CCDE: Cisco Certified Design Expert (Practical) — Question 127

Which SDN architecture component is used by the application layer to communicate with the control plane layer to provide instructions about the resources required by applications?

Answer options

• A. southbound APIs
• B. northbound APIs
• C. orchestration layer
• D. SDN controller

Correct answer: B

Explanation

The correct answer is B, northbound APIs, as they enable communication from the application layer to the control plane, conveying application needs. A, southbound APIs, serve the opposite purpose by allowing the control plane to communicate with the data plane. C, the orchestration layer, manages resources but does not directly interface between application and control layers. D, the SDN controller, is the central component but does not serve as a direct interface for applications.