
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.

- 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
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. |
