1Software-defined networking

Navigating your software-definednetworking journey Deploy SDN to help meet agility efficiency and security business goals

Table of contents

Evolution Software-defined networking

Business drivers for SDN

SDN use cases

Identifying an SDN business partner

Why Kyndryl

3Software-defined networking

Evolution of SDN Business drivers for SDN Identify SDN business partner Why KyndrylSDN use cases

Efficiency

Hybrid cloud integration

Agility Security

SDN businessdrivers

3

Evolution of software-defined networking (SDN)

By now most people are aware of what software-defined networking (SDN) is and how this solution can help drive better business results But many organizations that want to take advantage of the benefits of SDN as a part of their digital transformation are unsure where to start

Some teams make the mistake of selecting a solution at the beginning of their SDN journey But most successful SDN implementations consider business drivers first and choose a solution based on those goals

A trusted SDN implementation business partner can help you focus on those drivers to help find a solution and deployment strategy that meets your unique business goals Known for revolutionizing the way networks are conceptualized deployed and managed SDN can meet your networking needs that are being poorly addressed by existing networks

As digital transformation efforts continue enterprise applications are becoming more complex dynamic distributed and resource-intensive In addition to becoming cloud-native modern applications are containerized for speed and agility when developing new services But deploying containers in a scalable manageable and secure way that provides an underlying network infrastructure is a challenge

With the continued evolution of SDN technology itrsquos possible to provide seamless connectivity and security services for all types of end-points From virtual machines to containers and bare metal machines you can use use a single network overlay abstraction and unified policy framework whether your technology resides in a data center remote office branch or in the cloud

Organizations choose to pursue SDN for a number of different reasons These business drivers typically fall into one of four main areas

4Software-defined networking

Business drivers for SDNEvolution of SDN Identify SDN business partner Why KyndrylSDN use cases4

Business drivers for SDN

Agility

Many organizations have already dedicated significant time and resources to creating agile compute and storage environments but have failed to modernize their network environments in the same way This approach is a mistake because the network forms the foundation of the entire IT infrastructure Automating storage and compute environments without the network creates an agility bottleneck and prevents IT infrastructure from performing at optimal levels By adopting SDN you can get the agility they need to respond quickly to change and capitalize on modern innovation opportunities

Efficiency Traditional network services are difficult and time consuming to manage frequently requiring error-prone manual processes that can prevent your organization from being as efficient as possible

Transitioning to SDN can help organizations use their resources as efficiently as possible freeing up funding to invest in innovation and digital transformation opportunities In addition automating manual processes allows employees to spend more of their time on high-value work

SecurityThe risks of inadequate digital asset protection are clear falling victim to a breach or failing to comply with regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) could cost millions and permanently damage your organizationrsquos reputation

In many ways an IT environment is only as secure as the network that underpins it With SDN there are various use cases that can help make your network more secure

Hybrid cloud integrationWith hybrid cloud organizations can bring together the best of both worlds gaining the flexibility and scalability of cloud services in some areas of the business while maintaining the customization and control of on-premises operations in others Designed to simplify and streamline your overall environment you can use a hybrid cloud approach to apply common policies across cloud and on-premises environments

Adopting SDN can put you in a position to make the most of hybrid cloud for IT as a service (ITaaS) offerings Rather than building out the new services yourself you can simply turn off and on new cloud services when they are needed This flexibility can enable you to replace large up-front capital expenses with manageable operating expenses

3Software-defined networking

Evolution of SDN Business drivers for SDN Identify SDN business partner Why KyndrylSDN use cases

Efficiency

Hybrid cloud integration

Agility Security

SDN businessdrivers

3

Evolution of software-defined networking (SDN)

By now most people are aware of what software-defined networking (SDN) is and how this solution can help drive better business results But many organizations that want to take advantage of the benefits of SDN as a part of their digital transformation are unsure where to start

Some teams make the mistake of selecting a solution at the beginning of their SDN journey But most successful SDN implementations consider business drivers first and choose a solution based on those goals

A trusted SDN implementation business partner can help you focus on those drivers to help find a solution and deployment strategy that meets your unique business goals Known for revolutionizing the way networks are conceptualized deployed and managed SDN can meet your networking needs that are being poorly addressed by existing networks

As digital transformation efforts continue enterprise applications are becoming more complex dynamic distributed and resource-intensive In addition to becoming cloud-native modern applications are containerized for speed and agility when developing new services But deploying containers in a scalable manageable and secure way that provides an underlying network infrastructure is a challenge

With the continued evolution of SDN technology itrsquos possible to provide seamless connectivity and security services for all types of end-points From virtual machines to containers and bare metal machines you can use use a single network overlay abstraction and unified policy framework whether your technology resides in a data center remote office branch or in the cloud

Organizations choose to pursue SDN for a number of different reasons These business drivers typically fall into one of four main areas

4Software-defined networking

Business drivers for SDNEvolution of SDN Identify SDN business partner Why KyndrylSDN use cases4

Business drivers for SDN

Agility

Many organizations have already dedicated significant time and resources to creating agile compute and storage environments but have failed to modernize their network environments in the same way This approach is a mistake because the network forms the foundation of the entire IT infrastructure Automating storage and compute environments without the network creates an agility bottleneck and prevents IT infrastructure from performing at optimal levels By adopting SDN you can get the agility they need to respond quickly to change and capitalize on modern innovation opportunities

Efficiency Traditional network services are difficult and time consuming to manage frequently requiring error-prone manual processes that can prevent your organization from being as efficient as possible

Transitioning to SDN can help organizations use their resources as efficiently as possible freeing up funding to invest in innovation and digital transformation opportunities In addition automating manual processes allows employees to spend more of their time on high-value work

SecurityThe risks of inadequate digital asset protection are clear falling victim to a breach or failing to comply with regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) could cost millions and permanently damage your organizationrsquos reputation

In many ways an IT environment is only as secure as the network that underpins it With SDN there are various use cases that can help make your network more secure

Hybrid cloud integrationWith hybrid cloud organizations can bring together the best of both worlds gaining the flexibility and scalability of cloud services in some areas of the business while maintaining the customization and control of on-premises operations in others Designed to simplify and streamline your overall environment you can use a hybrid cloud approach to apply common policies across cloud and on-premises environments

Adopting SDN can put you in a position to make the most of hybrid cloud for IT as a service (ITaaS) offerings Rather than building out the new services yourself you can simply turn off and on new cloud services when they are needed This flexibility can enable you to replace large up-front capital expenses with manageable operating expenses

4Software-defined networking

Business drivers for SDNEvolution of SDN Identify SDN business partner Why KyndrylSDN use cases4

Business drivers for SDN

Agility

Many organizations have already dedicated significant time and resources to creating agile compute and storage environments but have failed to modernize their network environments in the same way This approach is a mistake because the network forms the foundation of the entire IT infrastructure Automating storage and compute environments without the network creates an agility bottleneck and prevents IT infrastructure from performing at optimal levels By adopting SDN you can get the agility they need to respond quickly to change and capitalize on modern innovation opportunities

Efficiency Traditional network services are difficult and time consuming to manage frequently requiring error-prone manual processes that can prevent your organization from being as efficient as possible

Transitioning to SDN can help organizations use their resources as efficiently as possible freeing up funding to invest in innovation and digital transformation opportunities In addition automating manual processes allows employees to spend more of their time on high-value work

SecurityThe risks of inadequate digital asset protection are clear falling victim to a breach or failing to comply with regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) could cost millions and permanently damage your organizationrsquos reputation

In many ways an IT environment is only as secure as the network that underpins it With SDN there are various use cases that can help make your network more secure

Hybrid cloud integrationWith hybrid cloud organizations can bring together the best of both worlds gaining the flexibility and scalability of cloud services in some areas of the business while maintaining the customization and control of on-premises operations in others Designed to simplify and streamline your overall environment you can use a hybrid cloud approach to apply common policies across cloud and on-premises environments

Adopting SDN can put you in a position to make the most of hybrid cloud for IT as a service (ITaaS) offerings Rather than building out the new services yourself you can simply turn off and on new cloud services when they are needed This flexibility can enable you to replace large up-front capital expenses with manageable operating expenses

5Software-defined networking

SDN use casesEvolution of SDN Business drivers for SDN Identify SDN business partner Why Kyndryl5

SDN use cases

There are various uses cases organizations can explore when they consider SDN Again the use cases an organization selects should be based on the unique needs of the business Use cases the organization does not need can be left out of their SDN roadmap

These are four critical use cases that should typically be included in a SDN roadmap

Software-defined environment (SDE) integration

Network management and provisioning

Microsegmentation and zero-trust policies

Network service chaining

6Software-defined networking

SDN use casesEvolution of SDN Business drivers for SDN Identify SDN business partner Why Kyndryl6

SDN use cases

We no longer live in a world where organizations can look at different elements of their IT infrastructure as distinct and separate silos To pursue ITaaS for hybrid cloud interconnectivity is imperative since yoursquoll need a fully integrated SDE in order to meet your goals But many organizations with this goal donrsquot have a modernized network environment

In a traditional IT environment resources are assigned manually Not only does this make it more difficult for the organization to adapt to change it also creates a time-consuming task for employees whose efforts would be better spent elsewhere

With SDE integration IT administrators can manage the entire IT environment from a centralized orchestrator The use of a centralized orchestrator can deliver greater agility and efficiency as the distribution of resources throughout the IT environment can be automated SDE helps the organization respond to changing priorities quickly

7Software-defined networking

SDN use casesEvolution of SDN Business drivers for SDN Identify SDN business partner Why Kyndryl7

SDN use cases

SDN can provide you with advanced network management capabilities allowing for greater programmability and visibility throughout the entire network You can also use SDN to efficiently deploy analytics that help identify potential network issues before they negatively impact performance

SDN empowers you to quickly provision new business apps whenever they are needed helping support greater agility throughout the organization

8Software-defined networking

SDN use casesEvolution of SDN Business drivers for SDN Identify SDN business partner Why Kyndryl8

SDN use cases

SDN enables microsegmentation to support greater application by assigning unique granular security policies to each application This approach helps ensure that appropriate levels of security are applied across the entire network For example you could implement zero-trust policies in which the network assumes that all users and access requests are not trustworthy until it establishes otherwise This approach helps limit the damage caused by data breaches since a vulnerability in one application will not spread throughout the network

While microsegmentation has clear security benefits it can also dramatically increase the complexity and cost of managing the network But SDN enables microsegmentation with virtually none of the potential drawbacks by maintaining a centralized topology view that can provide visibility and management capabilities across the environment

9Software-defined networking

SDN use casesEvolution of SDN Business drivers for SDN Identify SDN business partner Why Kyndryl9

SDN use cases

Network service chaining is not a new idea but SDN offers a different and better way to make it happen Traditionally building a chain of network services has been a very time-consuming and inefficient process Building a chain of network services used to rely upon IT teams to manually cable network devices together in a certain sequence and then configure a dedicated hardware device to support the chain

In addition the entire chain would have to be reconfigured to increase capacity every time there was an increase in application loads Businesses experiencing fluctuating levels of demand throughout the year would have to build enough capacity to handle the maximum level of demand and therefore pay for capacity they do not need during the rest of the year

With SDN you can use the controller to configure and reconfigure service chains quickly and easily without the manual processes Service chaining allows you to adjust capacity up and down as demand fluctuates so yoursquore not stuck paying for unneeded capacity In addition network function virtualization allows your organization to run functions on more affordable commodity hardware rather than requiring a dedicated hardware device

10Software-defined networking

Identify SDN business partnerEvolution of SDN Business drivers for SDN Why KyndrylSDN use cases10

Identifying an SDN business partner

Due to numerous approaches towards adoption of SDN architectures evolution of standards and its implementation as well as a range of products from traditional vendors and new entrants todayrsquos environments are extremely complex In order to make sure your SDN initiative ends up meeting your business requirements it is important to work with a trusted partner

Identify the right product for you based on the requirements of your organization

Provide unbiased advice and have good working relationships with the leading vendors in the space

Demonstrate a trusted reference architecture and have experience deploying SDN products based on business drivers

Integrate networking compute and storage in a single integrated environment to help your organization create a business case for ITaaS offerings and capitalize on the potential of cloud services

Offer you the opportunity to experience the technology first-hand before adoption

11Software-defined networking

Visit the website

Why KyndrylEvolution of SDN Business drivers for SDN Identify SDN business partnerSDN use cases11

Why Kyndryl

Kyndryl has deep expertise in designing running and managing the most modern efficient and reliable technology infrastructure that the world depends on every day We are deeply committed to advancing the critical infrastructure that powers human progress

Wersquore building on our foundation of excellence by creating systems in new ways bringing in the right partners investing in our business and working side-by-side with our customers to unlock potential

For more informationTo learn more about Kyndryl software-defined networking contact your Kyndryl representative or visit us at kyndrylcom

10Software-defined networking

Identify SDN business partnerEvolution of SDN Business drivers for SDN Why KyndrylSDN use cases10

Identifying an SDN business partner

Due to numerous approaches towards adoption of SDN architectures evolution of standards and its implementation as well as a range of products from traditional vendors and new entrants todayrsquos environments are extremely complex In order to make sure your SDN initiative ends up meeting your business requirements it is important to work with a trusted partner

Identify the right product for you based on the requirements of your organization

Provide unbiased advice and have good working relationships with the leading vendors in the space

Demonstrate a trusted reference architecture and have experience deploying SDN products based on business drivers

Integrate networking compute and storage in a single integrated environment to help your organization create a business case for ITaaS offerings and capitalize on the potential of cloud services

Offer you the opportunity to experience the technology first-hand before adoption

11Software-defined networking

Visit the website

Why KyndrylEvolution of SDN Business drivers for SDN Identify SDN business partnerSDN use cases11

Why Kyndryl

Kyndryl has deep expertise in designing running and managing the most modern efficient and reliable technology infrastructure that the world depends on every day We are deeply committed to advancing the critical infrastructure that powers human progress

Wersquore building on our foundation of excellence by creating systems in new ways bringing in the right partners investing in our business and working side-by-side with our customers to unlock potential

For more informationTo learn more about Kyndryl software-defined networking contact your Kyndryl representative or visit us at kyndrylcom

11Software-defined networking

Visit the website

Why KyndrylEvolution of SDN Business drivers for SDN Identify SDN business partnerSDN use cases11

Why Kyndryl

Kyndryl has deep expertise in designing running and managing the most modern efficient and reliable technology infrastructure that the world depends on every day We are deeply committed to advancing the critical infrastructure that powers human progress

Wersquore building on our foundation of excellence by creating systems in new ways bringing in the right partners investing in our business and working side-by-side with our customers to unlock potential

For more informationTo learn more about Kyndryl software-defined networking contact your Kyndryl representative or visit us at kyndrylcom

copy Copyright IBM Corporation 2021

IBM Corporation New Orchard Road Armonk NY 10504

Produced in the United States of America July 2021

IBM the IBM logo ibmcom Kyndryl and kyndrylcom are trademarks or registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation in the United States andor other countries Other product and service names might be trademarks of IBM or other companies A current list of IBM trademarks is available on ibmcomtrademark

Microsoft is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States other countries or both

This document is current as of the initial date of publication and may be changed by IBM at any time Not all offerings are available in every country in which IBM operates

The performance data and client examples cited are presented for illustrative purposes only Actual performance results may vary depending on specific configurations and operating conditions It is the userrsquos responsibility to evaluate and verify the operation of any other products or programs with IBM products and programs THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED ldquoAS ISrdquo WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED INCLUDING WITHOUT ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND ANY WARRANTY OR CONDITION OF NON-INFRINGEMENT IBM products are warranted according to the terms and conditions of the agreements under which they are provided

Statement of Good Security Practices IT system security involves protecting systems and information through prevention detection and response to improper access from within and outside your enterprise Improper access can result in information being altered destroyed misappropriated or misused or can result in damage to or misuse of your systems including for use in attacks on others No IT system or product should be considered completely secure and no single product service or security measure can be completely effective in preventing improper use or access IBM systems products and services are designed to be part of a lawful comprehensive security approach which will necessarily involve additional operational procedures and may require other systems products or services to be most effective IBM DOES NOT WARRANT THAT ANY SYSTEMS PRODUCTS OR SERVICES ARE IMMUNE FROM OR WILL MAKE YOUR ENTERPRISE IMMUNE FROM THE MALICIOUS OR ILLEGAL CONDUCT OF ANY PARTY

The client is responsible for ensuring compliance with laws and regulations applicable to it IBM does not provide legal advice or represent or warrant that its services or products will ensure that the client is in compliance with any law or regulation