Have you heard of SDN (Software Defined Network)?
SDN is a trend that has been gaining more and more space in the context of digital transformation and new technological resources.
Considering the subject’s relevance, we have developed this post to explain it. Throughout this content, you will understand what SDN consists of, when it appeared and what advantages it can bring to your company. Good reading!
What is software-defined networking, and where does it come from?
SDN is a way of designing the architecture of networks between computers. The main difference from traditional models is that it allows centralized network control through software applications. In practice, this helps the operator to manage the entire network with greater consistency, regardless of the technology that is used.
As its name suggests, it uses software rather than specialized devices to manage network services and applications. In addition to providing greater mobility to systems, it enables the provision of scalable, on-demand applications.
With it, network provisioning does not run into hardware limitations, as the system is centralized — intelligent monitoring is done to adapt it automatically according to conditions. In short, it is a way to digitize the network.
It emerged due to the need to automate, scale and optimize networks to better deal with applications from the public cloud, private storage services and databases. In other words, it was developed to keep up with the changes that service providers and operators have been going through in recent years.
After all, the gigantic growth of multimedia content and the impact promoted by devices such as tablets and smartphones generated a demand that the old business models could not meet. In this transformation scenario, it emerged as a solution capable of changing the foundations of network design and operations.
In the next topic, we will explain the most significant benefits it can bring to your company. Keep reading to find out more!
What are the main benefits of an SDN?
Check out the main advantages that software-defined networking brings to an organization.
Cost Reduction
Because it keeps traffic flowing smoothly and assists with near-instant problem resolution, the IT department is likely to see cost savings happen in a short time.
Tailor-made hardware, for example, tends to be a pretty high investment. By barring limitations and allowing costs to be proportional to consumption, SDN tends to generate savings in the long run. It also helps to improve the quality of services and/or products offered by the organization to the final consumer.
In addition, you will be able to centralize:
- Monitoring
- Settings
- Management
- Service distribution
- Control
- Cloud automation
Considering the trends aligned with the new future, in which centralization will have even more space and effectiveness, this type of network can provide incredible operational gains.
The good news is that implementing software-defined networks doesn’t even require high investments. It is important to note that some features are available for free or integrated into the operating system responsible.
Control over traffic
Through the software-defined networks management console, you can establish rules on how traffic will occur. Thus, there is a way to improve the overall content delivery, ensuring a pleasant browsing experience for users.
It also allows network behavior controlled by software located beyond the devices that provide physical connectivity. The most obvious result is that operators can adjust the behavior of their SDNs to support new services, which also extends to individual customers.
Therefore, by decoupling software from hardware, it is perfectly feasible to present innovative services with agility, without the restrictions that we usually see in closed platforms.
Smarter networks
A network of this type helps responsible employees or service providers to create solutions to reduce downtime to allow for adequate recovery planning. It is necessary in extreme cases.
Resource management, as mentioned in this post, can be innovative and more intelligent. In an SDN, devices operate autonomously with limited recognition of the network. Now, control, restoration, security and bandwidth policies are optimizable. The company gains a complete overview of the network and chooses how to use it according to its needs.
Why and when to choose an SDN?
Never forget that more than a technology, an SDN is a broad concept. Like cloud computing and some tools based on Artificial Intelligence, it emerged as an adaptive response to other changes.
As if the advantages listed in this text were not enough, a software-defined network considerably improves the response time to user requests. Over time, they tend to become more numerous and qualified, requiring complex systems capable of keeping up with them — such as SDNs.
Your organization should choose a good SDN when needed to control network computing with a well-defined programming interface. This is not surprising, as it works as a bridge between applications, networks and hardware. In this way, it helps ensure the company’s competitiveness.
As research advances in this direction, it becomes even more apparent that it will be decisive for those who intend to transmit content. Therefore, do not forget about the customer and always consider the best for them. SDN is an evolution aligned with new technologies, and it is essential to know it in depth before implementing it in your business.
Now that you know what software defined is, take the opportunity to contact us. We can help your business to grow!
This content was originally posted in Portuguese and translated.
