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Software Defined Networking Explained

Written by Greg LaBrie | May 17, 2016 12:45:00 PM

Software defined networking (SDN) has emerged as a versatile, budget-friendly and dynamic architecture that allows IT managers to respond quickly to business demands and manage cloud networks in a central environment. It’s a new revolution in IT that can help propel your business ahead of the competition and deliver an impactful change. Surely you’ve seen that SDN can provide many benefits, but like any new IT project, you should make sure you are well-versed in the approach before deploying a new strategy.

What is Software Defined Networking?

Software defined networking, or SDN, is an architecture based around three layers. At the center of it is the control plane, the main layer whose purpose is to manage the interactions between the application layer and the network infrastructure below, or data plane. Traditionally, the control plane and data plane physically resided on the same level, while SDN distinctly separates the two.

The control plane is meant to quickly respond to changing business needs and serves as the intelligence center for the network. This is the heart of software defined networking and it is becoming an architecture of choice in the IT environment. For more information about SDN take a minute or two to watch the video below.

How SDN Can Benefit Your Organization

The IT department can use SDN to overcome network usage bottlenecks and control the network as varying needs fluctuate among users in the business. This approach can help your organization save on costs and avoid the need to purchase new infrastructure as company demands shift and evolve. Being able to adapt and overcome challenges as they arise is a big benefit companies deploying SDN are currently seeing.

Another benefit of software defined networking is the elimination of downtime. Unplanned instances occur and it may not be possible to plan for every scenario that may arise. SDN’s adaptability and flexibility can help increase uptime and keep your company running smoothly.

SDN Next Steps

If you are you interested in leveraging the power of SDN at your organization and want to learn how to get started, contact us today. If you would like to learn more about SDN, read our latest white paper, Software Defined Networking – The Next IT Paradigm of Promise. This paper goes in depth by discussing SDN use cases and the technical theory behind it, and explores how the market drivers of today are demanding software defined networking in order to innovate and compete. Download the white paper today.