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].
Some of the end customer value proposition of SDNs are:
- The ability to build an architecture which makes the innovation and feature adoption velocity in the networking industry comparible with the software industry.
- Reduce the total cost of ownership by eliminating vendor lock-ins[1]
- Reduce system complexity and brittleness by eliminating proprietary software
In order, to achieve the long term vision of SDNs multiple interfaces in the networking industry need to be abstracted and cleaned up. Three of the key networking interfaces which need to be clean up are discussed in Scott Shenker's Talk[2]:
- Forwarding Plane Abstraction
- State distribution Abstraction
- Control Plane Abstraction
Barbara Liskov has a great talk (power of abstractions) on the subject of good interface design and abstraction [3].
SDNs architectural concepts apply to many areas of networking, which include the following
- Data Centers
- WAN
- Campus/Enterprise
- Home Networking
- etc
[[1]] [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: Vorlage:Reflist
- ↑ Nick McKeown: Software Defined Networking, MIT Emerging Technologies.
- ↑ Scott Shenker: Video of Talk on the case for Software Defined Networking.
- ↑ Barbara Liskov: Power Of Abstraction, Video Talk.
- ↑ OpenFlow.
- ↑ Open Networking Foundation.