Data plane
A data plane is the part of a networked or distributed system that executes workloads and carries or processes application data and traffic.
Acing the CCNA Exam: Volume 2 Advanced Networking and Security
The data plane is the part of a network system that forwards packets or frames according to programmed forwarding decisions.
- How it is used
- Classifies functions that directly receive, process, and forward network packets or frames.
- How deep it goes
- Explains forwarding behavior and representative switch functions, but does not detail hardware implementation or command configuration.
- Examples
- Uses MAC-based frame forwarding, security filtering, 802.1Q tagging, routing-table instructions, and SDN controller directives.
- What you can do after
- Evaluate which network-device functions directly forward messages and distinguish them from control or management responsibilities.
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Azure Security
The Azure data plane is the layer through which applications and users access or manipulate the capabilities and data managed by Azure resources.
- How it is used
- Separates Azure resource management from data and capability access when assigning permissions and reviewing logs.
- How deep it goes
- Defines the plane distinction through RBAC properties, logging locations, and storage and VM examples without enumerating individual data permissions.
- Examples
- Contrasts viewing a storage account with reading its data, creating a VM with connecting through RDP, and creating accounts with reading blobs.
- What you can do after
- Apply it via Azure RBAC properties and resource logs to separate data access from management permissions and audit trails.
Kubernetes in Action, Second Edition
The workload plane is the collection of worker resources on which applications run in a cluster.
- How it is used
- Explains where Kubernetes workloads run after the cluster is divided into control plane and worker nodes.
- How deep it goes
- Defines the plane, its node membership, and deployment behavior while deferring component internals to later treatment.
- Examples
- Uses cluster diagrams and the scenario of deploying an application without selecting its worker node.
- What you can do after
- Operate Kubernetes deployments as a shared worker-node resource without coupling applications to individual machines.
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Cloud Observability in Action
The data plane is the set of worker resources that execute application workloads and carry operational traffic in a distributed system.
- How it is used
- Organizes Kubernetes worker components that execute, monitor, report, and terminate application workloads.
- How deep it goes
- Explains workload responsibilities and observability implications, but stops short of detailing individual worker components.
- Examples
- Uses frontend container logs, kubectl logs, API-server metrics, and a Kubernetes signal-source architecture figure.
- What you can do after
- Operate/configure it by identifying workload signals and planning their collection, routing, storage, and querying.
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Related concepts
- service meshpart of · A service mesh is an infrastructure layer that manages communication and cross-cutting concerns such as traffic control, security, and observability between distributed services.
- control planecontrasts with · A control plane is the management and coordination part of a system that governs the configuration, policies, state, and operations of its components and resources.
- Kubernetes worker nodehas part · A Kubernetes worker node is a physical or virtual machine in a cluster that provides compute resources and runs scheduled Pods and node-level services.
- resource logmeasured by · A resource log is a record generated by an Azure service that describes operations performed within a specific Azure resource.
- role-based access controluses · Role-based access control is an authorization model that assigns permissions to roles and grants users or other principals access through their assigned roles.
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