Software defined networking (SDN) has emerged as a new paradigm of networking. Key aspects of SDN include separation of data and control plane, a well defined vendor-agnostic interface between the data and control plane (e.g. OpenFlow), and a logically centralized control plane that creates a network view for the control and management applications. Industry is embracing SDN because it enables competition and innovation and helps network operators reduce capex and opex and create revenue generating services. Examples include:
- Foundations of SDN including abstractions for forwarding and control planes; SDN building blocks that embody the abstractions; controller design and data consistency guarantees; SDN scalability, reliability, and security;
- New network capabilities or services enabled by SDN including network virtualization, troubleshooting and verification; traffic engineering; and other automation and orchestration for cloud applications;
- SDN for different types of networks, including data center, enterprise wired and wireless, cellular wireless, and service provider networks.