What you'll learn

Many network engineers are familiar with using physical networking devices to connect and protect their networks; here you will be introduced to how to do the same things virtually, much like the relationship between physical and virtual machines. In this course, Software Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Functions Virtualization (NFV): The Big Picture, you’ll learn to understand the purpose and role of the virtual implementations of familiar devices. First, you’ll explore the similarities and differences between SDN and NFV, along with who uses these technologies. Next, you’ll discover SDN in more detail to understand the command and control concepts as well as what traffic flows are and how they are controlled. Finally, you’ll learn how to describe NFV, including the broad range of capabilities, what overlays are and why they are used, and the landscape of vendors who offer solutions in the space. When you’re finished with this course, you’ll have the skills and knowledge of SDN and NFV needed to virtualize your network and/or physical devices you are using today.