New Course from The Linux Foundation and Open Daylight Project Focuses on SDN

When it comes to technology, disparate standards often create moats that divide users and popular platforms. Taking aim at that problem in the very hot Software-Defined Networking (SDN) space, The Linux Foundation previously announced the founding of the OpenDaylight Project, an open source framework targeted to accelerate adoption, "foster new innovation" and create a more open and transparent approach to Software-Defined Networking).

Now, the foundation has announced its newest training course, LFS265 Software-Defined Networking (SDN) With OpenDaylight. This self-paced, online course is designed to provide network administrators and engineers, as well as system administrators who want to move into networking, with the skills necessary to manage an SDN deployment.

According to the foundation:

"Many organizations, such as telecommunications companies, historically have not relied on software for their core business, but now find digital and technical skills essential. As software displaces many of the functions that hardware performs currently or performed in the past, more individuals with SDN skills will be needed. Open source is leading the charge in the growth of SDN and virtualization with the recent Open Source Jobs Report from The Linux Foundation and Dice finding that networking is the most in-demand knowledge area for 21 percent of hiring managers, second only to expertise with cloud technologies.

While generally tasked with maintaining network infrastructure, most network engineers have little or no experience with software virtualization. LFS265 aims to address this skills gap by providing the knowledge required to maintain an SDN deployment in a virtual networking environment. Application developers may also be interested in this course, as most are familiar with virtualization due to use of the cloud, but they lack an understanding of how to deploy applications in an SDN framework."

“Traditional networking and communications organizations realize hardware-based, proprietary systems are becoming outdated. The future of networking infrastructure is SDN and virtualization,” said Linux Foundation Executive Director Jim Zemlin. “We believe it is essential that we help professionals in these industries get up to speed with new technologies to ensure they have the skills to remain secure in their careers. This is the best way to train the next generation and ensure there is a enough talent to keep pace with future demands. As the home of SDN projects OpenDaylight and ONOS, The Linux Foundation is the logical organization to begin offering this type of training.”

Big Switch Networks, Brocade, Cisco, Citrix, Ericsson, IBM, Juniper Networks, Microsoft, NEC, Red Hat and VMware are among many founding members of the Open Daylight Project. 

The new course is open for enrollment now at the discounted price of $79 (regularly $149) for a limited time.