Open Network Featured Article

Effective business operations that lead to market dominance are no longer solely dependent upon keen insight and luck. Today, technology plays a significant role in business outcomes, in that it allows an enterprise to be nimble and change direction as needed in response to surprise challenges. The big challenge, of course, is selecting the right solutions to meet the needs of the business. The cloud is a perfect example of a response to a growing cost and accessibility problem. But on the flip side, the more options available, the more challenging it is to select the development path necessary to support the right business outcome. 

The reality in today’s business environment is that the number of software-related networking ideas coming to market from a variety of companies halts the decision-making process. With new ideas based on ecosystems, control aspects are moving outside of the traditional network. International Data Corporation (IDC (News - Alert)) anticipates that the worldwide software-defined networking (SDN) market for cloud service provider and enterprise segments will grow from 2014’s high of $960 million to $8 billion by 2018.

Use of SDN helps avoid the pressure of the rip and replace strategy (where working switches and routing technology need to be trashed), saving time and money, and reducing any possible risks associated with such a move. By implementing it, network administrators are empowered to solve problems that cannot be addressed with routing and switching. Such use cases are changing the way business decisions are made. The question is not whether or not traditional networking works; the question is whether or not the traditional network meets all needs.

For instance, in a policy-driven network, there are three steps SDN undertakes to execute tasks: meter, match and act. Traffic conditions are metered, and application and user behavior need to match these conditions against pre-defined criteria and then act according to the pre-determined policy. An example of where this can be put into action is a service delivery ecosystem where the enterprise pulls services and data from a hosted or private data center.

Another use case is that of the data center to data center networking where intelligence is needed to enforce traffic policies on a hybrid cloud. The challenge in this situation is that once the private circuit is built, it’s difficult to make modifications on the fly. SDN is an ideal fit for this environment.

SDN in campus networking is another option where it can help enforce policies that are set according to the user, device, location and time of day. While this particular network is difficult to implement, it delivers considerable benefits, especially where security is concerned.

The point is, there are several use cases that support the focus on SDN as a game changer, without eliminating years of engineering work on existing networks that have sustained the business. Instead, it offers an opportunity to solve networking challenges while still preserving investments. To learn how, check out the Pica8 white paper, Emerging Use Cases for SDN. You’ll gain access to the details on all use cases and how you can derive value from SDN. Download your copy today.