Leveraging SD-WAN for Mergers & Acquisitions

A colleague recently asked me if SD-WAN could be leveraged to expedite network integration as a result of a merger or acquisition. His thoughts were that this could potentially provide a means to securely integration networks in a short amount of time.  At first I thought this made no sense — SD-WAN is not related to this challenge whatsoever. However, the idea stuck in my head like a bad catchy tune. I started thinking… maybe in certain circumstances this could work?  This post is a collection of some ideas I’ve been brewing with respect to the secure and timely integration of disparate networks using over-the-counter SD-WAN. (more…)

ONF Certified SDN Associate (OCSA) – Part 1

The concept of SDN is constantly evolving. There are countless adaptations, projects, solutions, and products in this market, and we’ve just begun to see the impact. Developed network engineers will want to stay informed in this age of great change. This is why the Open Networking Foundation (ONF) put together a certification program for SDN. (more…)

Flowsim – A Web-based OpenFlow Learning Tool

Just discovered a tool developed by OpenFlow researchers and engineers called Flowsim. It’s been around for a couple of years, I’ve just never got around to using it. It’s a tool that helps you visually learn OpenFlow. It runs entirely in your browser, and all you need is a free account to get started.

You can configure OpenFlow switches and setup packets to be sent through the OpenFlow pipeline. If you’re curious about the underworkings of OpenFlow and don’t feel like setting up your own lab, definitely check it out. (more…)

OpenFlow – Basic Concepts and Theory

Spoken in the words of the Open Networking Foundation – one of the key concepts to understanding SDN is the separation of control plane and data plane. Typically a network is comprised of many routers and switches, each exchanging table information to build topologies. Each of these network devices has their own individualized control plane for brain-like functions such as route or MAC learning. Each network device also has its own data plane for forwarding packets. The challenge is each device has its own perspective of the network, and the only way you can view that perspective is by connecting to that device via a CLI and issue commands or configurations. The same is applicable for other devices like firewalls, load balancers, not just routers, and switches. (more…)