Definition
An overlay network is a computer network built on top of an existing physical or logical network. It provides additional functionality or service that the underlying network lacks. This configuration can be used in distributed computing environments, such as peer-to-peer (P2P) networks and cloud computing.
Examples of Overlay Network
- Content Delivery Network (CDN): This network distributes content, such as media files and web pages. Typically, CDNs use a distributed network of servers to enhance performance and reduce latency.
- Virtual Private Network (VPN): A VPN is an overlay network that enables employees to access an organization’s resources remotely.
- Software-defined network (SDN): It is commonly used in data centers to handle network traffic and configuration.
- Overlay networks in cloud computing: Virtual networks can be developed to provide connectivity between different cloud services or isolate customer workloads from each other.
- Peer-to-peer network (P2P): P2P networks facilitate content distribution and file sharing by allowing users to share resources directly without relying on a central server.