• Revolutionary approach to network management
• Enables dynamic, programmatically efficient network configuration
• Improves network performance and monitoring
• Reduces complexity in static and inflexible network architectures
• Provides a centralized view of the entire network

SDN Architecture

• Decouples network control and forwarding functions

Three Distinct Planes:

Data Plane (Forwarding Plane)

• Responsible for handling data packets
• Makes decisions based on protocols like IP and Ethernet
• Concerned with sending and receiving data

Control Plane

• Centralized decision-maker in SDN
• Dictates traffic flow across the entire network
• Replaces traditional, distributed router control planes
• Increases network manageability and flexibility

Application Plane

• Hosts all network applications that interact with the SDN controller
• Applications instruct the controller on network management