Software‑Defined
NetworkingCornell Course

In today's networking environment, where networks are ubiquitous and many boxes provide various types of network functionality, software-defined networking (SDN) frees network architecture from constraints and expands opportunities for customization. With SDN, network administrators can separate the control plane from the data plane, opening doors to new innovation across industries.

In this certificate program, you will develop practical skills in SDN. By learning foundational concepts, you'll be able to build your first SDN in a hands-on programming environment. You'll also get practical experience optimizing the flow of data using SDN. Finally, you'll explore how you can use SDN to monitor a network and utilize middle boxes to scale a network up and out. With a deeper control of SDN, you can improve your network's packet throughput, uptime, and overall efficiency, making crucial strides for your team. By the end of this program, you'll be able to verify network properties with SDN and expand opportunities for your work as well as your career.

To be successful in this program, you should have basic Python programming knowledge (CS1) as well as the ability to graph data structures, make API calls, and access libraries.

You should also understand how networked applications work, including packet switching, basic network, and transport layers. This knowledge is required for context to appreciate the concepts and modules in the certificate program. It will also be beneficial for you to have experience doing socket programming using OS APIs or configuring network routers/switches, etc.

You'll have six months to complete the required elements for this certificate program, but this flexible approach allows you to finish sooner based on your schedule.