Software-Defined Networking
Software-Defined Networking (SDN) is a network architecture approach that separates the control plane (which decides how traffic is routed) from the data plane (which forwards traffic based on those decisions). This centralizes network intelligence in software-based controllers, enabling dynamic, programmable management of network resources. It allows administrators to manage network services through abstraction of lower-level functionality.
Developers should learn SDN when building scalable, flexible, or cloud-based applications that require automated network provisioning, such as in data centers, virtualization environments, or IoT systems. It's crucial for implementing network automation, improving security through centralized policies, and reducing operational costs by abstracting hardware dependencies.