What is zero-touch provisioning (ZTP) in SD-WAN?

• A. Requires manual on-site configuration for every device.
• B. Disables provisioning to enforce manual setup.
• C. Automatically configures new edge devices from templates via the orchestrator, enabling rapid onboarding without manual site visits.
• D. Only applies to cloud-based devices, not edge devices.

Answer: (C)

Zero-touch provisioning in SD-WAN means that when a new edge device is deployed, it can be brought online and configured automatically without someone manually setting it up on site. The device connects to the SD-WAN orchestrator, authenticates securely, and pulls its operational configuration from centralized templates. These templates define the specific parameters for that device—overlay settings, routing policies, security rules, QoS, and WAN path preferences—so the device is deployed consistently and quickly across many sites. This approach enables rapid onboarding, scalable deployment, and centralized control, eliminating the need for on-site configuration visits.

The other choices don’t fit because manual on-site configuration contradicts the automation goal of ZTP, disabling provisioning denies the very mechanism that enables automatic setup, and ZTP is not limited to cloud-based devices—it applies to edge devices that connect to the orchestrator for automatic configuration.