Chapter - Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Configuration Manual

Overview
This chapter contains the following sections:
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VXLAN Overview
VXLAN is a MAC in IP/UDP(MAC-in-UDP) encapsulation technique with a 24-bit segment identifier in the
form of a VXLAN ID. The larger VXLAN ID allows LAN segments to scale to 16 million in a cloud network.
In addition, the IP/UDP encapsulation allows each LAN segment to be extended across existing Layer 3
networks making use of Layer 3 equal-cost multipath (ECMP).
Cisco Nexus 7000 switches are designed for hardware-based VXLAN function. It provides Layer 2 connectivity
extension across the Layer 3 boundary and integrates between VXLAN and non-VXLAN infrastructures.
This can enable virtualized and multi tenant data center designs over a shared common physical infrastructure.
VXLAN provides a way to extend Layer 2 networks across Layer 3 infrastructure using MAC-in-UDP
encapsulation and tunneling. VXLAN enables flexible workload placements using the Layer 2 extension. It
can also be an approach to building a multi tenant data center by decoupling tenant Layer 2 segments from
the shared transport network.
When deployed as a VXLAN gateway, Cisco Nexus 7000 switches can connect VXLAN and classic VLAN
segments to create a common forwarding domain so that tenant devices can reside in both environments.
VXLAN has the following benefits:
• Flexible placement of multi tenant segments throughout the data center.
• Higher scalability to address more Layer 2 segments.
VXLAN Overview, page 7
VXLAN Flood and Learn, page 8
VXLAN MAC Distribution, page 8
VXLAN Tunnel Endpoint, page 9
Virtual Network Identifier (VNI), page 9
VXLAN BGP EVPN Control Plane , page 10
It provides a way to extend Layer 2 segments over the underlying shared network infrastructure so that
tenant workloads can be placed across physical pods in the data center.
C H A P T E R
Cisco Nexus 7000 Series NX-OS VXLAN Configuration Guide
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