EVPN-VXLAN
What is EVPN-VXLAN?

EVPN-VXLAN is a network fabric that extends layer 2 connectivity as a network overlay over an existing physical network. It is an open standards technology that creates more agile, secure, and scalable networks in campuses and data centers.

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  • EVPN-VXLAN explained
  • How does EVPN-VXLAN work?
  • Why EVPN-VXLAN now?
  • Building an EVPN-VXLAN fabric overlay with HPE Aruba Networking
  • HPE Aruba Networking CX switches that support EVPN-VXLAN
  • Network overlay-based automation
EVPN-VXLAN explained
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EVPN-VXLAN explained

EVPN-VXLAN is an open standards technology that solves the limitations of traditional VLAN-based networks by creating a network fabric that extends layer 2 connectivity as a network overlay over an existing physical network. EVPN-VXLAN consists of:

  • Ethernet VPN (EVPN) which is used as the overlay control plane and provides virtual connectivity between different layer 2/3 domains over an IP or MPLS network.
  • Virtual extensible LANs (VXLAN), a common network virtualization overlay protocol that expands the layer 2 network address space from 4,000 to 16 million.

What are the benefits of EVPN-VXLAN?

EVPN-VXLAN has become a popular technology and there’s a reason, enterprises gain advantages as shown in the following table.

Benefit
How EVPN-VXLAN helps

Flexibility

EVPN-VXLAN supports multiple protocols and shares common architectural elements with other common network services like VPNs, making it easy to integrate into existing networks.

Greater scalability

An EVPN-VXLAN-based architecture enables enterprises to easily add new switches without requiring any redesigns of the underlay network.

Enhanced security

Finer segmentation allows IT to restrict traffic flows between every connected element in the network, hardening security postures and limiting the blast radius of attacks.

Better performance and resiliency

Latency between network devices is more predictable, especially in spine-leaf architectures, and failure of a single spine or leaf doesn’t have as large an impact on overall fabric performance.

Related products

HPE Aruba Networking Central

Unify cloud-native network management across branch, remote, campus, data center, and IoT networks with AI-powered insights, workflow automation, and edge-to-cloud security.

HPE Aruba Networking Access Points

Expand network capacity and boost IT, user, and IoT experiences with enterprise connectivity that’s intelligent, fast, and secure.

Related topics

What is network overlay?

What is network switch?

What is access point (AP)?