Network Virtualization & SDN: Secure & Automate OpenFlow

About this course

This course is for people with knowledege of basic networking concepts (Ethernet, switching, IP), familiarity with Linux command line, and introductory Python knowledge. After taking this course, you will be able to apply core OpenFlow commands to deploy Layer-2 MAC-based forwarding on an Open vSwitch, analyze flow-table and port statistics to identify congestion hotspots, evaluate control-plane security using TLS and role-based access controls, and create an event-driven Ryu application that automatically installs failover flows when a link failure is detected. Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) and Software-Defined Networking (SDN) are transforming how modern networks are designed and operated. This is built for network engineers and architects who want to develop practical, job-ready skills for securing and automating OpenFlow-based SDN environments. You will move beyond static configurations to reason about forwarding intent, traffic behavior, and control-plane trust. Through guided labs and realistic scenarios, you will practice diagnosing congestion using flow-level evidence, validating security assumptions, and designing automation that reacts to real network events. What makes this course unique is its strong emphasis on why the network behaves the way it does, not just how to configure it. You will be better prepared to design resilient, secure, and automated SDN solutions that scale to real-world operational demands.

Course objectives

• to secure and automate OpenFlow-based SDN environments
• to advance from static network configurations to dynamic traffic management
• to diagnose network issues using flow-level evidence