The rise of virtualisation technology has revolutionised data centres, enabling the operation of multiple virtual machines on the same physical infrastructure. However, traditional data centre network designs are not well-suited to these new applications, necessitating a new approach to address these challenges. NVGRE and VXLAN were created to meet this need. This article delves into NVGRE and VXLAN, exploring their differences, similarities, and advantages in various scenarios.

Unleashing the Power of NVGRE Technology

NVGRE (Network Virtualization using Generic Routing Encapsulation) is a network virtualisation method designed to overcome the limitations of traditional VLANs in complex virtual environments.

How It Works

NVGRE encapsulates data packets by adding a Tenant Network Identifier (TNI) to the packet, transmitting it over existing IP networks, and then decapsulating and delivering it on the target host. This enables large-scale virtual networks to be more flexible and scalable on physical infrastructure.

1.Tenant Network Identifier (TNI)

NVGRE introduces a 24-bit TNI to identify different virtual networks or tenants. Each TNI corresponds to a separate virtual network, allowing multiple virtual networks to operate on the same physical infrastructure without interference.

2. Packet Encapsulation

Source MAC Address: The MAC address of the sending VM.

Destination MAC Address: The MAC address of the receiving VM.

TNI: The 24-bit virtual network identifier.

Original Ethernet Frame: Includes the source MAC address, destination MAC address, Ethernet protocol type (usually IPv4 or IPv6), etc.

Data packets are encapsulated into NVGRE packets for communication between VMs.

3. Transport Network

NVGRE packets are transmitted over existing IP networks, including physical or virtual networks. The IP header information is used for routing, while the TNI identifies the target virtual network.

4. Decapsulation

When NVGRE packets reach the host of the target VM, the host decapsulates them, extracting the original Ethernet frame and delivering it to the target VM.

5. MAC Address Table Maintenance

NVGRE hosts maintain a MAC address table to map VM MAC addresses to TNIs. When a host receives an NVGRE packet, it looks up the MAC address table to determine which VM to deliver the packet to.

6. Broadcast and Multicast Support

NVGRE uses broadcast and multicast to support communication within virtual networks, allowing VMs to perform broadcast and multicast operations for protocols like ARP and Neighbor Discovery.

Features

• Network Virtualisation Goals: NVGRE aims to provide a larger number of VLANs for multi-tenancy and load balancing, overcoming the limited VLAN capacity of traditional networks.
• Encapsulation and Tunneling: Uses encapsulation and tunneling to isolate virtual networks, making VM communication appear direct without considering the underlying physical network.
• Cross-Data Centre Scalability: Designed to support cross-location virtual networks, ideal for distributed data centre architectures.

A Comprehensive Look at VXLAN Technology

VXLAN (Virtual Extensible LAN) is a network virtualisation technology designed to address the shortage of virtual networks in large cloud data centres.

How It Works

VXLAN encapsulates data packets by adding a Virtual Network Identifier (VNI), transmitting them over existing IP networks, and then decapsulating and delivering them on the target host.

1.Virtual Network Identifier (VNI)

VXLAN introduces a 24-bit VNI to distinguish different virtual networks. Each VNI represents a separate virtual network, allowing multiple virtual networks to operate on the same physical infrastructure without interference.

2.Packet Encapsulation

Source IP Address: The IP address of the sending VM.

Destination IP Address: The IP address of the receiving VM.

UDP Header: Contains source and destination port information to identify VXLAN packets.

VNI: The 24-bit virtual network identifier.

Original Ethernet Frame: Includes the source MAC address, destination MAC address, Ethernet protocol type, etc.

Data packets are encapsulated into VXLAN packets for communication between VMs.

3.Transport Network
VXLAN packets are transmitted over existing IP networks. The IP header information is used for routing, while the VNI identifies the target virtual network.

4.Decapsulation
When VXLAN packets reach the host of the target VM, the host decapsulates them, extracting the original Ethernet frame and delivering it to the target VM.

5.MAC Address Table Maintenance
VXLAN hosts maintain a MAC address table to map VM MAC addresses to VNIs. When a host receives a VXLAN packet, it looks up the MAC address table to determine which VM to deliver the packet to.

6.Broadcast and Multicast Support
VXLAN uses multicast to simulate broadcast and multicast behaviour within virtual networks, supporting protocols like ARP and Neighbor Discovery.

Features

• Expanded VLAN Address Space: Extends VLAN identifier capacity from 4096 to 16 million with a 24-bit segment ID.
• Virtual Network Isolation: Allows multiple virtual networks to coexist on the same infrastructure, each with a unique segment ID.
• Multi-Tenancy Support: Ideal for environments where different tenants need isolated virtual networks.
• Layer 2 and 3 Extension: Supports complex network topologies and routing configurations.
• Industry Support: Widely supported by companies like Cisco, VMware, and Arista Networks.

NVGRE vs VXLAN: Uncovering the Best Virtualization Tech

NVGRE and VXLAN are both technologies for virtualising data centre networks, aimed at addressing issues in traditional network architectures such as isolation, scalability, and performance. While their goals are similar, they differ in implementation and several key aspects.

Supporters and Transport Protocols

NVGRE is supported mainly by Microsoft, using GRE as the transport protocol. VXLAN is driven by Cisco, using UDP.

Packet Format

VXLAN packets have a 24-bit VNI for 16 million virtual networks. NVGRE uses the GRE header’s lower 24 bits as the TNI, also supporting 16 million virtual networks.

Transmission Method

VXLAN uses multicast to simulate broadcast and multicast for MAC address learning and discovery. NVGRE uses multiple IP addresses for enhanced load balancing without relying on flooding and IP multicast.

Fragmentation

NVGRE supports fragmentation to manage MTU sizes, while VXLAN typically requires the network to support jumbo frames and does not support fragmentation.

Conclusion

VXLAN and NVGRE represent significant advancements in network virtualisation, expanding virtual network capacity and enabling flexible, scalable, and high-performance cloud and data centre networks. With support from major industry players, these technologies have become essential for building agile virtualised networking environments.

How FS Can Help

FS offers a wide range of data centre switches, from 1G to 800G, to meet various network requirements and applications. FS switches support VXLAN EVPN architectures and MPLS forwarding, with comprehensive protocol support for L3 unicast and multicast routing, including BGP, OSPF, EIGRP, RIPv2, PIM-SM, SSM, and MSDP. Explore FS high-quality switches and expert solutions tailored to enhance your network at the FS website.

Businesses are growing and networks are becoming more complex. Single-device solutions are having trouble meeting the high availability and performance requirements of modern data centres. To address this, two horizontal virtualisation technologies have emerged: Stacking and Multichassis Link Aggregation Group (MLAG). This article compares Stacking and MLAG. It discusses their principles, features, advantages, and disadvantages. This comparison can help you choose the best option for your network environment.

Understanding Stacking Technology

Stacking technology involves combining multiple stackable devices into a single logical unit. Users can control and use multiple devices together, increasing ports and switching abilities while improving reliability with mutual backup between devices.

Advantages of Stacking:

• Simplified Management: Managed via a single IP address, reducing management complexity. Administrators can configure and monitor the entire stack from one interface.
• Increased Port Density: Combining multiple switches offers more ports, meeting the demands of large-scale networks.
• Seamless Redundancy: If one stack member fails, others seamlessly take over, ensuring high network availability.
• Enhanced Performance: Increased interconnect bandwidth among switches improves data exchange efficiency and performance.

Unlocking the Power of MLAG Technology

Multichassis Link Aggregation Group (MLAG) is a newer cross-device link aggregation technology. It allows two access switches to negotiate link aggregation as if they were one device. This cross-device link aggregation enhances reliability from the single-board level to the device level, making MLAG suitable for modern network topologies requiring redundancy and high availability.

Advantages of MLAG:

• High Availability: Increases network availability by allowing smooth traffic transition between switches in case of failure. There are no single points of failure at the switch level.
• Improved Bandwidth: Aggregating links across multiple switches significantly increases accessible bandwidth, beneficial for high-demand environments.
• Load Balancing: Evenly distributes traffic across member links, preventing overloads and maximising network utilisation.
• Compatibility and Scalability: Better compatibility and scalability, able to negotiate link aggregation with devices from different vendors.

Stacking vs. MLAG: Which Network Virtualisation Tech Reigns Supreme?

Both Stacking and MLAG are crucial for achieving redundant access and link redundancy, significantly enhancing the reliability and scalability of data centre networks. Despite their similarities, each has distinct advantages, disadvantages, and suitable application scenarios. Understanding the concepts and advantages of Stacking and MLAG is crucial. Here’s a detailed comparison to help you distinguish between the two:

Reliability

Stacking: Centralised control plane shared by all switches, with the master switch managing the stack. Failure of the master switch can affect the entire system despite backup switches.

MLAG: Each switch operates with an independent control plane. Consequently, the failure of one switch does not impact the functionality of the other, effectively isolating fault domains and enhancing overall network reliability.

Configuration Complexity

Stacking: Appears as a single device logically, simplifying configuration and management.

MLAG: Requires individual configuration of each switch but can be simplified with modern management tools and automation scripts.

Cost

Stacking: Requires specialised stacking cables, adding hardware costs.

MLAG: Requires peer-link cables, which incur costs comparable to stacking cables.

Performance

Stacking: Performance may be limited by the master switch’s CPU load, affecting overall system performance.

MLAG: Each switch independently handles data forwarding, distributing CPU load and enhancing performance.

Upgrade Complexity

Stacking: Higher upgrade complexity, needing synchronised upgrades of all member devices, with longer operation times and higher risks.

MLAG: Lower upgrade complexity, allowing independent upgrades of each device, reducing complexity and risk.

Upgrade Downtime

Stacking: The duration of downtime varies between 20 seconds and 1 minute, contingent upon the traffic load.

MLAG: Minimal downtime, usually within seconds, with negligible impact.

Network Design

Stacking: Simpler design, appearing as a single device, easier to manage and design.

MLAG: More complex design, logically still two separate devices, requiring more planning and management.

Enhancing Display Networks: Stacking vs. MLAG Applications

This section explains how these technologies are used in real-world situations after learning about Stacking and MLAG differences. This will help you make informed decisions when setting up a network.

Stacking is suitable for small to medium-sized network environments that require simplified management and configuration and enhanced redundancy. It is widely used in enterprise campus networks and small to medium-sized data centres.

MLAG, on the other hand, is ideal for large data centres and high-density server access environments that require high availability and high performance. It offers redundancy and load balancing across devices. The choice between these technologies depends on the specific needs, scale, and complexity of your network.

In practical situations, Stacking and MLAG technologies can be combined to take advantage of their strengths. This creates a synergistic effect that is stronger than each technology individually. Stacking technology simplifies the network topology, increasing bandwidth and fault tolerance. MLAG technology provides redundancy and load balancing, enhancing network availability.

Therefore, consider integrating Stacking and MLAG technologies to achieve better network performance and reliability when designing and deploying enterprise networks.

Conclusion

Both Multichassis Link Aggregation (MLAG) and stackable switches offer unique advantages in modern network architectures. MLAG ensures backup and reliability with cross-switch link aggregation. Stackable switches allow for easy management and scalability by acting as one unit. Understanding the specific requirements and use cases of each technology is essential for designing resilient and efficient network infrastructures.

How FS Can Help

FS, a trusted global ICT products and solutions provider, offers a range of data centre switches to meet diverse enterprise needs. FS data centre switches support a variety of features and protocols, including stacking, MLAG, and VXLAN, making them suitable for diverse network construction. Customised solutions tailored to your requirements can assist with network upgrades. Visit the FS website to explore products and solutions that can help you build a high-performance network today.

In recent years, the advancement of cloud computing, virtualisation, and containerisation technologies has driven the adoption of network virtualisation. Both MPLS and VXLAN leverage virtualisation concepts to create logical network architectures, enabling more complex and flexible domain management. However, they serve different purposes. This article will compare VXLAN and MPLS, explaining why VXLAN is more popular than MPLS in metropolitan and wide area networks.

Understanding VXLAN and MPLS: Key Concepts Unveiled

VXLAN

Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN) encapsulates Layer 2 Ethernet frames within Layer 3 UDP packets, enabling devices and applications to communicate over a large physical network as if they were on the same Layer 2 Ethernet network. VXLAN technology uses the existing Layer 3 network as an underlay to create a virtual Layer 2 network, known as an overlay. As a network virtualisation technology, VXLAN addresses the scalability challenges associated with large-scale cloud computing setups and deployments.

MPLS

Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) is a technology that uses labels to direct data transmission quickly and efficiently across open communication networks. The term “multi-protocol” indicates that MPLS can support various network layer protocols and is compatible with multiple Layer 2 data link layer technologies. This technology simplifies data transmission between two nodes by using short path labels instead of long network addresses. MPLS allows the addition of more sites with minimal configuration. It is also independent of IP, merely simplifying the implementation of IP addresses. MPLS over VPN adds an extra layer of security since MPLS itself lacks built-in security features.

Data Centre Network Architecture Based on MPLS

MPLS Layer 2 VPN (L2VPN) provides Layer 2 connectivity across a Layer 3 network, but it requires all routers in the network to be IP/MPLS routers. Virtual networks are isolated using MPLS pseudowire encapsulation and can stack MPLS labels, similar to VLAN tag stacking, to support a large number of virtual networks.

IP/MPLS is commonly used in telecom service provider networks, so many service providers’ L2VPN services are implemented using MPLS. These include point-to-point L2VPN and multipoint L2VPN implemented according to the Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS) standard. These services typically conform to the MEF Carrier Ethernet service definitions of E-Line (point-to-point) and E-LAN (multipoint).

Because MPLS and its associated control plane protocols are designed for highly scalable Layer 3 service provider networks, some data centre operators have adopted MPLS L2VPN in their data centre networks to overcome the scalability and resilience limitations of Layer 2 switched networks, as shown in the diagram.

Why is VXLAN Preferred Over MPLS in Data Centre Networks?

Considering the features and applications of both technologies, the following points summarise why VXLAN is more favoured:

Cost of MPLS Routers

For a long time, some service providers have been interested in building cost-effective metropolitan networks using data centre-grade switches. Over 20 years ago, the first generation of competitive metro Ethernet service providers, like Yipes and Telseon, built their networks using the most advanced gigabit Ethernet switches available in enterprise networks at the time. However, such networks struggled to provide the scalability and resilience required by large service providers (SPs). Consequently, most large SPs shifted to MPLS (as shown in the diagram below). However, MPLS routers are more expensive than ordinary Ethernet switches, and this cost disparity has persisted over the decades. Today, data centre-grade switches combined with VXLAN overlay architecture can largely eliminate the shortcomings of pure Layer 2 networks without the high costs of MPLS routing, attracting a new wave of SPs.

Tight Coupling Between Core and Edge

MPLS-based VPN solutions require tight coupling between edge and core devices, meaning every node in the data centre network must support MPLS. In contrast, VXLAN only requires a VTEP (VXLAN Tunnel Endpoint) in edge nodes (e.g., leaf switches) and can use any IP-capable device or IP transport network to implement data centre spine and data centre interconnect (DCI).

MPLS Expertise

Outside of large service providers, MPLS technology is challenging to learn, and relatively few network engineers can easily build and operate MPLS-based networks. VXLAN, being simpler, is becoming a fundamental technology widely mastered by data centre network engineers.

Advancements in Data Centre Switching Technology

Modern data centre switching chips have integrated numerous functions that make metro networks based on VXLAN possible. Here are two key examples:

• Hardware-based VTEP supporting line-rate VXLAN encapsulation.
• Expanded tables providing the routing and forwarding scale required to create resilient, scalable Layer 3 underlay networks and multi-tenant overlay services.

Additionally, newer data centre-grade switches have powerful CPUs capable of supporting advanced control planes crucial for extended Ethernet services, whether it’s BGP EVPN (a protocol-based approach) or an SDN-based protocol-less control plane. Therefore, in many metro network applications, specialised (and thus high-cost) routing hardware is no longer necessary.

VXLAN Overlay Architecture for Metropolitan and Wide Area Networks

Overlay networks have been widely adopted in various applications such as data centre networks and enterprise SD-WAN. A key commonality among these overlay networks is their loose coupling with the underlay network. Essentially, as long as the network provides sufficient capacity and resilience, the underlay network can be constructed using any network technology and utilise any control plane. The overlay is only defined at the service endpoints, with no service provisioning within the underlay network nodes.

One of the primary advantages of SD-WAN is its ability to utilise various networks, including broadband or wireless internet services, which are widely available and cost-effective, providing sufficient performance for many users and applications. When VXLAN overlay is applied to metropolitan and wide area networks, similar benefits are also realised, as depicted in the diagram.

When building a metropolitan network to provide services like Ethernet Line (E-Line), Multipoint Ethernet Local Area Network (E-LAN), or Layer 3 VPN (L3VPN), it is crucial to ensure that the Underlay can meet the SLA (Service Level Agreement) requirements for such services.

VXLAN-Based Metropolitan Network Overlay Control Plane Options

So far, our focus has mainly been on the advantages of VXLAN over MPLS in terms of network architecture and capital costs, i.e., the advantages of the data plane. However, VXLAN does not specify a control plane, so let’s take a look at the Overlay control plane options.

The most prominent control plane option for creating VXLAN Overlay and providing Overlay services should be BGP EVPN, which is a protocol-based approach that requires service configuration in each edge node. The main drawback of BGP EVPN is the complexity of operations.

Another protocol-less approach is using SDN and services defined in an SDN controller to programme the data plane of each edge node. This approach eliminates much of the operational complexity of protocol-based BGP EVPN. Nonetheless, the centralised SDN controller architecture, suitable for single-site data centre architectures, presents significant scalability and resilience issues when implemented in metropolitan and wide area networks. As a result, it’s unclear whether it’s a superior alternative to MPLS for metropolitan networks.

There’s also a third possibility—decentralised or distributed SDN, in which the SDN controller’s functionality is duplicated and spread across the network. This can also be referred to as a “controller-less” SDN because it doesn’t necessitate a separate controller server/device, thereby completely resolving the scalability and resilience problems associated with centralised SDN control while maintaining the advantages of simplified and expedited service configuration.

Deployment Options

Due to VXLAN’s ability to decouple Overlay services delivery from the Underlay network, it creates deployment options that MPLS cannot match, such as virtual service Overlays on existing IP infrastructure, as shown in the diagram. VXLAN-based switch deployments at the edge of existing networks, scalable according to business requirements, allow for the addition of new Ethernet and VPN services and thus generate new revenue without altering the existing network.

The metropolitan network infrastructure shown in Figure 2 can support all services offered by an MPLS-based network, including commercial internet, Ethernet and VPN services, as well as consumer triple-play services. Moreover, it completely eliminates the costs and complexities associated with MPLS.

Conclusion

VXLAN has become the most popular overlay network virtualization protocol in data centre network architecture, surpassing many alternative solutions. When implemented with hardware-based VTEPs in switches and DPUs, and combined with BGP EVPN or SDN control planes and network automation, VXLAN-based overlay networks can provide the scalability, agility, high performance, and resilience required for distributed cloud networks in the foreseeable future.

How FS Can Help

FS is a trusted provider of ICT products and solutions to enterprise customers worldwide. Our range of data centre switches covers multiple speeds, catering to diverse business needs. We offer personalised customisation services to tailor exclusive solutions for you and assist with network upgrades.

Explore the FS website today, choose the products and solutions that best suit your requirements, and build a high-performance network.

With the rapid development of cloud computing and virtualisation technologies, data centre networks are facing increasing challenges. Traditional network architectures have limitations in meeting the demands of large-scale data centres, particularly in terms of scalability, isolation, and flexibility. To overcome these limitations and provide better performance and scalability for data centre networks, VXLAN (Virtual Extensible LAN) has emerged as an innovative network virtualisation technology. This article will detail the principles and advantages of VXLAN, its applications in data centre networks, and help you understand the differences between VXLAN and VLAN.

The Power of VXLAN: Transforming Data Centre Networks

VXLAN is a network virtualisation technology designed to overcome the limitations of traditional Ethernet, offering enhanced scalability and isolation. It enables the creation of a scalable virtual network on existing infrastructure, allowing virtual machines (VMs) to move freely within a logical network, regardless of the underlying physical network topology. VXLAN achieves this by creating a virtual Layer 2 network over an existing IP network, encapsulating traditional Ethernet frames within UDP packets for transmission. This encapsulation allows VXLAN to operate on current network infrastructure without requiring extensive modifications.

VXLAN uses a 24-bit VXLAN Network Identifier (VNI) to identify virtual networks, allowing multiple independent virtual networks to coexist simultaneously. The destination MAC address of a VXLAN packet is replaced with the MAC address of the virtual machine or physical host within the VXLAN network, enabling communication between virtual machines. VXLAN also supports multipath transmission through MP-BGP EVPN and provides multi-tenant isolation within the network.

How it works

• Encapsulation: When a virtual machine (VM) sends an Ethernet frame, the VXLAN module encapsulates it in a UDP packet. The source IP address of the packet is the IP address of the host where the VM resides, and the destination IP address is that of the remote endpoint of the VXLAN tunnel. The VNI field in the VXLAN header identifies the target virtual network. The UDP packet is then transmitted through the underlying network to reach the destination host.
• Decapsulation: Upon receiving a VXLAN packet, the VXLAN module parses the UDP packet header to extract the encapsulated Ethernet frame. By examining the VNI field, the VXLAN module identifies the target virtual network and forwards the Ethernet frame to the corresponding virtual machine or physical host.

This process of encapsulation and decapsulation allows VXLAN to transparently transport Ethernet frames over the underlying network, while simultaneously providing logically isolated virtual networks.

Key Components

• VXLAN Identifier (VNI): Used to distinguish different virtual networks, similar to a VLAN identifier.
• VTEP (VXLAN Tunnel Endpoint): A network device responsible for encapsulating and decapsulating VXLAN packets, typically a switch or router.
• Control Plane and Data Plane: The control plane is responsible for establishing and maintaining VXLAN tunnels, while the data plane handles the actual data transmission.

The Benefits of VXLAN: A Changer for Virtual Networks

VXLAN, as an emerging network virtualisation technology, offers several advantages in data centre networks:

Scalability

VXLAN uses a 24-bit VNI identifier, supporting up to 16,777,216 virtual networks, each with its own independent Layer 2 namespace. This scalability meets the demands of large-scale data centres and supports multi-tenant isolation.

Cross-Subnet Communication

Traditional Ethernet relies on Layer 3 routers for forwarding across different subnets. VXLAN, by using the underlying IP network as the transport medium, enables cross-subnet communication within virtual networks, allowing virtual machines to migrate freely without changing their IP addresses.

Flexibility

VXLAN can operate over existing network infrastructure without requiring significant modifications. It is compatible with current network devices and protocols, such as switches, routers, and BGP. This flexibility simplifies the creation and management of virtual networks.

Multipath Transmission

VXLAN leverages multipath transmission (MP-BGP EVPN) to achieve load balancing and redundancy in data centre networks. It can choose the optimal path for data transmission based on network load and path availability, providing better performance and reliability.

Security

VXLAN supports tunnel encryption, ensuring data confidentiality and integrity over the underlying IP network. Using secure protocols (like IPsec) or virtual private networks (VPNs), VXLAN can offer a higher level of data transmission security.

VXLAN vs. VLAN: Unveiling the Key Differences

VXLAN (Virtual Extensible LAN) and VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) are two distinct network isolation technologies that differ significantly in their implementation, functionality, and application scenarios.

Implementation

VLAN: VLAN is a Layer 2 (data link layer) network isolation technology that segments a physical network into different virtual networks using VLAN identifiers (VLAN IDs) configured on switches. VLANs use VLAN tags within a single physical network to identify and isolate different virtual networks, achieving isolation between different users or devices.

VXLAN: VXLAN is a Layer 3 (network layer) network virtualisation technology that extends Layer 2 networks by creating virtual tunnels over an underlying IP network. VXLAN uses VXLAN Network Identifiers (VNIs) to identify different virtual networks and encapsulates original Ethernet frames within UDP packets to enable communication between virtual machines, overcoming physical network limitations.

Functionality

VLAN: VLANs primarily provide Layer 2 network segmentation and isolation, allowing a single physical network to be divided into multiple virtual networks. Different VLANs are isolated from each other, enhancing network security and manageability.

VXLAN: VXLAN not only provides Layer 2 network segmentation but also creates virtual networks over an underlying IP network, enabling extensive dynamic VM migration and inter-data centre communication. VXLAN offers greater network scalability and flexibility, making it suitable for large-scale cloud computing environments and virtualised data centres.

Application Scenarios

VLAN: VLANs are suitable for small to medium-sized network environments, commonly found in enterprise LANs. They are mainly used for organisational user segmentation, security isolation, and traffic management.

VXLAN: VXLAN is ideal for large data centre networks, especially in cloud computing environments and virtualised data centres. It supports large-scale dynamic VM migration, multi-tenant isolation, and network scalability, providing a more flexible and scalable network architecture.

These distinctions highlight how VXLAN and VLAN cater to different networking needs and environments, offering tailored solutions for varying levels of network complexity and scalability.

Enhancing Data Centres with VXLAN Technology

The application of VXLAN enhances the flexibility, efficiency, and security of data centre networks, forming a crucial part of modern data centre virtualisation. Here are some typical applications of VXLAN in data centres:

Virtual Machine Migration

VXLAN allows virtual machines to migrate freely between different physical hosts without changing IP addresses. This flexibility and scalability are vital for achieving load balancing, resource scheduling, and fault tolerance in data centres.

Multi-Tenant Isolation

By using different VNIs, VXLAN can divide a data centre into multiple independent virtual networks, ensuring isolation between different tenants. This isolation guarantees data security and privacy for tenants and allows each tenant to have independent network policies and quality of service guarantees.

Inter-Data Centre Connectivity

VXLAN can extend across multiple data centres, enabling the establishment of virtual network connections between them. This capability supports resource sharing, business expansion, and disaster recovery across data centres.

Cloud Service Providers

VXLAN helps cloud service providers build highly scalable virtualised network infrastructures. By using VXLAN, cloud service providers can offer flexible virtual network services and support resource isolation and security in multi-tenant environments.

Virtual Network Functions (VNF)

Combining VXLAN with Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV) enables the deployment and management of virtual network functions. VXLAN serves as the underlying network virtualisation technology, providing flexible network connectivity and isolation for VNFs, thus facilitating rapid deployment and elastic scaling of network functions.

Conclusion

In summary, VXLAN offers powerful scalability, flexibility, and isolation, providing new directions and solutions for the future development of data centre networks. By utilising VXLAN, data centres can achieve virtual machine migration, multi-tenant isolation, inter-data centre connectivity, and enhanced support for cloud service providers.

How FS Can Help

As an industry-leading provider of network solutions, FS offers a variety of high-performance data centre switches supporting multiple protocols, such as MLAG, EVPN-VXLAN, link aggregation, and LACP. FS switches come pre-installed with PicOS®, equipped with comprehensive SDN capabilities and the compatible AmpCon™ management software. This combination delivers a more resilient, programmable, and scalable network operating system (NOS) with lower TCO. The advanced PicOS® and AmpCon™ management platform enables data centre operators to efficiently configure, monitor, manage, and maintain modern data centre fabrics, achieving higher utilisation and reducing overall operational costs.

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