The data plane handles actual packet forwarding. In SDN, switches become simple devices that match packets against rules and take actions.
What the data plane does:
- Receives packets on ingress ports
- Matches packet headers against flow tables
- Executes actions: forward, drop, modify
- Forwards packets on egress ports
Packet processing flow:
Packet arrives
Switch checks flow tables for matching rule
If match found: execute action
If no match: send to controller for decision