The programmable network revolution is coming. What is Software-Defined Networking (SDN, also known as programmable computer networking)? Why is it only today that this idea is making its way into the world of telecommunications solutions? After all, SDN is the key to efficient data flow on the Internet. One can even say that the Internet is information scattered around the world and connected by fiber optic cables. And these networks are exactly what the SDN technology will soon be managing.
What is SDN?
SDN is a new concept of building telecommunications networks. It was created in 2007 at Stanford University, USA. Since then it has been further developed by the international community: universities and telecommunication companies.
The need for a new technology was recognised, as usual, from observing the problems experienced by the users of current technology. Today’s telecommunications device is a highly specialized box with a comprehensive set of features – designed to satisfy the most demanding customers of the telecommunications sector. To each his own. While one customer asks for a virtual private network (VPN), another one would like to purchase routers and secure connections to the Internet. Still another requires a firewall or other security system components. Each function is a different, separate box. The problem begins when customer needs change – and in today’s economic climate, the only thing that is certain and inevitable is change. New protocols that were not yet in existence when the box was designed. A complete change of functionality. A request to launch a new service. In case of the majority of such needs, it is necessary to introduce a new box.
Quick response
A programmable network device performs only actions that require quick response (control of network packets traffic). The SDN philosophy assumes manageability of the device: its configuration can be changed in a variety of ways. There is no need to run around town with boxes. Both the user and the box remain at home; we use network packets, thanks to which we can complete the entire reconfiguration or launch a new one.
Central network management
Network management, on which packet traffic and the shape of services provided by the network depend, is moved from the device to a central node – network controller – which can manage a group of programmable computer network devices.
A wide scope of application
SDN devices are more versatile; in order to change network services, which in standard devices would require reconfiguration or replacement of devices, it is enough to manage a central node that issues commands to devices requesting a change in their configuration. Continuous device monitoring, which is the essence of Software-Defined Networking, makes it particularly difficult to attack these devices. The ability to change the functions of a device and the network services it offers allows you to avoid replacing devices and make the best use of their resources. As a result, a network based on this philosophy is more flexible and can easily handle new challenges. The time from development of a concept for a service to its launch, as measured by TTM (time to market), is shortened, enabling customers to respond more quickly to market demands.
Open Standard
Open standards such as OpenFlow play a key role in the development of Software-Defined Networking. Thanks to them, open projects such as Open vSwitch or ONOS can be used to manage devices. EXATEL is happy to support the international community (we have recently released the libnetflow9 library for network traffic analysis under an open license).
Development Technology
The philosophy of SDN is related to that of Internet of Things(IoT): the exchange of services at the edge of a telecommunications network. There are few technologies that can rapidly increase the availability of telecommunications services in response to such phenomena in the IoT world as a nationwide convent of automatic washing machines, a traffic jam on the highway, or a football game of insulin pump users.
SDN is also prepared to adopt the 5G technology, in which the operator guarantees not only the availability of the service but also the standard ordered by the customer, which enables generation of business benefits in a manner that is quick, secure, but also tailored to the technological needs of the service (for example, for the Industry 4.0 standard, remote control of an industrial system may be required, which requires ultra-fast packet transmission times).
A prerequisite for the success of Software-Defined Networking technology is the deployment and popularization of flexible, high-speed, and secure network devices that are compliant with the SDN standard. The establishment of a platform of this type of device paves the way for the development of network communication innovations: despite many years of Internet development, there are still unsolved problems in the management of network packet traffic and many challenges to be met in order for Internet services to be delivered to the consumer quickly, efficiently and securely.
SDN at EXATEL
In practice SDN means a telecommunications revolution. A change in which EXATEL takes an active part as a technology manufacturer. In case of SDN devices, it is software rather than hardware that is the most important. Having your own hardware platform is a prerequisite, but the business value of the device is delivered largely by software developers. Thanks to the SDN philosophy, companies such as EXATEL, which write their own software and develop their own technologies, can create flexible solutions at the highest global level. We are talking about SDNbox and SDNcore. Solutions, that are planned to be deployed first in the second largest fibre optic network in Poland. And that is not the last word in this field.
