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Software Defined Networking: A New Approach to Delivering Business Agility

Software defined networking (SDN) is creating a lot of excitement in data centers, but current technology is still relatively immature.

In the new research note Ending The Confusion Around Software Defined Networking (SDN): A Taxonomy, Joe Skorupa, VP and distinguished analyst at Gartner, explains that SDN is not only limited to data center and service provider networks.

Skorupa answered some questions around the current state of SDN and how it will evolve:

Q: What is Software Defined Networking?

A: SDN is a new approach to designing, building and operating networks that supports business agility. SDN brings a similar degree of agility to networks that abstraction, virtualization and orchestration have brought to server infrastructure.

In the SDN architecture, the control and data planes are decoupled, network intelligence and state are logically centralized, and the underlying network infrastructure is abstracted from network applications and features. In addition, programmability enables external control and automation that allow for highly scalable, flexible networks that readily adapt to changing business needs.

While a great deal of attention has been directed toward SDN in data center networks and service provider networks, it can also be applied to campus networks and, enterprise WANs. The applicability and benefits will vary by use case.

Q: What Models Exist for SDN Deployment?

A: Three deployment approaches are possible - switched-based, overlay and hybrid. For greenfield deployments, particularly when the cost of physical infrastructure and multi-vendor options are important, a switch-based model will be common. The biggest limitation to this approach is that is currently does not leverage existing L2/3 network equipment.

When rapid deployment over an existing IP network, or when responsibility for the SDN environment is assigned to the server virtualization team, a tunnel-based overlay approach may be appropriate. With this approach the SDN endpoints are virtual devices that are part of the hypervisor environment. The greatest limitations of this approach are that it does not address the overhead of managing the underlying infrastructure, de-bugging problems in an overlay can be complex and it does not support bare metal hosts.

The third approach combines the first two into a hybrid deployment. This allows a non-disruptive migration with a path toward an eventual switch-based design. Gateways link devices that do not natively support overlay tunnels, such as bare metal servers.

Q: Where might SDN be Leveraged?

A: In a data center context, SDN is a component of the Policy Driven Data Center. It provides the programmable connectivity required to link the network to other components within the data center delivering a more integrated, functional system. For example, a provisioning application could specify that an instance of the CRM application must have certain services delivered in a specific sequence and would ensure that the traffic flows through the appropriate devices in the correct sequence.

In a service provider context SDN might be leveraged to provide a common control plane across multiple vendors equipment including SGSN/GGSN, PE router, session border controller, core router, optical transport/WDM nodes to build an agile, multi-tenant network that is a platform for value added services. Possible service offering could include flexible bandwidth on demand, patch protection/restoration and multi-casting. SDN promises easier integration with OSS/BSS to increase service agility while reducing CapEx and OpEx.

How Can I Decide if SDN is Right for My Organization?

- Begin to explore the potential benefits and risks that SDN will bring to your organization, but beware of SDN-washing which simply re-labels legacy approaches with the latest buzzwords.

- Be aware that SDN has significant potential impacts on security. Your security strategy must evolve with the SDN strategy to incorporate new needs and opportunities brought on by SDN.

- If you focus on the data center network first, be sure to involve server, virtualization, security and storage teams in the discussion to ensure a single approach is adopted.

- The adoption of SDN requires a new way of thinking that may threaten existing network engineers. Identify members of your team with the skills and vision to lead the evaluation process

Related Links:

Download a complimentary copy of the Gartner report: Ending The Confusion Around Software Defined Networking (SND): A Taxonomy

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Software Defined Networking: A New Approach to Delivering Business Agility

Software defined networking (SDN) is creating a lot of excitement in data centers, but current technology is still relatively immature.

In the new research note Ending The Confusion Around Software Defined Networking (SDN): A Taxonomy, Joe Skorupa, VP and distinguished analyst at Gartner, explains that SDN is not only limited to data center and service provider networks.

Skorupa answered some questions around the current state of SDN and how it will evolve:

Q: What is Software Defined Networking?

A: SDN is a new approach to designing, building and operating networks that supports business agility. SDN brings a similar degree of agility to networks that abstraction, virtualization and orchestration have brought to server infrastructure.

In the SDN architecture, the control and data planes are decoupled, network intelligence and state are logically centralized, and the underlying network infrastructure is abstracted from network applications and features. In addition, programmability enables external control and automation that allow for highly scalable, flexible networks that readily adapt to changing business needs.

While a great deal of attention has been directed toward SDN in data center networks and service provider networks, it can also be applied to campus networks and, enterprise WANs. The applicability and benefits will vary by use case.

Q: What Models Exist for SDN Deployment?

A: Three deployment approaches are possible - switched-based, overlay and hybrid. For greenfield deployments, particularly when the cost of physical infrastructure and multi-vendor options are important, a switch-based model will be common. The biggest limitation to this approach is that is currently does not leverage existing L2/3 network equipment.

When rapid deployment over an existing IP network, or when responsibility for the SDN environment is assigned to the server virtualization team, a tunnel-based overlay approach may be appropriate. With this approach the SDN endpoints are virtual devices that are part of the hypervisor environment. The greatest limitations of this approach are that it does not address the overhead of managing the underlying infrastructure, de-bugging problems in an overlay can be complex and it does not support bare metal hosts.

The third approach combines the first two into a hybrid deployment. This allows a non-disruptive migration with a path toward an eventual switch-based design. Gateways link devices that do not natively support overlay tunnels, such as bare metal servers.

Q: Where might SDN be Leveraged?

A: In a data center context, SDN is a component of the Policy Driven Data Center. It provides the programmable connectivity required to link the network to other components within the data center delivering a more integrated, functional system. For example, a provisioning application could specify that an instance of the CRM application must have certain services delivered in a specific sequence and would ensure that the traffic flows through the appropriate devices in the correct sequence.

In a service provider context SDN might be leveraged to provide a common control plane across multiple vendors equipment including SGSN/GGSN, PE router, session border controller, core router, optical transport/WDM nodes to build an agile, multi-tenant network that is a platform for value added services. Possible service offering could include flexible bandwidth on demand, patch protection/restoration and multi-casting. SDN promises easier integration with OSS/BSS to increase service agility while reducing CapEx and OpEx.

How Can I Decide if SDN is Right for My Organization?

- Begin to explore the potential benefits and risks that SDN will bring to your organization, but beware of SDN-washing which simply re-labels legacy approaches with the latest buzzwords.

- Be aware that SDN has significant potential impacts on security. Your security strategy must evolve with the SDN strategy to incorporate new needs and opportunities brought on by SDN.

- If you focus on the data center network first, be sure to involve server, virtualization, security and storage teams in the discussion to ensure a single approach is adopted.

- The adoption of SDN requires a new way of thinking that may threaten existing network engineers. Identify members of your team with the skills and vision to lead the evaluation process

Related Links:

Download a complimentary copy of the Gartner report: Ending The Confusion Around Software Defined Networking (SND): A Taxonomy

Hot Topics

The Latest

According to Auvik's 2025 IT Trends Report, 60% of IT professionals feel at least moderately burned out on the job, with 43% stating that their workload is contributing to work stress. At the same time, many IT professionals are naming AI and machine learning as key areas they'd most like to upskill ...

Businesses that face downtime or outages risk financial and reputational damage, as well as reducing partner, shareholder, and customer trust. One of the major challenges that enterprises face is implementing a robust business continuity plan. What's the solution? The answer may lie in disaster recovery tactics such as truly immutable storage and regular disaster recovery testing ...

IT spending is expected to jump nearly 10% in 2025, and organizations are now facing pressure to manage costs without slowing down critical functions like observability. To meet the challenge, leaders are turning to smarter, more cost effective business strategies. Enter stage right: OpenTelemetry, the missing piece of the puzzle that is no longer just an option but rather a strategic advantage ...

Amidst the threat of cyberhacks and data breaches, companies install several security measures to keep their business safely afloat. These measures aim to protect businesses, employees, and crucial data. Yet, employees perceive them as burdensome. Frustrated with complex logins, slow access, and constant security checks, workers decide to completely bypass all security set-ups ...

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Cloudbrink's Personal SASE services provide last-mile acceleration and reduction in latency

In MEAN TIME TO INSIGHT Episode 13, Shamus McGillicuddy, VP of Research, Network Infrastructure and Operations, at EMA discusses hybrid multi-cloud networking strategy ... 

In high-traffic environments, the sheer volume and unpredictable nature of network incidents can quickly overwhelm even the most skilled teams, hindering their ability to react swiftly and effectively, potentially impacting service availability and overall business performance. This is where closed-loop remediation comes into the picture: an IT management concept designed to address the escalating complexity of modern networks ...

In 2025, enterprise workflows are undergoing a seismic shift. Propelled by breakthroughs in generative AI (GenAI), large language models (LLMs), and natural language processing (NLP), a new paradigm is emerging — agentic AI. This technology is not just automating tasks; it's reimagining how organizations make decisions, engage customers, and operate at scale ...

In the early days of the cloud revolution, business leaders perceived cloud services as a means of sidelining IT organizations. IT was too slow, too expensive, or incapable of supporting new technologies. With a team of developers, line of business managers could deploy new applications and services in the cloud. IT has been fighting to retake control ever since. Today, IT is back in the driver's seat, according to new research by Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) ...

In today's fast-paced and increasingly complex network environments, Network Operations Centers (NOCs) are the backbone of ensuring continuous uptime, smooth service delivery, and rapid issue resolution. However, the challenges faced by NOC teams are only growing. In a recent study, 78% state network complexity has grown significantly over the last few years while 84% regularly learn about network issues from users. It is imperative we adopt a new approach to managing today's network experiences ...

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