Decentralizing Software Defined Networking - The Hidden Complexities of SDN and What We Can Do

Explore the hidden complexities of running Software Defined Networking (SDN) at global scale in this 47-minute conference talk from NANOG. Discover why SDN deployments remain limited and network outages continue to occur across providers, then learn about an innovative alternative called Decentralized SDN (dSDN). Understand how dSDN addresses these challenges by running operator-defined SDN control logic within routers themselves, eliminating the control plane's dependence on external infrastructure and restoring fate sharing between control and data planes. Examine this simpler approach to realizing SDN benefits in wide-area networks, including implementation practicality and performance advantages over centralized SDN in routing convergence and SLO impact. Gain insights from Alexander Krentsel, a senior researcher at Google's Systems Research Group and PhD student at UC Berkeley, whose research focuses on architecting internet control systems and analyzing their correctness and performance.