Network Convergence: What’s Next for SDN?
The evolving digital business landscape involves an increasing number of integrated components across disparate edges and end points. Combinations of cloud native, IOT devices, 5G, Wi-Fi, collaboration tools, virtual workspaces, telecommuting, remote services, new protocols and digital native models are being added to networks every day. It is therefore no surprise that over the years, enterprise IT networks and network operations look more like a convergence of multiple networks.
What’s more is that digital business requires faster delivery of services, ultimately requiring enterprises to change network operations processes and tooling.
Many enterprises has adopted SDN which enables networks to be programmable, allowing the data and control planes to scale independently. Network services usually delivered at the network’s edge (such as DDoS, firewalls, load balancers, etc.) can now be pooled together and made accessible from anywhere in the entire network.
So what’s next for SDN?
The concept that networks can learn, adapt and evolve has been around for years. More recently, there has been a surge in the market of IBN/IDN vendors. IBN controllers build on SDN by continuously adapting the network (workloads, configurations, service performance requirements, operational policies, security policies etc.) to achieve business intent for multiple services simultaneously.
The IBN controller captures and translates intent into policies the network can act on. It manages network infrastructure via multiple mechanisms such as Secure Shell (SSH), Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), Network Configuration (NETCONF)/ Yet Another Next Generation (YANG) and APIs. It pulls real-time network status for systems under its administrative control via multiple mechanisms, while being protocol- and transport-agnostic. It continuously validates (in real time) against expected network behaviour models that the intent of the system is being met and can take corrective actions (such as adding/removing capacity or notifying) when intent is not met (or prevent changes from occurring).
IBN/IDN will itself bring a few further trends to network operations:
HGC Global Communications Limited may, directly or through its affiliated companies, agents and/or business partners1, use my personal data2(“Personal Data”) for direct marketing of the services and/or products as set out below.
Please select the box(es) below to indicate you do not consent to any of the items and HGC Global Communications Limited shall not use the Personal Data for direct marketing
Notes
Remarks
If at any time in the future you do not wish HGC Global Communications Limited, its affiliated companies, agents and/or business partners in providing you with any information
for direct marketing of the aforesaid products and services relating to HGC Global Communications Limited, its affiliated companies and business partners, please contact us via email suggestion@hgc.com.hk, or by mail to PO Box
33, Tsuen Wan Post Office, Hong Kong or call HGC Global Communications Limited’s Customer Services Hotline 1220 (Voice/IDD Service) / 1222 (Internet Service). If you inform us via email or by post, our customer service representative
will contact you for verification purpose.