Administrator Guide

Components of VXLAN network
VXLAN provides a mechanism to extend an L2 network over an L3 network. In short, VXLAN is an L2 overlay scheme over an L3 network
and this overlay is termed as a VXLAN segment.
Components of VXLAN network
The VXLAN network consists of the following components:
• Network Virtualization Platform (NVP) Controller
• VTEP (VXLAN Tunnel End Point)
• VXLAN Gateway
• VXLAN Hypervisor
• Service Node (SN)
• Legacy TOR
Network
Virtualization
Platform (NVP)
Controller
NVP Controller is the network controller for managing cloud components. The OVSDB protocol is the protocol
used for communication between VTEPs and the controller. In the current release, the qualied controller for the
VXLAN Gateway function is NSX from VMWare. The top-level functions of NVP are:
• Provide a GUI for creating service gateways.
• Manage the VTEPs.:
• Binds Port and VLAN
• Install VTEP tunnels
• Distribute the VTEPs to MAC binding to all relevant VTEPs.
• Provide an interface for cloud orchestration in cloud data center management.
In VXLAN with NSX, Dell Networking OS supports physical interface or Port channel as access port. Dell supports
only physical interface as network port and does not support Port channel/VLAN as network port.
NOTE: Dell Networking OS supports only NSX as the controller for VXLAN and does not support Nuage
controllers.
VTEP (VXLAN
Tunnel End Point)
VTEPs work as the open vSwitch running on the hypervisor on a virtualized server or as the VXLAN Gateway or as
the Service Node (SN) that is responsible for ooding. The VTEPs are responsible for encapsulation and
decapsulation of VXLAN headers.
VXLAN Gateways VXLAN Gateways act as the VTEPs that encapsulate and decapsulate VXLAN headers. The roles and
responsibilities of the Gateway are:
• Connects to the NVP client based on user conguration.
• Advertises south-facing VXLAN capable ports to the NVP client.
• Creates logical networks based on messages from the NVP.
• Creates tunnels to VTEPs based on messages from the NVP.
• Binds the Port and VLAN to logical networks based on messages from the NVP.
• Binds MACs to the VTEP and logical network based on messages from the NVP.
• Advertises MACs learnt on south-facing VXLAN capable-ports to the NVP client.
Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN) 1051