Data Plane:
The term data plane refers to the task that a networking device does to forward messages.
Example: Anything to with receiving data, processing it, forwarding the same data.
Data plane often called Forwarding plane.
Adding or removing an 802.1Q trunking header, Matching Ethernet frame DMAC (L2 Switch).
Control Plane:
Control plane supply information to Data plane.
Example: Data plane to forward packet need Routing info, to forward frame need MAC table
To stop loop need STP info.
From one perspective Control Plane controls the Data Plane. Data plane works accordingly whatever info supplied by Control Plane.
Routing table, MAC table, ARP table are example of Control Plane.
Management Plane:
Control Planes work directly impact on Data Plane.
Management Plane works does not impact on Data plane.
Example: SSH, Telnet.
Difference between Control plane vs Data Plane:
CONTROL PLANE DATA PLANE
Control plane refers to the all functions and processes that determine which path to use to send the packet or frame.
Data plane refers to all the functions and processes that forward packets/frames from one interface to another based on control plane logic.
It is responsible for building and maintaining the IP routing table.
It is responsible for forwarding actual IP packet.
Control plane responsible about how packets should be forwarded.
Data plane responsible for moving packets from source to destination.
Control plane performs its task independently.
Data plane performs its task depending on Control plane.
In general we can say in control plane it is learned what and how it can be done.
In general we can say in data plane the actual task is performed based on what is learned.
Control plane packets are processed by router to update the routing table.
The forwarding plane/data plane forwards the packets based on the built logic of control plane.
It includes Spanning Tree Protocol (STP),Address Resolution Protocol (ARP),Routing Information Protocol (RIP), Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) etc.
It includes decrementing Time To Live (TTL), recomputingIP header checksum etc.
Control plane packets are locally originated by the router itself.
Data plane packets go through the router.
Control plane acts as a decision maker in data forwarding.
Data plane acts as a decision implementer in data forwarding.
Routing is performed in the control plane.
Switching is performed in the data plane.