Software-defined networking
Software Defined Networking is a networking architecture which lends well to creating higher level abstractions on top of which (potentially tough) real world problems can be solved [1].
The customer facing value proposition behind SDNs are the ability
- To build an architecture which makes the innovation and feature adoption velocity in the networking industry at power with the general purpose software industry.
- Reduce the total cost of ownership by eliminating vendor lockins, proprietary software and cheaper devices[1].
In order to achieve the vision of SDNs multiple interfaces in the networking industry need to be abstracted correctly and cleaned up. Barbara Liskov has a good talk on the power of well defined abstractions [2]. Three of the key networking interfaces which need to be clean up are discussed in Scott Shenker's Talk[3]:
- Forwarding Plane Abstraction
- State distribution Abstraction
- Control Plane Abstraction
SDNs architecture applies to many areas of networking, which include the following
- Data Centers
- WAN
- Campus/Enterprise
- Home Networking
- etc
OpenFlow [4] is often confused with SDNs. OpenFlow is not SDN, in fact OpenFlow is a smaller piece of the overall SDN architecture. Openflow is a technology which defines the Control Plane - Data Plane interface (aka forwarding plane abstraction).
Definition and Marketing of SDNs and Openflow is managed by the Open Networking Foundation [5] .
References:
- ^ McKeown, Nick. "Software Defined Networking, MIT Emerging Technologies".
- ^ Liskov, Barbara. "Power Of Abstraction, Video Talk".
- ^ Shenker, Scott. "Video of Talk on the case for Software Defined Networking".
- ^ "OpenFlow".
{{cite web}}:|first=missing|last=(help) - ^ "Open Networking Foundation".
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