Network virtualization (NV) refers to the concept of abstracting network resources from their physical components using software. This means that a software defined network can combine a single, or multiple, physical network into one or more independent virtual networks that all run on the same hardware base. This allows administrators to move virtual networks between physical domains without having to reconfigure the network each time. The software definition of a network creates an overlay on the physical network; this means that separate virtual networks can be implemented on the same physical network structure.
This technique provides significant advantages in the way that network services are delivered and is particularly useful for cloud computing architectures where the underlying implementation of the cloud data center is irrelevant to the way that services are delivered to the end-user. It also provides significant administrative advantages through software-defined architectures where functions such as security, configuration, user access and data storage can be controlled from a central location where management policies can be set and maintained across all network elements.
By decoupling network services from their underlying hardware, NV allows virtual configuration and provisioning across the entire network in software. It makes it possible to create and manage networks entirely through software while continuing to take advantage of the underlying network as a data-packet transport backplane. Network resources such as switches, routers, firewalls, load-balancing, virtual private networks among others can be pooled and delivered through software defined network structures that only require Internet Protocol (IP) packet switching functions from the physical network to operate.
NV helps organizations to achieve significant improvements in speed, agility and security by simplifying and automating network management processes that are used to run a data center network and to interface with cloud network architectures and ensure security when doing so. The main benefits of Network virtualization are as follows:
• Reduces the time taken to provision and configure a network from weeks to minutes
• Achieves improved operational efficiency by automating network management tasks
• Ability to set and move large workloads across the network independently on the physical network structure
• Improves network security by having a single point of visibility and control
As well as these benefits NV also helps organizations to save on hardware costs since more can be done with existing hardware. This also means that they use less energy – some users have saved up to 80% on their electricity costs by using the same hardware to do more work.
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