Programmable network devices

Looking back at historic implementations, we had a fixed set of hardware or networks geared for catering services to the end users. End users also had a limited set of connection options to access a limited set of networks or connected resources. As the number of users increased, a simple solution was to add additional hardware or network gear. However, with the surge of different end user devices, such as mobile phones, and high data demand and up time requirements for end users, managing the increasing amount of hardware and additional connections becomes a complex task.

A simple device failure or cable failure might impact the entire set of connected hardware or network gears, which would create a widespread downtime for end users, resulting in a loss of man hours both in terms of productivity and trust. Think of a large internet service provider (ISP) with recurring outages, with each outage affecting a large set of both enterprise and home users. If a new...