Software-Defined Networking (SDN) changes how network control is organized and programmed. Network virtualization presents underlying network resources as logical networks or services. Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) implements network functions as software on virtualized infrastructure. These ideas address different parts of network design. They can be combined, but SDN and NFV do not inherently depend on each other.
How the three concepts differ
The most useful way to tell them apart is to ask what is being changed: network control, the representation of network resources, or the implementation of network functions.
| Concept | What it changes or abstracts | Main purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Software-Defined Networking (SDN) | The relationship between the network control plane and forwarding plane, using programmable interfaces. | Program network-wide behavior, policy, and traffic management. Open Networking Foundation (ONF); RFC 7426 |
| Network virtualization | Underlying physical and virtual network resources, represented as logical networks or services. | Provide logical views of network resources. It is a broad concept, not a single required implementation. RFC 8568 |
| Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) | Network functions, implemented as software and run on virtualized infrastructure. | Deploy, move, scale, and manage functions traditionally associated with dedicated network appliances. ETSI NFV leaflet |
A short teaching aid is: SDN programs network control; network virtualization creates logical network views; NFV virtualizes network functions. This is a practical distinction, not a universal formal taxonomy: implementations can overlap, and “network virtualization” is the broader term.
What SDN means
SDN concerns the control model: software can direct network behavior through programmable interfaces, separating control from packet forwarding. ONF defines SDN as “The physical separation of the network control plane from the forwarding plane, and where a control plane controls several devices.” ONF’s SDN definition
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The IRTF’s RFC 7426 gives a terminology definition of SDN as “A programmable networks approach that supports the separation of control and forwarding planes via standardized interfaces.” It was published in January 2015 as an informational document, not an Internet Standards Track specification. Its definition describes the approach; it does not mean every vendor implementation uses an identical physical design. RFC 7426
What network virtualization means
Network virtualization abstracts physical and virtual resources into logical networks or services. It describes the resulting logical view, rather than prescribing one specific control architecture or software deployment method. As a result, network virtualization can be discussed alongside SDN and NFV without being synonymous with either. RFC 8568, an informational IRTF document published in April 2019, surveys network virtualization research challenges and includes background on both SDN and NFV. RFC 8568
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What NFV means
NFV changes how network functions are implemented and deployed. Instead of tying each function to a dedicated appliance, NFV implements functions in software on virtualized infrastructure. ETSI describes the approach as evolving standard IT virtualization so network equipment types can be consolidated onto industry-standard servers, switches, and storage; functions can be instantiated or moved to different network locations. ETSI NFV leaflet
NFV includes more than the software function
The NFV framework also includes the infrastructure that hosts virtualized network functions and the management and orchestration needed to manage them. RFC 8568 outlines three framework domains: virtualized network functions, NFV infrastructure, and NFV management and orchestration. RFC 8568
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How SDN and NFV work together
SDN and NFV are complementary, not synonyms. ETSI describes them as “highly complementary” but “not necessarily dependent on each other.” NFV can run software network functions on virtualized infrastructure without SDN; SDN can program connectivity and forwarding without NFV. In a combined design, SDN can help coordinate connectivity and traffic behavior for NFV services, while NFV provides software implementations of network functions. ETSI NFV leaflet
- Use SDN when the question is how to program control, policy, or forwarding behavior across the network.
- Use network virtualization when the question is how to represent underlying resources as logical networks or services.
- Use NFV when the question is how to implement and manage network functions as software on virtualized infrastructure.
A design may use one, two, or all three ideas. Do not assume that network virtualization must use SDN, or that an NFV deployment requires SDN.
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Further reading on SDN
For a deeper treatment of SDN and its use cases, ONF recommends Software-Defined Networks: A Systems Approach.
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