual overlay network by an orchestrator device, the method comprising:

• creating a plurality of regions within a virtual overlay wide area network, each of the plurality of regions defined by a boundary;
• assigning each appliance in the virtual overlay network to one region of the plurality of regions;
• assigning a network topology for each region of the plurality of regions;
• creating a plurality of virtual tunnels within each region of the plurality of regions, in accordance with the assigned network topology for each region;
• transmitting global configuration information to each appliance in each of the plurality of region, the global configuration information being the same for each region of the plurality of regions;
• and
• transmitting regional configuration information to each appliance in each of the plurality of regions, the regional configuration information being different for a first region of the plurality of regions and a second region of the plurality of regions.