Cisco Network Academy of General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University hosted an informative session titled Software Defined Networks on October 11, 2024. This online event, delivered via Zoom, offered undergraduates of faculty of computing, an exceptional opportunity to explore the innovative world of networking technologies, with a special focus on Software Defined Networks (SDNs).

The keynote speaker for the session was Dr. Windhya Rankothge, a renowned expert in cyber security and network management. She is currently serving as a research associate at the Canadian Institute for Cyber Security (CIC), University of New Brunswick. Dr. Windhya’s vast academic and research portfolio, including her tenure as a lecturer in networking, laid the foundation for her engaging talk. She provided an extensive introduction to SDNs, explaining how they decouple control from the hardware, offering a centralized approach to managing complex networks. She highlighted how SDNs are revolutionizing the way organizations manage their network infrastructures, providing flexibility, agility, and enhanced security—qualities vital to modern-day businesses and essential operations.

In the session, Dr. Windhya Rankothge discussed how data centers and cloud computing are transforming network management by providing scalable solutions. She introduced Software Defined Networks (SDN) for greater flexibility and control, explained the challenges of traditional networks, and highlighted the role of OpenFlow in enabling seamless communication within SDN architectures.

The event concluded with extending a heartfelt thanks towards Dr. Windhya Rankothge for sharing her deep insights into Software Defined Networks. Participants were encouraged to keep pace with technological advancements and to attend future sessions on SDN Step 2, promised to take their learning to a more advanced level.