Software-defined Networking (SDN) has recently become a hot topic in computer networks that has a dramatic impact on the way networks are configured and managed. SDN is related with another hot topic, cloud computing, being an enabler for elastic cloud platforms.

The key idea of SDN is to monitor and control the computer network through a software component called the controller that uses a standardized interface towards network elements. The key aim is to be able to fully exploit the potential of the physical network hardware by configuring it to meet deployment and runtime requirements. For example, SDN allows to slice networks for particular purposes, such as production and testing uses, and it can be used to assign flows to particular switches and paths thus achieving flow-based load balancing.  OpenFlow is the key protocol for SDN allowing secure control and monitoring of switches and routers. The SDN concept has been applied for campus networks, data centres, and it is now also being introduced to cellular networks. Thus SDN is having a profound impact on the networking landscape. 

This seminar will explore the SDN concept and architecture, the OpenFlow protocol, SDN controller design and implementation, and the various applications of SDN.  The participants will get to know the theory and practice of SDN and study recent scientific articles in this area. The key scientific forums related to the seminar include ACM SIGCOMM, ACM SIGCOMM HotSDN workshop, ACM CoNext, IEEE Communications Magazine, and other relevent conferences and journals.

Topics include:

• The OpenFlow Protocol standardized by the Open Networking Foundation
• SDN Architecture
• SDN Controllers (and their distribution)
• SDN and mobile networks
• Large-scale SDN deployments
• SDN and middleboxes
• SDN and cloud
• Network-level Orchestration
• Network function virtualisation