A software defined network is a type of computer networking that allows for the abstraction of physical networking hardware. This means that the underlying network infrastructure can be controlled and configured by software, rather than by manual configuration.
A software-defined network (SDN) is a computer networking technology that defines network behavior in software. This means that the control and management plane of the network is decoupled from the data forwarding plane. This allows for more flexibility and programmability when configuring the network.
Software defined networking is a key ingredient in the modern data center, and is also becoming increasingly popular in enterprise and campus networks. By decoupling the network control plane from the data forwarding plane, software defined networking allows for greater flexibility, programmability, and agility in the network.
In a traditional network, the control and management plane is integrated with the data forwarding plane. This can make it difficult to change the behavior of the network because any change would need to be made in the hardware. With SDN, the control and management plane is separate from the data forwarding plane. This allows network behavior to be changed quickly and easily because it can be done in software.
SDN is a relatively new technology, and there are a few different ways to implement it. One common way is to use an SDN controller. This is a central piece of software that is responsible for configuring the network. The SDN controller can be used to create virtual networks, which are networks that exist in software.
Another way to implement SDN is to use network functions virtualization (NFV). This is a technology that allows network functions to be run on standard hardware. This can be used to create virtual appliances, which are software versions of hardware devices.
Some of the benefits of using a software defined network include the ability to more easily provision new services, the ability to more quickly troubleshoot and fix problems, and the ability to more easily scale the network.
SDN can be used to improve the performance of the network, and it can also be used to reduce the cost of the network. SDN can be used to create a more flexible network, and it can also be used to create a more efficient network.