This chapter covers the following topics related to Objective 1.8 (Summarize evolving use cases for modern network environments) of the CompTIA Network+ N10-009 certification exam:
Software-defined network (SDN) and software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN)
Application aware
Zero-touch provisioning
Transport agnostic
Central policy management
Virtual Extensible Local Area Network (VXLAN)
Data center interconnect (DCI)
Layer 2 encapsulation
Zero trust architecture (ZTA)
Policy-based authentication
Authorization
Least privilege access
Secure Access Secure Edge (SASE)/Security Service Edge (SSE)
Infrastructure as code (IaC)
Automation
Playbooks/templates/reusable tasks
Configuration drift/compliance
Upgrades
Dynamic inventories
Source control
Version control
Central repository
Conflict identification
Branching
IPv6 addressing
Mitigating address exhaustion
Compatibility requirements
Tunneling
Dual stack
NAT64
Are you excited to learn about some of the newer technologies featured in this version of the CompTIA Network+ exam? As the title of this chapter suggests, here we are going to focus on some of the latest evolving technologies taking the networking world by storm (and no, not a broadcast storm).
This chapter begins with a look at software-defined networking (SDN) and a very specific implementation called the software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN). As you will learn, these technologies make it much simpler to operate modern networks with all their sophisticated capabilities and features.
Next, this chapter explores the latest evolution in virtual local area networks. It is called virtual extensible local area network, or VXLAN. As you will learn, VXLAN is a network virtualization technology that encapsulates Ethernet frames in UDP packets to create a scalable Layer 2 overlay network across Layer 3 infrastructures. It enables the extension of VLANs beyond traditional boundaries, supporting large-scale cloud and data center environments by allowing for more flexible and dynamic network segmentation.
As one would guess, another important area of evolving technologies for networking is in the space of security. In this part of the chapter, we examine some of the latest advancements in network security. These include zero trust architecture (ZTA), Secure Access Secure Edge (SASE), and Security Service Edge (SSE).
Next, this chapter describes many aspects and benefits of infrastructure as code (IaC). Infrastructure as code is a method of managing and provisioning computing infrastructure through machine-readable configuration files, enabling automation and consistency across environments. Treating infrastructure configurations as code allows for version control, collaborative development, and efficient scaling of IT resources.
Although IPv4 is the most widely deployed Layer 3 addressing scheme in today’s networks, its scalability limitations are causing available IPv4 addresses to quickly become depleted. Fortunately, a newer version of IP, IPv6, is scalable beyond anything you will need in your lifetime. This chapter concludes by introducing you to the fundamental characteristics of IPv6 addressing.