Difference between SDN and NFV

Last Updated :
20 Jun, 2020

1. Software Defined Networking (SDN) :

SDN is a networking architecture which aims to improve overall network per formance

and make networks agile and flexible by enabling a dynamic and programmatically

efficient network configuration. SDN is a technology that separates control plane

management of network devices from underlying data plane that for wards network

traffic in order to enable more automated provisioning and policy-based management of

network resources.

Basically, SDN makes network programmable by separating system that is going to

decide that where should traffic be sent i.e., control plane from underlying system that

pushes packets of data to a par ticular destinations i.e., data plane. SDN offer its users a

way to managed network ser vices with help of sof tware that makes networks centrally

programmable, and allowing it for faster configuration. Sof tware Defined Networking

enables enterprises and ser vice providers to respond quickly if business needs and

requirements are changing which ultimately improves network control.

2. Network Functions Vir tualization (NFV) :

NFV is a network architecture which aims to accelerate ser vice deployment for network

operators and reduce cost by separating functions like firewall or encr yption from

dedicated hardware and moving them to vir tual ser vers, collapsing various functions into

a physical ser ver, which ultimately reduces overall cost. NFV allows various network

operators to implement network policy without being taken care of where to place

functions in network and how to route traffic through these functions.

It is a way to vir tualize network ser vices, such as routers, firewalls, and load balances,

that have traditionally been run on computer hardware whose inter face is controlled by

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proprietor (proprietar y hardware) and allows network ser vices to be hosted on vir tual
machines. Vir tual machines have a hyper visor, called a vir tual machine manager, by

which multiple operating systems can share a single hardware processor. It will deliver

high-per formance networks which have greater scalability, elasticity, and adaptability at

low costs as compared to those networks which are built from traditional networking

equipment. So it comes to overcome drawback of traditional, custom-designed network

equipment and reduces need for dedicated or proprietar y hardware to deploy and

manage networks.

Difference between SDN and NFV :

Related Articles

SDN NFV

SDN architecture mainly NFV is targeted at ser vice providers or operators.

focuses on data centers.

SDN separates control NFV helps ser vice providers or operators to

plane and data for warding vir tualize functions like load balancing, routing,

plane by centralizing and policy management by transferring network

control and functions from dedicated appliances to vir tual

programmability of ser vers.

network.

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 SDN NFV

SDN uses OpenFlow as a There is no protocol determined yet for NFV.

communication protocol.

SDN suppor ts Open NFV is driven by E TSI NFV Working group.

Networking Foundation.

Various enterprise Telecom ser vice providers or operators are prime

networking sof tware and initiative suppor ters of NFV.

hardware vendors are

initiative suppor ters of

SDN.

Corporate IT act as a Ser vice providers or operators act as a Business

Business initiator for SDN. initiator for NFV.

SDN applications run on NFV applications run on industr y-standard

industr y-standard ser vers ser vers.

or switches.

SDN reduces cost of NFV increases scalability and agility as well as

network because now there speed up time-to-market as it dynamically allot

is no need of expensive hardware a level of capacity to network functions

switches & routers. needed at a par ticular time.

Application of SDN: Application of NFV:

Networking Routers, firewalls, gateways

Cloud orchestration WAN accelerators

SL A assurance

Video Ser vers

Content Deliver y Networks (CDN)

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Ar ticle Contributed By :

dikshamulchandani1
@dikshamulchandani1

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