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Software-defined networkingThe Network Solution for the Era of Big Data

the Sdn revolutionthe Software-defined networking (Sdn) revolution is here. it is crashing like a wave over the tech world. the question is not ‘if’ but ‘when.’

north american enterprises project that they will each spend an average of more than $8 million on data center security solutions in 2017.1

According to most industry insiders, it’s a sure thing. This exciting, new system of network architecture is ideally suited to handle big data, cloud services, mobile security, and other challenges of 21st century computing. The ultimate goal of SDN integration is to make your network faster and more flexible. The list of advantages with SDN is long: more security, agility, fewer costs, more speed, more customization. The buzz is real. Read on to learn how SDN is transforming our networking landscape and how your company can get in on it.

73% of organizations have already invested or plan to invest in big data by 2016.2

1 From the 2016 Data Center Security Strategies and Vendor Leadership: North American Enterprise Survey by IHS Markit. 2 “Survey Analysis: Big Data Investment Grows but Deployments Remain Scarce in 2014,” Gartner Research.3 Market Trends: x86 Server Virtualization, Worldwide, 2016, Gartner Research.4 IHS Markit.

Many organizations have server virtualization rates that exceed 75 percent. 3

in a 2016 survey, 74% of U.S. businesses said Sdn-compatible data solutions are driving spending.4

SDN: Software-Defined Networking 2

while the rest of computing technology has advanced at a rapid pace over the past 30 years, network technology has, for the most part, remained stagnant. Chances are good that your network infrastructure is in desperate need of innovation.

does this sound familiar? The application team didn’t communicate clearly with the networking team. A set of rules didn’t get propagated throughout the whole network infrastructure. This is what we call the ‘Plumbing Problem’ and it’s a huge issue for networks. To retroactively go back in and try to track down the misstep is a nightmare. As a complicated labyrinth of switches, rout-ers, and other hardware, traditional network architecture has become an old, outdated, be-hemoth. The closed system allows for mini-mal modifications. Certain proprietary com-ponents often cannot be altered.

Let’s dig into how things go down: • Speed: processing is slow, clunky, and inefficient. • Cost: it’s expensive. Changes are costly.

Expansions or upgrades are prohibitively expensive and require shutdowns of the entire system. That is, of course, assuming that your vendors even offer customized alternatives that work for your specific problems.

• Security: with rapidly changing digital ap-plications and environments, maintaining a secure network is of the utmost impor-tance. Yet, it is a logistical nightmare with outmoded tools.

the result? a system that is static and difficult—if not impossible—to adapt. A system completely ill-suited to today’s net-work conditions.

time for an overhaul?we have all experienced it. frustration in the face of a seemingly insurmountable problem: the old, outdated network just isn’t working for you anymore.

3SDN: Software-Defined Networking

networking Challenges

BY THE NUMBERSnetwork CoMPUting in tHe era of Big data

• Data is growing faster than ever before and by the year 2020 about 1.7 megabytes of new information will be created every second for every human being on the planet.1

• By 2020, at least a third of all data will pass through the cloud (a network of servers connected over the Internet). 2

• More than 570 new websites are created every minute of the day. 3

Variable traffic patterns Instantaneous changes in traffic necessitate fast, dynamic network architecture.

Big Data The amount of data being processed every minute requires bandwidth (a lot of it) and the ability to add extra capacity when necessary.

Increases in virtualization and cloud servicesEveryone expects to be able to access all applications, data, and IT resources on-demand, from any device.

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) environment—Different devices, servers, and platforms demand simultaneous use of the same infrastructure.

Can your network currently handle these challenges?

we are in the era of Big data. no kidding, right? the amount of data we are processing every minute—every second—is difficult to fathom. Speed. Flexibility. Security. These are the minimum requirements of network computing today. Fast, adaptable infrastructure is what we have come to expect as consumers. It is what our businesses and customers require. To keep pace with the way in which our businesses and customers use data, our networks need to be nimble and safe.

1 From the IDC Digital Universe Study: Big Data, Bigger Digital Shadows and Biggest Growth in the Far East.2 From Forbes.com.3 From “Surprising Statistics About Big Data,” by Dennis McCafferty, Baseline Magazine, February 18, 2014.

SDN: Software-Defined Networking 4

At its most basic, fundamental level, Software-Defined Networking is the physical separation of a network’s control plane from its data plane. In SDN, the network is controlled by a separate software application called a controller. This controller is customizable and is used by a net-work administrator to manage, configure, and optimize network performance. The goal is to be able to programmatically solve any network challenges. You can identify a problem, analyze it, and remediate it without any human intervention.

Traditionally, the network controls and rules for forwarding were built into the network switch-es. This made it hard to alter them in any way. SDN physically removes those rules from the firmware. After virtual servers and virtual storage, SDN was the next natural step, combining physical and virtual network infrastructure. SDN is not firmware. It is not a new collection of pieces and parts. An SDN application is a recipe, a set of instructions telling the network how to behave.

SDN is a new paradigm—a major shift in how networks are configured and controlled. Provid-ing agility, adaptability, and a global view of the network, SDN is a powerful, versatile tool.

a Paradigm Shift

what is Sdn?

How is it different?

a Major Shift

5SDN: Software-Defined Networking

How Sdn worksin an Sdn integrated network, the controller dictates how firmware elements such as content servers, routers, switches, and gateways behave. where rules for packet handling were once built in to the actual network components, with Sdn, they are sent to the component (the switch, router, etc.) via the controller application.

Application LayerBusiness applications

Control LayerNetwork Services

Infrastructure LayerCompliant Operating SystemPacket Forwarding Hardware

Northbound API

Southbound API

SDN: Software-Defined Networking 6

getting startedthe first step is to clearly define the problems you are trying to solve. This is absolutely the hardest part but it is key to designing an effective solution. Once you have outlined your IT needs and problems, your NWN consulting team will work with you to find the best commercially available tools. We evaluate each tool not by cost but by the value that it provides. The last step is implementation and deployment.

SDN: Software-Defined Networking 7

that’s ok. Here are a few ways to make sure that you can position your business to choose the ‘best of breed’ tools when the time comes:

not ready Yet?

Start laying the groundwork now and put a plan in place for the future.Understand and identify the problems in your current network infrastructure. Do your research. Find out all you can about the latest SDN software solutions.

Start implementing the management tools that involve Restful API and are compliant with current SDN protocols.

Ensure that future purchases have documented interoperability with commercially available tools.

Make sure that you are implementing Open Standards protocols At the same time, eliminate any use of proprietary protocols. This way, when you are ready to make the leap to SDN, your current system will already be compatible.

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