Software-Defined Networks (SDN)
Software-defined networks (SDN) are a new paradigm shift in the world of network centralized command and control, providing network omniscience and separates control and data planes. Most of the research work till date focuses on increasing efficiency and manageability of computational and storage resources which results in emergence of current virtualization technologies. The feasibility and applications of SDN in current datacenters and network infrastructures is being studied by academia, industry, and the standardization bodies. This chapter explains SDN concepts and its difference from legacy networking, interrelated terminologies, protocols, programming languages, benefits, and shortcomings. Moreover, exploration of current research areas and techniques along with in-depth analysis and future research directions will be presented.