SDN Distilled

Software Defined Networking (SDN) promises to accelerate the deployment of new Internet technologies and services, reduce network access costs, and improve resource utilization. SDN is already being implemented by Google, key carriers, and pioneering data center managers, and it is rapidly gaining mindshare amongst mainstream service providers and enterprises.


SDN Distilled: A Brief Guide to Software Defined Networking is the first complete, up-to-date introduction to SDN technology for both decision-makers and technologists. Leading network technology expert Susan Hares helps you understand how SDN works and what has motivated its development, and guides you through objectively assessing its potential value in your own environment.


Hares illuminates SDN's impact at every level of the classic 7-layer OSI networking stack, covering all this, and more:



Application layer, cloud, and Big Data
OS virtualization layer, cloud platforms, and hypervisors
Transport layer virtualization in the data center and WAN
Network layer virtualization: NFV, OpenFlow, and new IETF routing functions/interfaces
Link layer virtualization in virtual switches
Virtualization of layer 2 network services (EVPNs)
VLAN (VxLAN, NvGRE, STT, NV03)
Physical layer virtualization at the optical layer (GMPLS/Transport optical) and virtualized radios for LTE and WiFi

You'll discover what early adopters have (and have not) achieved through their SDN initiatives to date, and get practical checklists for assessing and planning SDN implementation at your own site. Whether you're just beginning to explore SDN technology or you're well underway with deployment, SDN Distilled brings together authoritative, objective knowledge you can't afford to do without.