Compared with traditional data centers characterized by dependence on hardware infrastructure for managing storage, compute, and network functions, Software Defined Data Centers (SDDC) extend a virtual layer on top of traditional data center infrastructure that performs programmatic management functions. Through abstraction, resource pooling, and automation, the virtualized layer provides a central toolset for managing virtualized resources separate from underlying infrastructure.
Because traditional data center design required that infrastructure be centrally housed, data centers typically were of one type, on-premise in a single location, acting as the hub of all IT operations. This has changed with SDDC.
Because abstraction allows data center resources to pool from multiple locations, organizations have many options when configuring their SDDC. The range of configurations can span from on-premise infrastructure options to both public and private clouds, and subsequently combinations forming hybrid clouds. And as can be expected from technologies in the cloud, SDDCs can be remotely managed through APIs and web interfaces, a significant business advantage over traditional data centers.