Software-Defined Networking (SDN) is a revolutionary approach to network management that allows network administrators to dynamically control and manage network resources through software. Traditionally, network management has been a complex and time-consuming task, requiring manual configuration of individual network devices. SDN simplifies this process by abstracting the network infrastructure and centralizing its control, making it easier to scale, manage, and automate network operations.

In the context of Windows, SDN offers several benefits for network administrators. It provides a more flexible and agile network infrastructure, allowing for faster deployment of new services and applications. With SDN, network policies can be defined and enforced centrally, ensuring consistent security and quality of service across the network. Additionally, SDN enables network virtualization, allowing for the creation of virtual networks that are isolated from each other, improving network performance and security.

Examples:

1. Centralized Network Management: With SDN on Windows, network administrators can use tools like Windows Admin Center or System Center Virtual Machine Manager to centrally manage the network infrastructure. They can define network policies, configure virtual networks, and monitor network performance from a single interface.

2. Network Automation: PowerShell, the scripting language for Windows, can be used to automate network configuration tasks in an SDN environment. For example, administrators can use PowerShell scripts to provision virtual networks, create network policies, or configure network devices.

3. Integration with Hyper-V: SDN can be seamlessly integrated with Hyper-V, the virtualization platform on Windows. This integration allows for the creation of virtual networks that span across multiple Hyper-V hosts, providing a highly scalable and flexible network infrastructure for virtualized environments.