An Abstract Survey on Software–Defined Networking

The creation of a digital society by means of networking, where everything is connected and is accessible from anywhere. However, despite their diverse adoption, traditional IP networks are complex and difficult to manage. It is both difficult to configure the network according to predefined policies and to reconfigure it to respond to faults, load and changes. Since the current networks are vertically integrated (the control and data planes are bundled together) make the networking even more difficult. Software-Defined Networking (SDN) is an emerging new paradigm that breaks vertical integration, separating the network’s control logic from the underlying routers and switches, promoting centralization of network control and introducing the ability to program the network. SDN makes it easier to create and introduce new abstractions in networking, simplifying network management and facilitating network evolution. In this paper I present an abstract survey on SDN. I start by introducing the SDN, explain its main concepts and how it differs from traditional networking. I provide an in-depth analysis of the hardware infrastructure, southbound and northbound APIs, OpenFlow focus at the existing platforms for SDN development and testing, including emulation and simulation tools, SDN controller implementations, as well as verification and debugging tools. In an effort to anticipate the future evolution of this new paradigm, I discuss the main ongoing research efforts and challenges of SDN.