What is the future of SDN?

SDN has a problematic future as it has issues to overcome. The first issue is the console/remote capability with today’s security issues many will not want to expose their network to a potential hacker takeover. It is an Open Source Technology!

Another issue is the current state of Network Management policies and practices with single device or single path focus. When a Network Manager looks at SDN he only sees how it can help or hurt his network but SDN is much bigger and a lot of education still remains to be done to make SDN or similar technologies palatable.

SDN is a Human Centric Technology where today’s technology is Device Centric which is and always will be a challenge to get managers to adopt especially when one person can completely change your network, storage, WAN..etc fabric.

Many talk about SDN’s ability to help with the “Cloud” but before we get SDN involved we need to get the “Cloud” under control.

There are also serious financial, training and primary deployment issues.

SDN opens lots of questions for the future of advance networking and computing technologies. We need more responsive technology but not at the cost of security and control. In the long run SDN may be deployed in provider networks but individual corporations may find it just too much to deploy. SDN is in need of a lot more development and proof of being a secure and deployable technology.

This is a guest post by Tim O'Neill, Senior Technology Consultant & Chief Editor at LoveMyTool.

If you want to learn more about the promises of SDN, NFV and the importance of maintaining 100% network visibility as you make the transition, download our free white paper, Architecting Data Centers for SDN and NFV - In 40G and 100G Environments

Heartbeats Packets Inside the Bypass TAP

If the inline security tool goes off-line, the TAP will bypass the tool and automatically keep the link flowing. The Bypass TAP does this by sending heartbeat packets to the inline security tool. As long as the inline security tool is on-line, the heartbeat packets will be returned to the TAP, and the link traffic will continue to flow through the inline security tool.

If the heartbeat packets are not returned to the TAP (indicating that the inline security tool has gone off-line), the TAP will automatically 'bypass' the inline security tool and keep the link traffic flowing. The TAP also removes the heartbeat packets before sending the network traffic back onto the critical link.

While the TAP is in bypass mode, it continues to send heartbeat packets out to the inline security tool so that once the tool is back on-line, it will begin returning the heartbeat packets back to the TAP indicating that the tool is ready to go back to work. The TAP will then direct the network traffic back through the inline security tool along with the heartbeat packets placing the tool back inline.

Some of you may have noticed a flaw in the logic behind this solution! You say, “What if the TAP should fail because it is also in-line? Then the link will also fail!” The TAP would now be considered a point of failure. That is a good catch – but in our blog on Bypass vs. Failsafe, I explained that if a TAP were to fail or lose power, it must provide failsafe protection to the link it is attached to. So our network TAP will go into Failsafe mode keeping the link flowing.

Glossary

Single point of failure: a risk to an IT network if one part of the system brings down a larger part of the entire system.

Heartbeat packet: a soft detection technology that monitors the health of inline appliances. Read the heartbeat packet blog here.

Critical link: the connection between two or more network devices or appliances that if the connection fails then the network is disrupted.

NETWORK MANAGEMENT | THE 101 SERIES

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What is the future of SDN?

What is the future of SDN?