Software-Defined Networking
Software-Defined Networking (SDN) is a network architecture approach that separates the control plane (which decides how to route traffic) from the data plane (which forwards traffic), enabling centralized, programmable network management. It uses software-based controllers or APIs to direct traffic on the network and communicate with underlying hardware infrastructure. This allows for more dynamic, flexible, and automated network configuration compared to traditional networking.
Developers should learn SDN when building or managing scalable, cloud-based, or virtualized environments where network agility and automation are critical, such as in data centers, cloud computing, or IoT deployments. It is particularly useful for implementing network virtualization, improving security through micro-segmentation, and enabling DevOps practices by integrating network management into CI/CD pipelines.