Install Guide

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 flooding. The VTEPs are responsible for
encapsulation and decapsulation of VXLAN headers.
NOTE:
Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol version 1.2 is supported for secure connection between the
controller and the Dell hardware VTEP.
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 configuration.
● 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.
VXLAN
Hypervisor
It is the VTEP that connects the Virtual Machines (VM) to the underlay legacy network to the physical
infrastructure.
Service
Node(SN)
It is also another VTEP, but it is fully managed by the controller. The purpose of SN is to be the central
replication engine for flooded packets
Legacy TOR It is a TOR switch, which performs routing or switching decisions.
Functional Overview of VXLAN Gateway
The following section is the functional overview of VXLAN Gateway:
1. Provides connectivity between a Virtual server infrastructure and a Physical server infrastructure.
2. Provides the functions performed by a VTEP in a virtual server infrastructure. The functions of a VTEP are:
● VTEP is responsible for creating one or more logical networks.
● VTEP is responsible for identifying and binding a Port and VLAN to a logical network
● VTEP maintains MAC bindings to a VTEP.
● VXLAN communicates with the VTEP using a standard protocol called OvsDb Protocol. The protocol uses the JSON
RPC-based message format.
● The VTEP acts according to the TOR schema defined by VMWare. The solution is very specific to VMWare-based
orchestration platforms and does not work with other orchestration platforms.
VXLAN Frame Format
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. VMs within the same VXLAN segment communicate with each other
through a 24–bit ID called VXLAN Network Identifier (VNI). This 24–bit ID allows up to 16 million VXLAN segments to coexist
within the same administrative domain. The VNI scopes the inner MAC frame originated by the VM. This model has over-lapping
MAC addresses without traffic cross-over
VXLAN achieves L2 over L3 overlay using the tunneling mechanism. VTEPs are the end points of a tunnel located within the
hypervisor on the server that hosts VMs. The VXLAN frame format is shown in the following figure:
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Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN)