Is SDN a Breakthrough Technology, or Just Hype?

Software-defined networking (SDN) has been touted as a revolutionary change in computer network design and management. Early SDN protocols like OpenFlow have certainly drawn the full attention of the industry. But does computer networking really need more protocols? By shifting control logic from the distributed protocols of routers into separate software systems, SDN fundamentally changes how these routers are built. In the enterprise and Internet data center world, at least, the impact could be huge. On the other hand, if existing technologies can do the job of supporting large-scale virtual and cloud networking, the need for SDN will remain unclear. At this stage, its too soon to tell and so good to be wary of the hype.
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