Software-Defined Networking

By: Ajit Singh

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

This book provides a comprehensive and implementation-focused exploration of Software-Defined Networking (SDN), designed to bridge the gap between abstract theoretical concepts and the practical, real-world skills required to build and manage modern networks. It serves as an essential resource for students, engineers, and developers seeking to master the principles, architecture, and programming of a software-driven network infrastructure. This text is meticulously structured to align with the syllabi of undergraduate (B.Tech/BS) and graduate (M.Tech/MS) computer science courses at universities in the USA and across the world.


Philosophy: The Network as a Programmable System

The core philosophy of this book is "learning by doing." While a solid theoretical foundation is essential, the true potential of SDN is only unlocked through hands-on implementation. Traditional networking has often been taught through a lens of configuration and protocol memorization. In contrast, this book treats the network as a programmable system. It emphasizes a developer's mindset, encouraging readers to think about network control as a software problem that can be solved with algorithms, data structures, and APIs. Every theoretical concept is paired with a clear path toward implementation, ensuring that readers not only understand why SDN is important but also know how to build solutions with it.


Key Features

1. Comprehensive Coverage: The book covers the complete SDN stack, from the forwarding hardware in the data plane to the network applications in the application plane.

2. Practical Focus: A dedicated chapter on Mininet provides a complete guide to setting up an SDN testbed. Step-by-step instructions guide the reader through writing and testing basic network applications.

3. Modern and Relevant Topics: In addition to core SDN concepts and OpenFlow, the book includes up-to-date coverage of SD-WAN, the synergy with NFV, service function chaining, data plane programmability with P4, and emerging paradigms like Intent-Based Networking.

4. Capstone Project: The final chapter includes a complete, do-it-yourself (DIY) capstone project. This project integrates concepts from across the book and includes fully explained, working code to build a practical SDN application, such as an adaptive load balancer or a dynamic security firewall.

5. University Syllabus Alignment: The content and structure are strictly aligned with the computer science curriculum of major universities in the USA and globally, making it an ideal primary textbook for B.Tech/M.Tech and BS/MS courses on advanced networking.


Key Takeaways

Upon completing this book, the reader will be able to:

1. Articulate the limitations of traditional networking and the core value proposition of SDN.

2. Design and explain the three-layer SDN architectural framework.

3. Program an SDN controller (e.g., Ryu or Floodlight) to implement custom network logic.

4. Use Mininet to emulate and test SDN applications.

5. Understand and apply SDN principles to solve problems in data centers, WANs, and virtualized environments.

6. Explain the relationship between SDN and NFV and design a basic Service Function Chain.

7. Appreciate the security and scalability challenges in SDN and the strategies to address them.

8. Grasp the future direction of networking, including data plane programmability (P4) and Intent-Based Networking.


Disclaimer: Earnest request from the Author.

Kindly go through the table of contents and refer kindle edition for a glance on the related contents.

Thank you for your kind consideration!