How these three benefits of SDN can help small businesses

Large and medium-sized enterprises adopt SDN as a way to automate operations, increase consistency, bring greater flexibility, and reduce troubleshooting time. As SDN matures, more and more small businesses can also benefit from the benefits of SDN.

SDN architectures have traditionally targeted enterprises with large data centers or hundreds or thousands of network devices because these companies are most likely to benefit from them. In fact, when SDN first emerged, conventional wisdom held that enterprises could only realize the benefits of SDN if they ran thousands of network devices.

This landscape has changed over time as SDN technology has matured and evolved. The maturity has come from learning from some of the largest volume data center deployments. For example, companies like Amazon, Facebook, and Google have become more proficient in SDN.

Additionally, the definition of SDN goes beyond early architectures that focused on managing Layer 3 switch infrastructure. SDN moves beyond a focus on hardware to become software-centric, with a greater emphasis on automation and management.

SDN simplifies network management through abstraction

There are two main platforms for managed network devices: a control plane and a forwarding plane, which sends data from point to point. Traditionally, these two platforms are combined in one device, and each device is programmed individually. If access changes need to be made in the network, it is up to the administrator to make control changes across multiple devices, usually using a command line interface.

SDN moves the control plane to a central location where a single controller handles access and configuration of all devices, and each physical device still manages its own forwarding plane. With centrally managed access and intelligence, SDN can make changes in one place and propagate those changes to all network devices instead of relying on many separate configurations. SDN establishes a network abstraction between hardware and actual business intent, thereby simplifying network management tasks.

While large enterprises may benefit from centralized purchasing, many small businesses and branch offices have less standardized equipment, often from different vendors and occasionally equipped with consumer-grade devices due to lower costs. This can lead to a strange mix of equipment that is difficult to manage and results in higher support costs and lower productivity, even when outsourced to a service provider.

When each device has its own management console and parameters, support teams lose access to a holistic view of the network. Troubleshooting becomes a complex and time-consuming process that eats into budgets and profits.

How Small Businesses Can Benefit from SDN

Small businesses can minimize these management and troubleshooting challenges through the following SDN benefits:

Better visibility . With a consolidated console, enterprises can more easily see routing, switching, remote access, wired and wireless components, as well as potential threats and intrusion attempts from the outside. A single SDN controller makes it easier to identify problems and, more importantly, translate them for non-technical personnel.

Traditionally, small businesses have had little to no on-site IT, so SDN tools can help abstract the network into more understandable operations. For example, wireless traffic will eventually travel over wires, so viewing the entire chain can help pinpoint problems faster than trying to correlate data across multiple consoles.

Better security. Most security issues come from inconsistent application of rules. A poorly enforced rule is more likely to accidentally compromise resources than a malicious hacker outside the firewall. SDN centralizes functions and automates their configuration across the network. For example, if manufacturing shouldn’t have access to accounting data, the IT team can put that rule into effect. The SDN controller will then write the instructions to all appropriate devices to ensure consistency and accountability.

More efficient. One of the main benefits of SDN is that it reduces troubleshooting time. SDN consoles can help small businesses without internal IT support or with fewer technical staff identify problems faster, or at least rule out some possibilities. This classification helps reduce troubleshooting time and get users back to work faster, sometimes even before remote technicians arrive on site. Centralized SDN controllers can even reside in the cloud, enabling remote support teams to monitor from anywhere, even without access to the network.

SDN Options for Small Businesses

Small businesses can find SDN products from companies like Aerohive Networks, HPE's Aruba, Cisco, Dell, Ubiquiti Networks, etc. These highly integrated options put control back in the hands of small businesses with tools that are easier to configure and use.

Small businesses should consider the level of wired and wireless integration, as well as the availability of a management console. If your business needs a smarter, more cohesive way to deploy and manage network resources, perhaps now is the time to research the benefits of SDN and determine if it's right for your company.