As seen in this chapter, protocols are the key enablers of SDN. We highlighted some key protocols along with details on their implementation. We touched upon data modeling language and encoding formats. We have also seen how various protocols fit together for an end-to-end SDN solution. We've introduced Open vSwitch (OVS), a popular virtual switch in SDN deployments. We also touched upon OpenFlow internals.

In the next chapter, we will build on the understanding of OpenFlow, and leverage the knowledge of the Open vSwitch toolkit to dive deep into the internals of OpenFlow-based networking. This knowledge in turn will serve as a basis for further learning on the internals of OpenStack networking.