Final answer:
A controller-based network is characterized by the separation of control and data plane, where the network controller centralizes control logic and communicates with individual devices for traffic forwarding.
Step-by-step explanation:
The characteristics of a "controller-based" network primarily refer to network architectures that use a central controller, such as Software-Defined Networking (SDN). The correct answer to the question is the separation of control and data plane. Traditional network devices, like routers and switches, incorporate both the control logic (to determine how to handle network traffic) and the data plane (that actually forwards the traffic). In a controller-based network, the control logic is abstracted from the individual devices and centralized in a controller. The controller makes decisions about how to handle traffic and communicates these decisions to the various network devices, which form the data plane.