Northbound APIs in the context of Software-Defined Networking (SDN) provide a means for applications and services to communicate with the SDN controller. These APIs allow for the programmatic control of network resources that have been abstracted by the controller, enabling efficient orchestration and automation of the network to align with the needs of different applications. This facilitates a dynamic and flexible approach to network management that is not possible with traditional networking methods. References := What are SDN Northbound APIs