About this interactive
Software-defined networking makes the network dynamic by splitting it into two planes.
The data plane is how the data gets forwarded from device to device: the switch hardware moving frames between ports, the routers sending packets on across the links. It does what it has been told, fast.
The control plane is the software that decides how the traffic will flow. In SDN it is directed by the SDN controller, a separate piece of software at the upper level. You give the controller the parameters for how information should flow; it configures the software on each device, and that software sets up the forwarding.
SD-WAN is built the same way. The routers are physically connected and their data plane carries the traffic, while the control layer decides which paths it takes and instructs each router. A quick test: is this job moving the traffic, or deciding where the traffic should go?
What you'll learn
- Classify a job in a software-defined network or SD-WAN as data plane (the hardware forwarding traffic from device to device) or control plane (the software deciding how traffic will flow)
- Describe the SDN controller's role: it is set with the parameters for how traffic should flow and configures the control software on each device, which in turn directs the forwarding
Aligned to
CompTIA Security+
3.1
Compare and contrast security implications of different architecture models.
Key terms
- Data Plane
- The part of a network device responsible for actually forwarding packets toward their destinations based on rules and tables built by the control plane. In a router, the data plane looks up each packet's destination in the forwarding table and sends it out the correct interface at high speed.
- Control Plane
- The part of a network device responsible for making routing and policy decisions, such as running routing protocols to build and maintain the routing table, which the data plane then uses to forward traffic. The control plane handles the intelligence of the network while the data plane handles the actual packet forwarding.
- SDN Controller
- A centralized software component in an SDN architecture that manages network device configuration and determines traffic flow across the network.
- Software-defined Network
SDN
- A network architecture that decouples the control plane from the data plane, enabling centralized, programmable network management through software controllers rather than individual device configuration. SDN allows network behavior to be dynamically adjusted through software, simplifying management and enabling rapid provisioning.
- Software-Defined WAN
SD-WAN
- A virtualized approach to managing wide area network connections using software-defined networking principles.
Topics
Data Plane
Control Plane
Sdn Controller
Software Defined Network
Software Defined Wan
Interactive
Streak Sort
About TechKnowSurge
TechKnowSurge builds IT and cybersecurity professionals through hands-on, concept-first training built around real understanding — not memorization. Free interactive tools, structured programs, and 25+ years of real-world experience, all in one place.
Explore free tools and programs →