VXLAN
Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN) is a network virtualization technology that enables scalable, isolated Layer 2 overlay networks across Layer 3 infrastructures in modern data centers.
VXLAN (Virtual Extensible LAN) is a network virtualization protocol designed to address scalability and flexibility challenges in large-scale data center environments. It allows the creation of Layer 2 overlay networks on top of existing Layer 3 infrastructure by encapsulating Ethernet frames within UDP/IP packets, enabling seamless extension of virtual networks across physical boundaries.
With its 24-bit VXLAN Network Identifier (VNI), VXLAN supports up to 16 million unique segments—far surpassing the 4096 limit of traditional VLANs. VXLAN Tunnel Endpoints (VTEPs) perform the encapsulation and decapsulation of traffic, supporting both unicast and multicast modes for efficient handling of broadcast and unknown traffic.
VXLAN is widely adopted for multi-tenant data centers, cloud environments, and hybrid deployments, providing robust network isolation, scalability, and compatibility with existing IP infrastructure. However, it introduces additional encapsulation overhead and may require integration with SDN controllers for optimal management and automation.