{"id":6238,"date":"2016-11-30T13:06:48","date_gmt":"2016-11-30T13:06:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/overlay-network\/"},"modified":"2016-11-30T13:06:48","modified_gmt":"2016-11-30T13:06:48","slug":"overlay-network","status":"publish","type":"definition","link":"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/10788\/overlay-network","title":{"rendered":"Overlay Network"},"content":{"rendered":"

What Does Overlay Network Mean?<\/span><\/h2>\n

\n\tAn overlay
\nnetwork can be thought of as a computer network on top of another network.
\nAll nodes in an overlay network are connected with one another by means of
\nlogical or virtual links and each of these links correspond to a path in the
\nunderlying network.\n<\/p>\n

Techopedia Explains Overlay Network<\/span><\/h2>\n

An example of
\nan overlay network can be distributed systems such as client-server
\napplications and peer-to-peer networks. Such applications or networks act as
\nthe overlay networks because all nodes in these applications and networks run
\non top of the internet.<\/p>\n

The main uses
\nof overlay networks can be found in the telecom industry because digital
\ncircuit switching equipment and optical fiber are available. In telecom
\ncompanies, IP networks and telecommunication transport networks combine to
\nconstitute the internet and can be overlaid with one or more optical fiber
\nlayers, a transport layer and an IP or circuit-switching layers. <\/p>\n

Another type
\nof overlay network is the Resilient Overlay Network. It is an architecture that
\nallows distributed internet applications to identify and recover from
\ndisruption in connections and interference. The Resilient Overlay Network has a
\nrelatively simple architecture and can be deployed in the form of nodes at
\ndifferent locations over the internet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What Does Overlay Network Mean? An overlay network can be thought of as a computer network on top of another network. All nodes in an overlay network are connected with one another by means of logical or virtual links and each of these links correspond to a path in the underlying network. 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