What Is VXLAN?

In the rapidly evolving networking world, virtualization has become critical for businesses seeking to optimize their IT infrastructure. One key technology that has emerged is VXLAN (Virtual Extensible LAN), which enables the creation of virtual networks independent of physical network infrastructure. In this blog post, we will delve into the concept of VXLAN, its benefits, and its role in network virtualization.

VXLAN is an encapsulation protocol designed to extend Layer 2 (Ethernet) networks over Layer 3 (IP) networks. It provides a scalable and flexible solution for creating virtualized networks, enabling seamless communication between virtual machines (VMs) and physical servers across different data centers or geographic regions.

VXLAN is a technology that creates virtual networks within an existing physical network. A Layer 2 overlay network runs on top of the current Layer 2 network. VXLAN utilizes UDP as the transport protocol, providing a secure, efficient, and reliable way to create a virtual network.

Highlights: What Is VXLAN

• Segmentation: Security and policy control

VXLAN provides several advantages over traditional Layer 2 network technologies. It enables the creation of enormous virtual networks with thousands of endpoints, allowing multi-tenant segmentation for security and policy enforcement. It also takes advantage of existing Layer 3 routing protocols, allowing for efficient routing between virtual networks, and it is hardware agnostic, meaning it can be used with any hardware.

• VLXAN offerings

VXLAN has been widely adopted and is now used in many large enterprise networks for virtualization and cloud computing. It provides:

• A secure and efficient way to create virtual networks.
• Allowing for the creation of multi-tenant segmentation.
• Efficient routing.
• Hardware-agnostic capabilities.

With its widespread adoption, VXLAN has become an essential technology for network virtualization.

Related: Before you proceed, you may find the following posts helpful for pre-information:

1. Data Center Topologies
2. Segment Routing
3. What is OpenFlow
4. Overlay Virtual Networks
5. Layer 3 Data Center

• A key point – Video 1: Introducing VXLAN.

In this video, we will introduce you to VLXAN and its operations. We will discuss the components included and functions. It works on the mechanism of encapsulation/decapsulation and creates tunnels between two tunnel endpoints. VXLAN Tunnel Endpoint (VTEP) can be a physical or software switch.

The Need For VXLAN

Traditional layer two networks have issues because of the following reasons:

• Spanning tree: Restricts links.
• Limited amount of VLANs: Restricts scalability;
• Large MAC address tables: Restricts scalability and mobility

Spanning-tree avoids loops by blocking redundant links. By blocking connections, we create a loop-free topology and pay for links we can’t use. Although we could switch to a layer three network, some technologies require layer two networking.

VLAN IDs are 12 bits long, so we can create 4094 VLANs (0 and 4095 are reserved). Data centers may need help with only 4094 available VLANs. Let’s say we have a service provider with 500 customers. There are 4094 available VLANs, so each customer can only have eight.

Server virtualization has exponentially increased the number of addresses in our switches’ MAC addresses. There was only one MAC address per switch port before server virtualization. We can run many virtual machines (VMs) or containers on a single physical server with server virtualization. Virtual NICs and virtual MAC addresses are assigned to each virtual machine. One switch port must learn many MAC addresses.

There could be 24 or 48 physical servers connected to a Top of Rack (ToR) switch in a data center. There may be many racks in a data center, so each switch must store the MAC addresses of all VMs that communicate. Networks without server virtualization require much larger MAC address tables.

Lab guide on VXLAN

In the following lab, I created a Layer 2 overlay. The overlay has been formed with VXLAN over a layer three core. A bridge domain VNI of 6001 must match both sides of the overlay tunnel. What Is a VNI? The VLAN ID field in an Ethernet frame has only 12 bits, so VLAN cannot meet isolation requirements on data center networks. The emergence of VNI is specifically to solve this problem.

Note: The VNI

A VNI is a user identifier similar to a VLAN ID. A VNI identifies a tenant. VMs with different VNIs cannot communicate at Layer 2. During VXLAN packet encapsulation, a 24-bit VNI is added to a VXLAN packet, enabling VXLAN to isolate many tenants.

You will notice in the screenshot below that I can ping from desktop 0 to desktop one even though the IP addresses are not in the routing table of the core devices, simulating a Layer 2 overlay. Consider VXLAN to be the overlay and the routing Layer 3 core to be the underlay.

In the following screenshot, notice that the VNI has been changed. The VNI needs to be changed in two places in the configuration, as illustrated below. Once changed, the Peers are down; however, the NVE  interface remains up. The VXLAN layer two overlay is not operational.

How does VXLAN work?

VXLAN uses tunneling to encapsulate Layer 2 Ethernet frames within IP packets. A unique 24-bit segment ID identifies each VXLAN network, the VXLAN Network Identifier (VNI). The source VM encapsulates the original Ethernet frame with a VXLAN header, including the VNI. The encapsulated packet is then sent over the physical IP network to the destination VM and decapsulated to retrieve the original Ethernet frame.

Analysis:

Notice below that it is running a ping from desktop 0 to desktop 1. The IP addresses assigned to this host are in the 10.0.0.1 and 10.0.0.2. First, notice that the ping is booming, and when I do a packet capture on the links Gi1 connected to Leaf A, we see the encapsulation of the ICMP echo request and reply.

Everything is encapsulated into UDP port 1024. In my configurations of Leaf A and Leaf B, I explicitly set the VXLAN port to 1024.

Benefits of VXLAN:

– Scalability: VXLAN allows creating up to 16 million logical networks, providing the scalability required for large-scale virtualized environments.

– Network Segmentation: By leveraging VXLAN, organizations can segment their networks into virtual segments, enhancing security and isolating traffic between applications or user groups.

– Flexibility and Mobility: VXLAN enables the movement of VMs across physical servers and data centers without the need to reconfigure network settings. This flexibility is crucial for workload mobility in dynamic environments.

– Interoperability: VXLAN is an industry-standard protocol supported by various networking vendors, ensuring compatibility across different network devices and platforms.

Use Cases for VXLAN:

– Data Center Interconnect (DCI): VXLAN allows organizations to interconnect multiple data centers, enabling seamless workload migration, disaster recovery, and workload balancing across different locations.

– Multi-Tenant Environments: VXLAN enables service providers to offer virtualized network services to multiple tenants securely and isolatedly. This is particularly useful in cloud computing environments.

– Network Virtualization: VXLAN plays a crucial role in network virtualization, allowing organizations to create virtual networks independent of the underlying physical infrastructure. This enables greater flexibility and agility in managing network resources.

Back to Basics: VXLAN and Network Virtualization.

VXLAN and network virtualization

VXLAN is a form of network virtualization. Network virtualization cuts a single physical network into many virtual networks, often called network overlays. Virtualizing a resource allows it to be shared by multiple users. Virtualization provides the illusion that each user is on his or her resources. In the case of virtual networks, each user is under the misconception that there are no other users of the network. To preserve the illusion, virtual networks are separated from one another. Packets cannot leak from one virtual network to another.

VXLAN Loop Detection and Prevention

So, before we dive into the benefits of VXLAN, let us address the basics of loop detection and prevention, which is a significant driver for using network overlays such as VLXAN. The challenge is that data frames can exist indefinitely when loops occur, disrupting network stability and degrading performance.

In addition, loops introduce broadcast radiation, increasing CPU and network bandwidth utilization, which results in a degradation of user application access experience. Finally, in multi-site networks, a loop can span multiple data centers, causing disruptions that are difficult to pinpoint. A lot of this can be solved with overlay networking.

• A key point – Video 2: Discussion on Overlay Networking and VXLAN

In the following video, we will discuss the basics of overlay networking.Overlay/Underlay Essentially, an overlay is placing Layer 2 or Layer 3 over a Layer 3 Core. The Layer 3 Core is known as the underlay. This removes many drawbacks and scaling issues with traditional Layer 2 connectivity, which uses VLANs.

The multi-tenant nature of overlays is designed to avoid these L2 challenges, allowing you to build networks at a much larger scale. Layer 2 and Layer 3 overlays We have Layer 2 and Layer 3 overlays. Layer 2 overlays emulate a Layer 2 network and map Layer 2 frames into an IP underlay.

If you are emulating a Layer 2 network, you must emulate the Layer 2 flooding behavior. This is the bread and butter of how Layer 2 networks work, and that doesn’t change just because you decide to create a Layer 2 overlay.

VXLAN vs VLAN

However, first-generation Layer-2 Ethernet networks could not natively detect or mitigate looped topologies, while modern Layer-2 overlays implicitly build loop-free topologies. Therefore, overlays do not need loop detection and mitigation as long as no first-gen Layer-2 network is attached. Essentially, there is no need for a VXLAN spanning tree.

So, one of the differences between VXLAN vs VLAN is that the VLAN has a 12-bit VID while VXLAN has a 24-bit VID network identifier, allowing you to create up to 16 million segments. VXLAN has tremendous scale and stable loop-free networking and is a foundation technology in the ACI Cisco.

VXLAN and Data Center Interconnect

VXLAN has revolutionized data center interconnect by providing a scalable, flexible, and efficient solution for extending Layer 2 networks. Its ability to enable network segmentation, multi-tenancy support, and seamless mobility makes it a valuable technology for modern businesses.

However, careful planning, consideration of network infrastructure, and security measures are essential for successful implementation. By harnessing the power of VXLAN, organizations can achieve a more agile, scalable, and interconnected data center environment.

Considerations for Implementing VXLAN:

1. Underlying Network Infrastructure: Before implementing VXLAN, it is essential to assess the underlying network infrastructure. Network devices must support VXLAN encapsulation and decapsulation and have sufficient bandwidth to handle the increased traffic.

2. Network Overhead: While VXLAN provides numerous benefits, it does introduce additional network overhead due to encapsulation and decapsulation processes. It is crucial to consider the impact on network performance and plan accordingly.

3. Security: As VXLAN extends Layer 2 networks over Layer 3 infrastructure, it is essential to implement appropriate security measures. This includes encrypting VXLAN traffic, deploying access control policies, and monitoring network traffic for anomalies.

VXLAN vs VLAN: The VXLAN Benefits Drive Adoption

Introduced by Cisco and VMware and now heavily used in open networking, VXLAN stands for Virtual eXtensible Local Area Network and is perhaps the most popular overlay technology for IP-based SDN data centers. And is used extensively with ACI networks.

VXLAN was explicitly designed for Layer 2 over Layer 3 tunneling, and its early competitions from NVGRE and STT are fading away, and VXLAN is becoming the industry standard. VLXAN brings many advantages, especially in loop prevention, as there is no need for a VXLAN spanning tree.

Today, with overlays such as with VXLAN, the dependency on loop prevention protocols is almost eliminated. However, even though virtualized overlay networks such as VXLAN are loop-free, having a failsafe loop detection and mitigation method is still desirable because loops can be introduced by topologies connected to the overlay network.

Loop prevention traditionally started with Spanning Tree Protocols (STP) to counteract the loop problem in first-gen Layer-2 Ethernet networks. Over time, other approaches evolved by moving networks from “looped topologies” to “loop-free topologies.

While LAG and MLAG were used, other approaches for building loop-free topologies arose using ECMP at the MAC or IP layers. For example, FabricPath or TRILL is a MAC layer ECMP approach that emerged in the last decade. More recently, network virtualization overlays that build loop-free topologies on top of IP layer ECMP became state-of-the-art.

VXLAN vs VLAN: Why Introduce VXLAN?

1. STP issues and scalability constraints: STP is undesirable on a large scale and lacks a proper load-balancing mechanism. A solution was needed to leverage the ECMP capabilities of an IP network while offering extended VLANs across an IP core, i.e., virtual segments across the network core. There is no VXLAN spanning tree.
2. Multi-tenancy: Layer 2 networks are capped at 4000 VLANs, restricting multi-tenancy design—a big difference in the VXLAN vs VLAN debates.
3. ToR table scalability: Every ToR switch may need to support several virtual servers, and each virtual server requires several NICs and MAC addresses. This pushes the limits on the table sizes for the ToR switch. In addition, after the ToR tables become full, Layer 2 traffic will be treated as unknown unicast traffic, which will be flooded across the network, causing instability to a previously stable core.

VXLAN use cases

What is VXLAN? The operations

When discussing VXLAN vs VLAN, VXLAN employs a MAC over IP/UDP overlay scheme and extends the traditional VLAN boundary of 4000 VLANs. The 12-bit VLAN identifier in traditional VLANs capped scalability within the SDN data center and proved cumbersome if you wanted a VLAN per application segment model. VXLAN scales the 12-bit to a 24-bit identifier and allows for 16 million logical endpoints, with each endpoint potentially offering another 4,000 VLANs.

While tunneling does provide Layer 2 adjacency between these logical endpoints with the ability to move VMs across boundaries, the main driver for its insertion was to overcome the challenge of having only 4000 VLAN.

Typically, an application segment would have multiple segments; between each segment, you will have firewalling and load-balancing services, and each segment requires a different VLAN. The Layer 2 VLAN segment transfers non-routable heartbeats or state information that can’t cross an L3 boundary. You will soon reach the 4000k VLAN limit if you are a cloud provider.

The control plane

The control plane is very similar to the spanning tree control plane. If a switch receives a packet destined for an unknown address, the switch will forward the packet to an IP address that floods the packet to all the other switches.

This IP address is, in turn, mapped to a multicast group across the network. VXLAN doesn’t explicitly have a control plane and requires an IP multicast running in the core for forwarding traffic and host discovery.

• A key point – Video 3: VXLAN operations

VXLAN is all about discovering the destination VTEP; the big decision is how you discover the destination VTEP IP address. The destination VTEP IP address needs to be mapped to the end host destination MAC address. The mechanism used to do this affects the scalability & VXLAN domain functionality. We need some control plane elements.

The control plane element of VXLAN can be deployed as a flood and learn mechanism, which is not an absolute control plane, or you can have an actual control plane (that does not flood and learn) or even use an orchestration tool for VTEP to IP mapping. Many vendors implement this differently.

Best practices for enabling IP Multicast in the core

The requirement for IP multicast in the core made VXLAN undesirable from an operation point of view. For example, creating the tunnel endpoints is simple, but introducing a protocol like IP multicast to a core just for the tunnel control plane was considered undesirable. As a result, some of the more recent versions of VXLAN support IP unicast.

VXLAN eliminates the need for a spanning tree, using a MAC over IP/UDP solution. There is no VXLAN spanning tree. This enables the core to be IP and not to run a spanning tree. A lot of people ask why VXLAN uses UDP. The reason is that the UDP port numbers make VXLAN inherit Layer 3 ECMP features. The entropy that enables load balancing across multiple paths is embedded into the UDP source port of the overlay header.

Lab guide on Multicast VLXAN

In this lab guide, we are going to have a look at a VXLAN multicast mode. The multicat mode requires both unicast and multicast connectivity between sites. Similar to the previous one, this configuration guide uses OSPF to provide unicast connectivity, and now we have an additional bidirectional Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM) to provide multicast connectivity.

This does not mean that you don’t have a multicast-enabled core. You still need to have multicast enabled on the core. 

So we are not, let’s say, tunneling multicast over an IPv4 core without having multicast enabled on the core. I have multicast on all Layer 3 interfaces, and the mroute table is populated on all Layer 3 routers. With the command: Show ip mroute we are tunneling the multicast traffic, and with the command: Show nve vni we have multicast group 239.0.0.10, and we have a state of UP.

VXLAN benefits and stability

The underlying control plan network impacts the stability of VXLAN and the applications running within it. For example, if the underlying IP network cannot converge quickly enough, VLXAN packets may be dropped, and an application cache timeout may be triggered.

The rate of change in the underlying network has a significant impact on the stability of the tunnels, yet the rate and change of the tunnels do not affect the underlying control plane. This is similar to how the strength of an MPLS / VPN overlay is affected by the core’s IGP.

** VXLAN has no built-in security features. Anyone who gains access to the core network can insert traffic into segments. The VXLAN transport network must be secure, as no existing Firewall or Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) equipment has visibility into the VXLAN traffic.

*** Recent versions have Unicast VXLAN. Nexus 1000V release 4.2(1)SV2(2.1)

Updated: VXLAN enhancements

MAC distribution mode is an enhancement to VXLAN that prevents unknown unicast flooding. It eliminates the process of data plane MAC address learning. Traditionally, this was done by flooding to locate an unknown end host and has now been replaced with a control plane solution.

During VM startup, the VSM ( control plane ) collects the list of MAC addresses and distributes the MAC-to-VTEP mappings to all VEMs participating in a VXLAN segment. This technique makes VXLAN more optimal by unicasting more intelligently, similar to Nicira and VMware NVP.

ARP termination works by giving the VSM controller all the ARP and MAC information. This enables the VSM to proxy and respond locally to ARP requests without sending a broadcast. Because 90% of broadcast traffic is ARP requests ( ARP reply is unicast ), this significantly reduces broadcast traffic on the network.

• A key point – Video 4: The VXLAN Phases

In the following video, we will discuss the VXLAN phases. VXLAN went through several steps for ways to get the remote VTEP IP information. Initially, it started with a flood and learn the process and finally moved to use a proper control plane – EVPN.

Final Notes on VXLAN

In recent years, the rapid growth of cloud computing and the increasing demand for scalable and flexible networks have led to the development of various technologies to address these needs. One such technology is VXLAN (Virtual Extensible LAN), an overlay network protocol that has gained significant popularity in networking. In this blog post, we will delve into the intricacies of VXLAN, exploring its key features, benefits, and use cases.

What is VXLAN?

VXLAN is a network overlay technology that enables the creation of virtualized Layer 2 networks over existing Layer 3 infrastructure. It was developed to address the limitations of traditional VLANs, which could not scale beyond a few thousand networks due to the limited number of VLAN IDs available. VXLAN solves this problem using a 24-bit VXLAN Network Identifier (VNI), allowing for an impressive 16 million unique network segments.

Key Features of VXLAN:

1. Scalability: As mentioned earlier, VXLAN’s use of a 24-bit VNI allows for a significantly larger number of network segments than traditional VLANs. This scalability makes VXLAN an ideal solution for large-scale virtualized environments.

2. Network Segmentation: VXLAN enables the creation of logical network segments, allowing for network isolation and improved security. By encapsulating Layer 2 Ethernet frames within Layer 3 UDP packets, VXLAN provides a flexible and scalable approach to network segmentation.

3. Multicast Support: VXLAN leverages IP multicast to efficiently distribute broadcast, unknown unicast, and multicast (BUM) traffic across the network. This feature reduces network congestion and improves overall performance.

4. Mobility: VXLAN supports seamless virtual machines (VMs) movement across physical hosts and data centers. By decoupling the VMs from the underlying physical network, VXLAN enables mobility without requiring any changes to the network infrastructure.

Benefits of VXLAN:

1. Enhanced Network Flexibility: VXLAN enables the creation of virtualized networks decoupled from the underlying physical infrastructure. This flexibility allows for easier network provisioning, scaling, and reconfiguration, making it an ideal choice for cloud environments.

2. Improved Scalability: With its larger network segment capacity, VXLAN offers improved scalability compared to traditional VLANs. This scalability is crucial in modern data centers and cloud environments where virtual machines and network segments are continuously growing.

3. Simplified Network Management: VXLAN simplifies network management tasks by abstracting the network infrastructure. Network administrators can define and manage virtual networks independently of the underlying physical infrastructure, streamlining network operations and reducing complexity.

Use Cases for VXLAN:

1. Data Center Interconnect: VXLAN is widely used for interconnecting geographically dispersed data centers. By extending Layer 2 network connectivity over Layer 3 infrastructure, VXLAN facilitates seamless VM mobility, disaster recovery, and workload balancing across data centers.

2. Multi-tenancy in Cloud Environments: VXLAN allows cloud service providers to create isolated network segments for different tenants, enhancing security and providing dedicated network resources. This feature is vital in multi-tenant cloud environments where data privacy and network isolation are critical.

3. Network Virtualization: VXLAN plays a crucial role in network virtualization, enabling the creation of virtual networks that are independent of the underlying physical infrastructure. This virtualization simplifies network management, enhances flexibility, and enables efficient resource utilization.

Conclusion: VXLAN has emerged as a powerful network virtualization technology with many use cases. VXLAN provides the flexibility, scalability, and efficiency required in modern networking environments, from data center virtualization to multi-tenancy, hybrid cloud connectivity, and disaster recovery. As organizations continue to embrace cloud computing and virtualization, VXLAN will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in shaping the future of networking.

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Matt Conran

Public Speaker, Author and Consultant at Conran Insight

Matt Conran has more than 24 years of networking and security industry with entrepreneurial start-ups, government organizations, and others. He now focuses on public speaking, authoring content, consulting, and creating Elearning courses.

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