A distributed retailer with 120 stores needs one portal for zero-touch onboarding, configuration templates, software operations, and fabric-wide monitoring with API access. Regional admins require role-based access and audit logs. Which SD-WAN Manager management-plane capability should the architect designate for these tasks?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation
You're picking a single cockpit for the whole fleet. Manager centralizes templates and visibility through its management-plane GUI and APIs. It's like running every store from one headquarters dashboard.
Full Explanation
SD-WAN Manager, formerly vManage, is the management-plane element that provides the single-pane GUI and REST APIs for device onboarding and certificates, CLI and feature templates, policy creation and activation, software maintenance, alarm and analytics monitoring, plus centralized user management with role-based access control and auditing, which matches all stated portal requirements. Assigning those duties to the SD-WAN Controller, formerly vSmart, fails by plane because the Controller is the control-plane route reflector that distributes OMP, TLOC and policy state and has no template, image or monitoring portal. Assigning them to the SD-WAN Validator fails because the Validator is the orchestration-plane bootstrap that authenticates devices and returns controller lists, not a configuration or observability platform. Designating WAN Edge routers fails by scale because individual router CLIs provide only local operational state and cannot push fabric-wide templates, correlate alarms or expose centralized APIs with RBAC. Exam caveat: when the stem asks for GUI, templates, monitoring and APIs together, answer Manager even if Controllers also enforce policy. Practical check: log in to Manager, verify device template attachment status and confirm regional admin roles see only assigned resource groups.