Which interface allows communication between a program on the controller and a program on the networking device?
A southbound interface is the controller-to-device API in software-defined networking. It is used for communication between the SDN controller and the software running on network devices so the controller can convey instructions and receive device state. By contrast, a northbound interface is for communication between the controller and applications that consume the controller’s services. Official Cisco SDN material describes southbound APIs as relaying information between the controller and individual network devices, and Cisco DevNet likewise states that southbound APIs communicate with managed devices.
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