This document discusses software-defined networking (SDN) and OpenFlow, emphasizing their roles in simplifying network management and enhancing scalability within data centers. SDN decouples control and data planes, allowing real-time programmability and flexibility to respond to business needs, while OpenFlow serves as a standardized protocol that enhances traffic control and integrates network services. The introduction of technologies like Distributed Overlay Virtual Ethernet (DOVE) further supports multi-tenancy and dynamic provisioning in virtualized environments.