Cloud computing has solved many business problems, from scalability based on business demand to disaster recovery. But traditional networks often struggle to keep up with the demands of having so many applications and systems on the cloud servers.
“Businesses are more reliant on cloud applications than ever, but traditional networks weren’t built for this level of demand. Between constant outages, security risks and the rising cost of downtime, companies need a smarter way to manage traffic, said Greg Davis, CEO of Bigleaf Networks.
“Software-defined networking solves these issues by making networks more flexible, resilient, and automated, helping businesses stay ahead instead of scrambling to fix problems.”
What is Software-Defined Networking?
Software-defined networking (SDN) is an environment in which administrators use specialized software or application programming interfaces to direct network traffic instead of using hardware devices such as routers and switches in a traditional network. By using virtualization, SDN decouples the software from the hardware, using a similar premise to cloud computing technologies.
For example, Nutanix Flow Network Security acknowledges the inherent complexity of security in a multicloud IT operation. The SDN system presents a simple solution that hardens a network against cyberthreats via built-in Zero Trust initiatives and automated regulatory compliance.
Jason Burns, the director of Technical Marketing at Nutanix, said that with SDN, the network team controls the network, which allows them to create the best performing network for their applications.
“The network team, rightly so, controls the network because they need to have the best performing network for their applications,” Burns said in a Tech Barometer podcast.
“They hold some of that responsibility, and therefore, they hold the provisioning control as well. Same thing for the compute and storage side. You get visibility from the storage side of what the network is doing. And then from the network side, you get visibility into what the compute is doing.”
By creating an abstract overlay on top of the complex networking infrastructure, administrators can make decisions via a simple control plane and application programming interfaces. The software-based control plane makes up one-half of the overall SDN architecture and facilitates ease of management for the network administrator.
The other half of the architecture is the data plane, which continues to exist in the physical hardware and transmits data from point to point based on instructions passed down from the control plane.
“The biggest win with SDN is reliability. It automatically adapts to internet conditions, keeping applications running smoothly even when connections drop. It also simplifies network management, so IT teams aren’t constantly putting out fires,” said Davis.
“Plus, businesses get better security and visibility into their traffic, so they can stop threats before they become problems.”
Organizations often see a wide range of other benefits from SDN, including:
Flexibility & customization – The software-based control plane allows for on-demand and real-time configuration changes, rapid provisioning, and more cost-effective network capacity increases.
More use cases – Organizations looking to prioritize DevOps initiatives can utilize software-defined networking to automate updates, deployments, and other aspects of the application life cycle, while developers focus on creation.
Improved security – The software-based networking approach makes it easy to create distributed firewall systems through virtualization and bolster the overall protection layer covering the network.
Easier to control – Software abstraction makes it easier to control any environment, particularly those utilizing tools from multiple vendors. Instead of configuring multiple vendor-specific devices, administrators manage the entire application life cycle from a single software control plane.
Efficiency – Because SDN improves utilization of resources and servers, organizations typically see a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) and greater return on investment (ROI).
Developing a Strategy for Improved ROI
Many organizations struggle to move to SDN due to the often-high costs of upgrading legacy equipment. Instead of looking at the initial outlay, organizations should take a big picture approach when evaluating costs.
“SDN lowers total costs by reducing downtime, automating network management and making better use of bandwidth,” said Davis. “With AI and cloud workloads exploding, reliable connectivity is now a competitive advantage. Businesses can boost ROI by focusing on the areas that impact performance the most and choosing solutions that scale with their needs.”
He says that businesses can cut costs by choosing managed SDN solutions that take the heavy lifting off their IT teams. Other ways to improve the ROI is to roll out SDN in phases instead of all at once, and leveraging automation to reduce manual work. Davis also recommends looking for vendors that offer subscription-based SDN to make it more accessible.
Addressing the Skills Gap
Another common challenge is that organizations have an IT team with traditional network expertise, which creates a skills gap. IT teams need experience with programming and automation, such as Python and REST APIs, for SDN. Furthermore, SDN requires understanding automation and software development. However, Davis says that organizations shouldn’t let not having SDN experts on staff be a roadblock.
“Managed SDN services handle the complexity, automation reduces the need for manual tuning, and training programs help IT teams get up to speed,” he said. “The right SDN solution should be simple enough that businesses can focus on growth — not babysitting their network.”
Software-Defined Networking For Managing More Complexity
In an environment where every aspect of the cloud and its underlying infrastructure and networks are so complex, the solutions don’t also need to be complex. Simple tools that hide the complexity are ideal for ensuring that IT teams can prioritize business and consumer-focused outcomes.
“At the end of the day, businesses can’t afford to gamble with network performance,” Davis said. “SDN isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s becoming a must-have for companies that depend on cloud apps, AI and always-on connectivity. The future of business runs on the internet, and SDN makes sure it actually works the way it’s supposed to.”
This is an update to the article originally written by Michael Brenner and published on September 12, 2023.
Jennifer Goforth Gregory is a contributing writer. Finder her @byJenGregory.
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