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Network Infrastructure Magazine | Monday, January 03, 2022
SDN is an evolutionary step for modern-day enterprises.
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FREMONT, CA: SDN is a buzzword in the networking landscape. Software-defined networks are now gaining attention among enterprises. But is this a truly revolutionary technology that is going to replace conventional networks? Or is it a logical step in the evolution of the enterprise network? Here is more to know.
Considering the advantages SDN technology provides or even starting to adopt it does not mean sweeping aside the conventional network as people know it. SDNs are not there to replace legacy networks but to add value to what enterprises already have. In terms of conceptualization, if users take the networking ideas that have been in place for years and throw automation into the equation. Adopting SDNs comes with a host of advantages. Enterprises need not wait for a vendor to develop a new feature when it can be done in-house or by a third party. A massive decrease in time-to-market is the expected payoff here.
[vendor_logo_first]One of the essential concepts in SDN is Control Plane and Data Plane separation. Of course, there is an argument that it has been used commonly in legacy network hardware for years. Carrier-grade routers have different control cards for making routing decisions and a set of line cards to propel the traffic based on what was sent by the control card. SDNs deploy this concept in an evolved form. There is a controller as a separate entity, residing remotely, making decisions from a distance, and sending the alerts to forwarders. The difference is on what criteria the decisions are taken.
The concept of Control Plane and Data Plane separation was used in the WAN. This outcome in creating controllers that assess the network from a sky view and smartly route the traffic. This, the management, would not be possible without a core brain. Launching underlay and overlay together with a spine and leaf topology and utilizing the well-known BGP, and EVPN protocols with VXLAN helped streamlined resource use in the data center. They are adding an external controller to handle both the underlay and overlay to easily build a resilient, resource-optimized network.
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