/Programmable computer networks. Evolution of data transfer.
Computer hardware is increasingly being factory-equipped with high-speed 2.5G, 5G and even 10G network cards and wireless WiFi 5, 6 and 6E modules. Wanting to take advantage of its communication capabilities, it is necessary to prepare an appropriate infrastructure in the company. Efficient management of an extensive network is sometimes troublesome. With help comes SDN.
SDN (Software Defined Network) technology, i.e. software-controlled networks or, as they are often referred to, programmable computer networks, is the concept of LAN / WLAN network management, which consists in separating the physical network infrastructure related to data transmission from the software layer that controls its operation. Thanks to this, there is the option of centrally managing the network without considering its physical structure. In other words, the administrator can control many elements of the infrastructure, such as routers, access points, switches, firewalls, as if it were one device. Data transmission is controlled at the level of the global corporate network, not related to individual devices. The OpenFlow protocol is most often, but not always, used to control such a network. The concept of SDN was created to solve problems with the configuration of a large number of network devices. The static architecture of traditional networks is decentralized and complex, while at present, in the era of virtualization and cloud systems, a company network is required to be much more flexible and easily solve emerging problems. SDN centralizes „network intelligence” in one element, separating the forwarding of network packets (data plane) from the routing process (control plane). The control plane consists of one or more controllers – this can be considered the brain of the SDN network, where all intelligence is concentrated.
In SDN solutions, network administrators gain full insight into its topology at any time, which allows for better and automatic allocation of network traffic, especially during periods of increased data transmission. SDNs help reduce operational costs and capital expenditure.
