# Software-defined infrastructure

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{{Short description|Infrastructure management}}

'''Software-defined infrastructure''' ('''SDI''') is an approach to managing and provisioning computing [infrastructure](/source/infrastructure), such as [compute](/source/compute), [storage](/source/computer_data_storage), and [networking](/source/computer_network), through software-based abstractions rather than direct interaction with physical hardware. It builds on [virtualization](/source/virtualization) and [automation](/source/automation) to enable infrastructure to be configured, deployed, and managed programmatically.<ref>{{cite conference
 | last1 = Kang
 | first1 = Joon-Myung
 | last2 = Lin
 | first2 = Thomas
 | last3 = Bannazadeh
 | first3 = Hadi
 | last4 = Leon-Garcia
 | first4 = Alberto
 | title = Software-Defined Infrastructure and the SAVI Testbed
 | book-title = Testbeds and Research Infrastructure: Development of Networks and Communities
 | conference = TridentCom 2014
 | editor-last1 = Leung
 | editor-first1 = Victor C. M.
 | editor-last2 = Chen
 | editor-first2 = Min
 | editor-last3 = Wan
 | editor-first3 = Jiafu
 | editor-last4 = Zhang
 | editor-first4 = Yan
 | series = Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering
 | volume = 137
 | pages = 3–13
 | publisher = [Springer Publishing](/source/Springer_Publishing)
 | location = Cham
 | date = 2014-11-26
 | doi = 10.1007/978-3-319-13326-3_1
 | isbn = 978-3-319-13326-3
 | url = https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Thomas-Lin-2/publication/271840674_Software-Defined_Infrastructure_and_the_SAVI_Testbed/links/59dcb78f0f7e9b1460044681/Software-Defined-Infrastructure-and-the-SAVI-Testbed.pdf
}}</ref>

In [cloud-based](/source/cloud-based) and software-defined environments, [infrastructure](/source/deployment_environment) is increasingly abstracted from underlying hardware, with greater emphasis on non-functional requirements such as [performance](/source/computer_performance) and [scalability](/source/scalability). Despite this abstraction, system behavior remains dependent on the capabilities and limitations of the underlying physical resources.<ref>{{cite journal
 | last = Casale
 | first = Giuliano
 | title = Performance evaluation teaching in the age of cloud computing
 | journal = ACM SIGMETRICS Performance Evaluation Review
 | volume = 51
 | issue = 2
 | pages = 45–49
 | date = 2023-10-02
 | publisher = [Association for Computing Machinery](/source/Association_for_Computing_Machinery)
 | doi = 10.1145/3626570.3626588
}}</ref>

==Embedded Systems==
In [embedded systems](/source/embedded_systems), software-defined principles are often realized through [firmware](/source/firmware) based control of hardware devices. A single [hardware platform](/source/hardware_platform) may support multiple functions depending on the software or firmware it runs.<ref>{{cite journal
 | last1 = Kachman
 | first1 = Ondrej
 | last2 = Balaz
 | first2 = Marcel
 | last3 = Malik
 | first3 = Peter
 | title = Universal framework for remote firmware updates of low‑power devices
 | journal = Computer Communications
 | volume = 139
 | pages = 91–102
 | year = 2019
 | issn = 0140-3664
 | doi = 10.1016/j.comcom.2019.03.014
 | url = https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140366418307722
| url-access = subscription
 }}</ref>

A common mechanism enabling this flexibility is [over-the-air updates](/source/over-the-air_updates), which allow [firmware](/source/firmware) to be updated remotely and [wirelessly](/source/wireless_network). This enables devices to be [reconfigured](/source/reconfigurable_computing), [improved](/source/improvement), or [repurposed](/source/repurposing) without requiring physical modification.<ref>{{cite web
 | title = Over‑the‑Air (OTA) Updates in Embedded Microcontroller Applications: Design Trade‑Offs and Lessons Learned
 | author = Brown, Benjamin Bucklin
 | website = [Analog Dialogue](/source/Analog_Dialogue)
 | publisher = [Analog Devices](/source/Analog_Devices)
 | url = https://www.analog.com/media/en/analog-dialogue/volume-52/number-4/over-the-air-ota-updates-in-embedded-microcontroller-applications.pdf
 | format = PDF
 | accessdate = 2026-03-29
 | year = 2018
}}</ref>

==See also==
* [Infrastructure as code](/source/Infrastructure_as_code) (IaC) which manages and provisions computer data center resources
* [Software-defined networking](/source/Software-defined_networking) (SDN), which separates network control logic from hardware devices
* [Software-defined storage](/source/Software-defined_storage) (SDS), which abstracts storage resources into software-managed pools
* [Software-defined radio](/source/Software-defined_radio) (SDR), where radio signal processing is implemented in software rather than hardware circuits

Terms such as '''software-defined equipment''' ('''SDE''') or '''software-defined apparatus''' ('''SDA''') are sometimes used to describe hardware systems whose functionality is largely determined by software, though these terms are less standardized.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

Category:Software design

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Software-defined infrastructure](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software-defined_infrastructure) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software-defined_infrastructure?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.