Software-Defined Networking
Automate and program your network faster
Provision, manage, and program networks more rapidly with software-defined networking. In this centralized approach to network management, the underlying network infrastructure is abstracted from applications. SDN provides choice in automation and programmability across data centers, campuses, and wide-area networks. Use Cisco software-defined solutions to build intent-based networks.
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What's next in networking
Be among the first to know what to expect from evolving networking trends and how to stay ahead of them. Get the latest insights from Cisco in the 2020 Global Networking Trends Report.
How intent is changing networking
Find out why it's time to look beyond software-defined networking (SDN) and zero-day and day-1 automation and to move toward a future that continually aligns the network with business intent.
Features and benefits
Simplify operations
Reduce complexity by decoupling the control and data planes, while making automation highly secure and scalable.
Achieve faster time to market
Deploy applications and services faster by leveraging open APIs. Easily integrate third-party products.
Build programmable networks
Eliminate manual configuration. Provision and manage data centers, campuses, and wide-area networks.
Lay the foundation for intent
Centralize configuration, management, control, monitoring, service delivery, and cloud automation.
Find the best SDN solution for you
For data center managers
Increase business agility: automate provisioning and operations, enhance security, and enable multicloud.
For network managers
Design, provision, and manage highly secure networks that provide access to any application.
See what customers have to say
Enhance the user experience
Montana State University has powered up intent-based networking and improved scalability with Cisco Software-Defined Access and Cisco Digital Network Architecture.
A connected digital county
Durham County has automated data center services and policies, so engineers can spend less time managing the data center network and more time focusing on strategic initiatives.
Simplicity, scalability, security
With Cisco ACI, Ameritas has increased business agility through operational efficiency, unmatched security, and a seamless path to multicloud.
Accelerate your success with services from Cisco Customer Experience
Confidently move to a secure, automated, intent-based network with expert guidance, proven experience, best practices, and innovative tools.
What is software-defined networking?
How does a software-defined network work?
Software-defined networking (SDN) is designed to make a network flexible and agile. SDN lets you design, build, and manage networks, separating the control and forwarding planes. As a result, the control plane is directly programmable, and it abstracts the underlying infrastructure for applications and network services.
Network intelligence is logically centralized through programmable SDN controllers. Implemented in software, these controllers maintain a coherent view of the network domain. To applications and policy engines, SDN looks like a single logical switch.
What does SDN consist of?
Software-defined networking (SDN) offers a centralized, programmable network that consists of an SDN controller, southbound APIs, and northbound APIs.
- SDN controllers are the brains of the network, offering a centralized view of the overall network.
- Southbound APIs relay information to the switches and routers in network.
- Northbound APIs communicate with the applications and deploy services.
What are the benefits of SDN?
- Fast and automated application deployment.
- On-demand app delivery and mobility at scale.
- Greater resource flexibility and utilization.
- Reduction of IT costs by enhancing the benefits of data center virtualization.
What is the relationship between SDN and IBN?
Software-defined networks have automated the process of network management.
Intent-based networking adds context, learning, and assurance capabilities by tightly coupling policy with intent. SDN can be a building block of intent-based networking.
What is the relationship between SDN and NFV?
Network function virtualization (NFV) uses hypervisor and cloud-computing technology for network automation and orchestration. NFV works best in the context of network services (OSI Level 4 and up) that require heavy compute power, with low-to-medium bandwidth throughput.
SDN converges the management of network and application services into centralized, extensible orchestration platforms. SDN is optimal for high-throughput network forwarding (OSI Levels 0-3) where bandwidth-intensive workloads need significant traffic management.