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SDN > SDN Resources > What are SDN Southbound APIs?

What are SDN Southbound APIs?

In a software-defined network (SDN) architecture, southbound application program interfaces (APIs) (or SDN southbound APIs) are used to communicate between the SDN Controller and the switches and routers of the network. They can be open or proprietary.

How Do SDN Southbound APIs Work?

Southbound APIs facilitate efficient control over the network and enable the SDN Controller to dynamically make changes according to real-time demands and needs. OpenFlow, which was developed by the Open Networking Foundation (ONF), is the first and probably most well-known southbound interface. It is an industry standard that defines the way the SDN Controller should interact with the forwarding plane to make adjustments to the network, so it can better adapt to changing business requirements. With OpenFlow, entries can be added and removed to the internal flow-table of switches and potentially routers to make the network more responsive to real-time traffic demands. Besides OpenFlow, Cisco OpFlex (the company’s response to OpenFlow) is also a well-known southbound API.
SDN southbound apisThere are a number of switch and router vendors that have announced their support of OpenFlow, including Cisco, Juniper, Big Switch Networks, Brocade, Arista, Extreme Networks, IBM, Dell, NoviFlow, HP, NEC, among others.

While OpenFlow is the most well-known of the SDN protocols for southbound APIs, it is not the only one available or in development. The Network Configuration Protocol (NetConf) uses an Extensible Markup Language (XML) to communicate with the switches and routers to install and make configuration changes; Lisp, also promoted by ONF, is available to support flow mapping. In addition, there are more established networking protocols finding ways to run in an SDN environment, such as OSPF, MPLS, BGP, and IS-IS.

Additional SDN Southbound APIs Resources:

SDxCentral 2017 Network Virtualization Report: SDN Controllers, Cloud Networking and More

SDxCentral 2015 SDN & NFV Market Size and Forecast Report

What is a northbound API?

What is Cisco APIC?

What is Cisco OpenFlow?

What is an OpenFlow Controller?

SDN, NFV, and Network Virtualization Define the Wave of New IP

White Box Switching and Networking

Resources

  • SD-WAN Resources
    • What is Software-Defined WAN (or SD-WAN or SDWAN)?
    • The Essentials of SD-WAN Architecture: Advantages and Options
    • SD-WAN as a Service Using Orchestration
    • What is Hybrid WAN and Why Does it Matter?
    • What’s the Difference Between Hybrid WAN and SD-WAN
    • What is SDN-WAN and Why Does it Matter?
    • What is SD-WAN as a Service?
    • What is iWAN and Why Does It Matter?
    • What is the Difference Between SD-WAN and iWAN?
    • SD-WAN vs. MPLS: The Pros and Cons of Both Technologies
    • Riverbed SD-WAN Offers Different Options
    • What Is CloudGenix’s SD-WAN Approach?
    • What Is AT&T’s SD-WAN Approach?
    • Versa’s SD-WAN Combines Networking and Security
    • Nuage’s SD-WAN Uses a Single Network Policy Framework
    • What is Citrix’s SD-WAN Product?
    • What Is Cisco’s SD-WAN Approach?
    • What Is Juniper’s SD-WAN Approach?
    • Silver Peak’s SD-WAN Solution Targets Enterprises
    • What is Verizon’s SD-WAN Approach?
    • What Is VeloCloud’s SD-WAN Approach?
    • What Is Viptela’s SD-WAN Approach?
    • 2017 SD-WAN and Virtual Edge Report – Download
  • MEC Resources
    • What Is Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC)?
  • Containers Resources
    • Inside the Linux Container Ecosystem Report – Download
    • What are Containers?
    • How Does Container Networking Work?
    • Containers vs VMs: Which is better in the Data Center?
    • What is Docker Container? Part 1: The Docker Open Source Project
    • What is Docker Container? Part 2: How Docker Containers Work
    • What Is Docker Security & How Do You Use It?
    • What is the Docker Platform and Container Components?
    • What is CoreOS Flannel?
  • SDN Resources
    • What is Software Defined Networking (SDN)? Definition
    • Software-Defined Networking Tutorial – The Basics
    • Why SDN or NFV Now?
    • What are SDN Northbound APIs (and SDN Rest APIs)?
    • What are SDN Southbound APIs?
    • What is Open SDN?
    • What is the OpenDaylight Project (ODL)?
    • What is OpenFlow?
    • Who is the Open Networking Foundation (ONF)?
    • What are SDN Controllers?
    • SDN, NFV, and Network Virtualization Define The Wave of New IP Infrastructure
    • Understanding the SDN Architecture – SDN Control Plane & SDN Data Plane
    • What’s a Software-defined Data Center?
    • What is SDN-WAN and Why Does it Matter?
    • SDN Webinar Videos, Presentations, and Demos
    • What is SDN Orchestration (SDN Policy Orchestration)?
    • 2015 SDN & NFV Market Size and Forecast Report
    • What is the Brocade SDN Controller (BSC)?
    • What is Cisco APIC? Part 2 of Cisco ACI Definition
    • What is Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC)? Part 3
    • What is a Cisco XNC (Extensible Network Controller)?
    • What is a Floodlight Controller?
    • What is the Juniper Contrail Controller?
    • What is the NEC OpenFlow ProgrammableFlow Controller?
    • What is an OpenDaylight Controller?
    • What is an OpenFlow Controller?
    • What is Ryu Controller?
    • What is Cyan Blue Planet?
    • What is Nuage Networks VSC?
    • What is the Software Driven Cloud Networking?
    • SDN Controller Comparison Part 1: SDN Controller Vendors (SDN Controller Companies)
  • Network Virtualization Resources
    • What is Network Virtualization?
    • What is Overlay Networking (SDN Overlay)?
    • What is Network Automation With Network Virtualization?
    • What is Virtual Networking?
    • What is Network Service Chaining?
    • What are Network Overlays?
    • What is Networking as a Service or NaaS?
    • What is a VXLAN?
    • What is Network Service Chaining?
    • What Is Network Automation With Network Virtualization?
    • Business Agility Drives Network Virtualization Demand
    • What Is Open Virtual Network (OVN)?
    • How Does Micro-Segmentation Help Security?
    • What is Juniper Networks Network Virtualization?
    • What is NEC Network Virtualization?
    • What is Nuage Network Virtualization?
    • What is Cisco Network Virtualization?
    • How Does Micro-Segmentation Help Security?
  • NFV Resources
    • What is Network Functions Virtualization (NFV)?
    • What is a Virtual Network Function or VNF?
    • What is an NFV POC?
    • Which is Better – SDN or NFV?
    • How Does ETSI NFV Operate?
    • What is ETSI ISG NFV?
    • What is OPNFV or Open Platform for NFV Project?
    • What is NFV MANO?
    • What’s CloudNFV?
    • What’s NFV Software?
    • What’s in an NFV Cloud?
    • What’s a Virtual Router (vRouter)?
    • What is an NFV Strategy?
    • An Overview of NFV Elements
    • What is an NFV Data Center?
    • NFV Webinar Videos, Presentations, and Demos
    • What is an NFV OpenStack?
    • What is an NFV Orchestration?
    • What is an NFV Orchestrator (NFVO)?
    • What is Virtualized Infrastructure Manager (VIM)?
    • What is a VNF Manager (VNFM)?
  • Cloud Resources
    • What is the Cloud?
    • What is Private Cloud? The Benefits and the Providers
    • What is Hybrid Cloud? A Scalable and Customizable Computing Solution
    • What is Software Defined Everything – Part 1: Definition of SDx
    • Software Defined Everything Part 2: Cloud Infrastructure
    • Software Defined Everything Part 3: SDx infrastructure
    • Software Defined Everything Part 4: SDx Infrastructure Buyers
    • Software Defined Everything Part 5: SDx Use Cases
    • Software Defined Everything Part 6: Infrastructure Attributes
    • Software Defined Everything Part 7: Infrastructure Form Factors & Delivery Models
    • Software Defined Everything Part 8: Succeeding in an SDx World
    • What are Cloud Service Providers?
    • Introduction to Cloud Infrastructure
    • What is Software-Defined Storage?
    • What is Software Defined Compute?
    • What is Storage Virtualization?
    • What is KVM?
    • What is Cloud Networking or Cloud Based Networking?
    • What is the Definition of IEEE Intercloud?
  • Security Resources
    • 2017 SDx Infrastructure Security Report – Download
    • SDN Security – Challenges Implementing SDN Network Security in SDN Environments
    • What is Security Virtualization?
    • What is Cloud-Based Security?
    • Data Security Regulations
    • How to Deliver Data Center Security via Network Virtualization
    • The Top Cloud Security Tools for Threat Monitoring & Threat Protection
    • Future of Virtual Security: Micro-Segmentation & Visibility
  • Open Source Resources
    • What is OpenStack Networking?
    • What is OpenStack Neutron?
    • What is Open vSwitch (OVS)?
    • What is Open vSwitch Database or OVSDB?
    • What is KVM?
    • What Is Mirantis OpenStack?
  • White Box Resources
    • What is White Box Switching & White Box Switches (& are they SDN Switches)?
    • What is a Data Center Fabric?
    • What is a Networking Switch Fabric?
    • What Are 40G Switches?
    • What is a Cisco Nexus Switch?
    • What Is Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (or Cisco ACI or Cisco SDN)? Part 1
    • What are Leaf Switches?
    • What is a Spine Switch?
  • DevOps Resources
    • SDN Automation, Programmability, and Programmable Networks
  • Cisco Resources
    • What is Cisco OpenFlow?
    • What is Cisco OpFlex?
    • What is the Cisco ONE Controller?
    • What is Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI)? Part 1
    • What is Cisco APIC? Part 2
    • What is the Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC)? Part 3
    • What is Cisco onePK?
    • What is a Cisco Nexus Switch?
    • What is a Cisco XNC (Extensible Network Controller)?
    • What is Cisco Network Virtualization?
    • What Is Cisco’s SD-WAN Approach?
    • Cisco Data Center Channel
  • VMware Resources
    • What is VMware NSX and VMware SDN?
    • What is VMware Network Virtualization?
  • Arista Networks Resources
    • What are Arista Switches?

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