21. How SDN Works
The preceding chapter discussed the lack of programmability with traditional networks and noted that the key to transforming networks is to decouple the control plane (software) from the data plane (hardware). In doing so, we can provide centralized control and enjoy the benefits of a programmable network. Accommodating this new model involves two key steps.
First, we want the control of the network to be centralized rather than having each device as its own island. This greatly simplifies network discovery, connectivity, and control, all of which are complex and problematic in large traditional networks. Having overarching control actually makes the whole network programmable instead of having to individually configure each ...
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