The document discusses network virtualization and VMware NSX. It begins with an agenda that covers objectives, network virtualization, NSX system architecture and use cases. It then discusses what network virtualization is, how it abstracts and automates the network. The NSX architecture uses Open vSwitch and tunnels traffic between virtual networks. Key use cases include automated provisioning and cross-datacenter connectivity. Physical and logical relationships are illustrated on a whiteboard. Takeaways focus on the benefits of network virtualization in building scalable software-defined datacenters.

1. An Introduction to Network Virtualization
Thomas Kraus, VMware
Eric Lopez, VMware
NET5516
#NET5516

2. 2
Agenda
 Objectives
 Network Virtualization
 VMware NSX
• System Architecture
• Use Cases
 Whiteboard
 Conclusion

3. 3
Session Objectives
•Discuss what Network Virtualization is and what the
technical and business benefits are.
•Provide foundational knowledge on NSX architecture and
system components.
•Illustrate the flow of data communication between two
hypervisors in an NSX environment.
•Illustrate the relationships between physical and logical
components in an NSX deployment

4. 4
Agenda
 Objectives
 Network Virtualization
 VMware NSX
• System Architecture
• Use Cases
 Whiteboard
 Conclusion

5. 5
Forces Driving Change
What do cloud consumers want?
 The ability to deploy applications at scale and with little pre-planning
provisioning speed and efficiency
 The mobility to move workloads between different geographies and providers
investment protection and choice
 The flexibility to create more diverse architectures in a self service manner
rich L3 – L7 network services

6. 6
The Software Defined Data Center
Physical
Infrastructure
Software Defined Data Center TwoSoftware Defined Data Center One
Infrastructure Abstraction Layer

7. 7
Compute Virtualization Abstraction Layer
The Network Is a Barrier to Software Defined Data Center
Physical
Infrastructure
• Provisioning is slow
• Placement is limited
• Mobility is limited
• Hardware dependent
• Operationally intensive
Software Defined Data Center One

8. 8
The Solution – Virtualize the Network
Physical
Infrastructure
Compute Virtualization Abstraction Layer
• Programmatic provisioning
• Place any workload anywhere
• Move any workload anywhere
• Decoupled from hardware
• Operationally efficient
Network Virtualization Abstraction Layer
Software Defined Data Center One
• Provisioning is slow
• Placement is limited
• Mobility is limited
• Hardware dependent
• Operationally intensive

9. 9
What Is a Virtual Network?
General Purpose Server Hardware
Server Hypervisor
Requirement: x86
Virtual
Machine
Virtual
Machine
Virtual
Machine
Application Application Application
x86 Environment
Decoupled
Hardware
Software
General Purpose Networking Hardware
Network Hypervisor
Requirement: IP Transport
Virtual
Network
Virtual
Network
Virtual
Network
Workload Workload Workload
L2, L3, L4-7 Network Services

10. 10
Network Virtualization Must…
1. Decouple
Physical
Virtual
2. Reproduce 3. Automate
Network
Operations
Cloud
Operations
Hardware
independence
Operational benefits
of virtualization
No change to network
from end host perspective
Virtual
Physical

11. 11
Agenda
 Objectives
 Network Virtualization
 VMware NSX
• System Architecture
• Use Cases
 Whiteboard
 Conclusion

12. 12
VMware NSX
NSX API
Data
Plane
• Leverages programmatic web-services API
to define logical networks
• Single point of configuration & management
for the system, across 1,000s of edge
switching devices
Controller Cluster
OVS / NVS
NSX Manager
• Clustered App runs on x86 servers
• Controls & manages 1,000s of edge
switching devices
• Does not sit in data path
• Open vSwitch(OVS) is a VMware led open
source project
• NSX vSwitch(NVS) is a software vSwitch in
ESXi kernel
• Switch software designed for remote control
and tunneling installed in Hypervisors, NSX
Gateways or HW VTEP devices
Management
Plane
Control
Plane

13. 13
L2
L3
Virtual Network
L2
Open vSwitch
NSX Gateway
VMware NSX - How it works
VMVM
vSphere vSphere KVM XenServer
vSwitch vSwitch vSwitch vSwitch
HW
SW
Controller Cluster
API
VLAN
NSX Manager
HW Partner
VTEP Device
CMP
VLAN
VLAN

14. 14
NSX Tunneling – Overlay Networks
 NSX Controller Cluster establishes an overlay network
 Multiple tunneling protocols including STT, GRE, VXLAN
 Packets encapsulated with Logical Switch info
PayloadIPL2PayloadIPL2
L2 IP TCP STT PayloadIPL2 L2 IP TCP STT PayloadIPL2
VM VMVM VM
Open vSwitch / NVS
Physical Network
Hypervisor

15. 15
Where Are Virtual Networks?
Hypervisor Hypervisor Hypervisor Hypervisor
Open vSwitch Open vSwitch Open vSwitch Open vSwitch
VM VM VMVM VMVM VM
VM VM VM VM VM VM VM
Virtual Network Virtual Network
Logical Network State
Transport Network State
&
Controller Cluster

16. 16
Agenda
 Objectives
 Network Virtualization
 VMware NSX
• System Architecture
• Use Cases
 Whiteboard
 Conclusion

17. 17
PhysicalNetwork
Gen 2 or
SP Cloud
Cloud HV1
Cloud HV2
Cloud HV3
Logical Network
Top Use Cases
LAN
WAN
MAN
VLAN 9
L2 Gateway
Remote Datacenter/Pod
64.10.10.11
VM
VM
VM
VM
VM
Logical
L2
Switch
VLAN 9
VM
VM
VMVM
1. Automated
Network
Provisioning
2. Inter Rack or
Inter DC
Connectivity
3. P-to-V and
V-to-V
Migration
4. Burst or Migrate
Enterprise to Cloud
VM
VM
VM

18. 18
Agenda
 Objectives
 Network Virtualization
 VMware NSX
• System Architecture
• Use Cases
 Whiteboard
 Conclusion

19. 19
Whiteboard Session – Physical Hypervisor
HV1
E3E2E1E0
IP Fabric
HV2
E0E1E2E3
ESXi KVM
Cust B
VM2
Cust A
VM2
Cust B
VM1
Cust A
VM1
172.16.20.11
172.16.30.11
192.168.1.11 192.168.1.11 192.168.1.12 192.168.1.12
NSX Controller
Cluster
NSX vSwitch Open vSwitch

20. 21
Gateway Services - Component Relationships
Transport
Network
Management
Network
WAN
Customer
Network
Customer
Network
Logical Switch 2
Logical Switch 3
Logical Switch 1
CA-VM1
CA-VM2
CB-VM1
CB-VM2
CB-VM3
WAN
CB-BM1
CB-BM1
Virtual Network
Physical Network
NSX
Gateway
NSX
Gateway
NSX OVS
CA
VM2
CB
VM2
Hypervisor
NSX OVS
CA
VM2
CB
VM2
Hypervisor
CB
VM3
Customer A
Logical Router
Customer B
Logical Router
L2 GWS
L3 GWS

21. 22
Session Takeaways
 Network Virtualization is the key to building a distributed, highly
scalable, and feature rich Software Defined Datacenter.
 Most tunneling mechanisms or protocols are similar in function
and are only ONE component of Network Virtualization.
 A viable Network Virtualization solution HAS to provide a minimum
set of functionality.
• Abstraction – Decoupling of Guest Virtual Machines from Physical Network
especially from an addressing perspective.
• Reproduction – Ability for a Guest Virtual Machine to operate without knowing
its leveraging Network Virtualization.
• Automation - A RESTful API for Network Virtualization and an Orchestration
or Automation tool that can programmatically integrate with Compute and
Network Virtualization Layer.

22. 23
Recommended Sessions & Labs
 NET5184 - Designing Your Next Generation Datacenter for Network
Virtualization
 NET5716 – Advanced NSX Architecture
 NET5266 – Bringing Network Virtualization to VMware
Environments with NSX
 NET5270 – Virtualized Network Services Model with NSX
 SEC5582 – Multi-site Deployments with VMware NSX
 You can actually build the configuration demonstrated in the
whiteboard in the lab HOL-SDC-1319
 Visit us at the VMware booth to see NSX in action
 Follow us on Twitter and tell us what you thought
• Tkrausjr
• #NET5516

23. THANK YOU

25. An Introduction to Network Virtualization
Thomas Kraus, VMware
Eric Lopez, VMware
NET5516
#NET5516

26. 27
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