L12. Explain the concept of SDN Flashcards
What is SDN?
Software-Defined Networking, an approach to network management and operation involving separation of the control plane and data plane in networking devices
What are the benefits of SDN?
SDN enables programmability, flexibility, and automation.
What does SDN do?
Traditionally, the control plane, responsible for making forwarding decisions, has been tightly coupled with the data plane, which handles the actual forwarding of packets. SDN decouples these functions, allowing network administrators to manage and control network behavior centrally using software applications.
How is the control plane and data plane decoupled in SDN?
The control plane, which determines how data packets should be forwarded, is abstracted from the physical networking devices. Instead of being embedded within switches and routers, the control logic resides in a centralized software controller. This separation allows for greater flexibility and programmability in defining network behavior.
How does the centralized SDN controller work?
The centralized SDN controller acts as the brain of the network, providing a unified view of the entire network infrastructure. It communicates with network devices using a standardized protocol, such as OpenFlow, to program forwarding rules and policies dynamically. This centralized control simplifies network management tasks and enables consistent policy enforcement across the network.
What is the centralized SDN controller?
A piece of software that acts as “the brain of the network”
How does SDN facilitate network management?
SDN enables network administrators to program network behavior using high-level software applications rather than manually configuring individual networking devices.
How does SDN enable the creation of virtual networks and why is that good?
SDN abstracts the underlying physical network infrastructure, allowing virtual networks to be created on top of it. Virtualization enables multi-tenancy and network slicing, where different applications or user groups can have isolated network environments tailored to their specific requirements.
What are the benefits of SDN?
Agility and Flexibility, Scalability and Efficiency, Cost Reduction, Enhanced Security, Innovation and Ecosystem Growth
How does SDN improve agility and flexibility?
SDN enables rapid network provisioning and configuration changes through centralized control and automation, allowing organizations to respond quickly to changing business needs and application requirements.
How does SDN improve scalability and efficiency?
SDN simplifies network management tasks and improves resource utilization by dynamically adjusting network resources based on demand. It enables the efficient allocation of bandwidth and supports dynamic scaling of network capacity to accommodate varying traffic patterns.
How does SDN lead to cost reduction?
By abstracting network functionality into software, SDN reduces reliance on expensive, proprietary hardware and simplifies network management processes. This can lead to significant cost savings in terms of capital expenditure (CapEx) and operational expenditure (OpEx).
How does SDN enhance security?
SDN provides centralized visibility and control over network traffic, making it easier to enforce security policies and detect anomalies. It enables granular access control and segmentation, helping to contain security breaches and mitigate risks associated with unauthorized access or malicious activities.
How does SDN lead to innovation and ecosystem growth?
SDN fosters innovation by enabling the development of custom network applications and services. Its open architecture encourages collaboration and interoperability among vendors, driving the growth of a diverse ecosystem of SDN-compatible solutions and tools.
