This chapter covers the following topics:
Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and SDN Security
Network Programmability
This chapter starts with an introduction to SDN and different SDN security concepts, such as centralized policy management and micro-segmentation. This chapter also introduces SDN solutions such as Cisco ACI and modern networking environments such as Cisco DNA. You will also learn what are network overlays and what they are trying to solve.
The second part of this chapter provides an overview of network programmability and how networks are being managed using modern application programming interfaces (APIs) and other functions. This chapter also includes dozens of references that are available to enhance your learning.
The following SCOR 350-701 exam objectives are covered in this chapter:
Domain 1: Security Concepts
1.7 Explain northbound and southbound APIs in the SDN architecture
1.8 Explain DNAC APIs for network provisioning, optimization, monitoring, and troubleshooting
“Do I Know This Already?” Quiz
The “Do I Know This Already?” quiz allows you to assess whether you should read this entire chapter thoroughly or jump to the “Exam Preparation Tasks” section. If you are in doubt about your answers to these questions or your own assessment of your knowledge of the topics, read the entire chapter. Table 3-1 lists the major headings in this chapter and their corresponding “Do I Know This Already?” quiz questions. You can find the answers in Appendix A, “Answers to the ‘Do I Know This Already?’ Quizzes and Q&A Sections.”
Table 3-1 “Do I Know This Already?” Section-to-Question Mapping
Foundation Topics Section |
Questions |
Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and SDN Security |
1–5 |
Network Programmability |
6–10 |
Which of the following are the three different “planes” in traditional networking?
The management, control, and data planes
The authorization, authentication, and accountability planes
The authentication, control, and data planes
None of these answers is correct.
Which of the following is true about Cisco ACI?
Spine nodes interconnect leaf devices, and they can also be used to establish connections from a Cisco ACI pod to an IP network or interconnect multiple Cisco ACI pods.
Leaf switches provide the Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN) tunnel endpoint (VTEP) function.
The APIC manages the distributed policy repository responsible for the definition and deployment of the policy-based configuration of the Cisco ACI infrastructure.
All of these answers are correct.
Which of the following is used to create network overlays?
SDN-Lane
VXLAN
VXWAN
None of these answers is correct.
Which of the following is an identifier or a tag that represents a logical segment?
VXLAN Network Identifier (VNID)
VXLAN Segment Identifier (VSID)
ACI Network Identifier (ANID)
Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC)
Which of the following is network traffic between servers (virtual servers or physical servers), containers, and so on?
East-west traffic
North-south traffic
Micro-segmentation
Network overlays
Which of the following is an HTTP status code message range related to successful HTTP transactions?
Messages in the 100 range
Messages in the 200 range
Messages in the 400 range
Messages in the 500 range
Which of the following is a Python package that can be used to interact with REST APIs?
argparse
requests
rest_api_pkg
None of these answers is correct.
Which of the following is a type of API that exclusively uses XML?
APIC
REST
SOAP
GraphQL
Which of the following is a modern framework of API documentation and is now the basis of the OpenAPI Specification (OAS)?
SOAP
REST
Swagger
WSDL
Which of the following can be used to retrieve a network device configuration?
RESTCONF
NETCONF
SNMP
All of these answers are correct.