What does an SDN overlay achieve?

An SDN (Software-Defined Networking) overlay primarily creates virtual connections, which can indeed enhance security by isolating different types of traffic and applications within the same physical infrastructure. This virtualization allows for dynamic network management and can facilitate the implementation of security policies that are tailored to specific applications or services. Therefore, the overlay can support enhanced security measures, such as the use of encryption or segmentation, to protect sensitive data from unauthorized access.

In the context of SDN, the overlay network abstracts the underlying physical network, allowing for more flexibility in how connections are established and managed. This means that additional security measures can be easily integrated into the network architecture without needing significant changes to the physical infrastructure. The virtual connections enable the isolation of traffic flows, which is crucial for mitigating potential threats and vulnerabilities within the network environment. This focus on creating secure, virtual environments is fundamental to the concept of an SDN overlay.