Optimizing The Flow of VXLAN encapsulated Traffics in Data Center using Q-in-Q Technology
The rapidly growing technological advancements in the world has precipitated an equally exponential increase in data usage. With this reality comes the necessity to determine and deploy the best processes to achieve network administration efficiency.
This is significant–the more so because an efficient data center, which essentially is a collection of computers and the technology that goes with them, is advantageous to business processes in a variety of ways including, but not limited to, cost-cutting, reduced energy consumption and security enhancement.
Commonly used in corporate and university networks, the Virtual Extensive Local Area Networks (VXLANs), which is a protocol for encapsulating data, allows the interconnection of multiple network infrastructure (basically, allowing a Layer 2 over a Layer 3 infrastructure). VXLAN, as the predominant protocol used in data centers, assigns IP addresses to users sharing a network and utilizing a single switch or routing device but not physically connected to it. Regardless, there are varieties of VLANs, with the more modern VXLAN giving more naming space than its conventional variant, VLAN. The purpose of this scholarly intervention, however, is stating how tunneling Q-in-Q technology over Virtual Extensible Local Area Network (VXLAN) can optimize traffic flow in network operations.
In recent times, the spate of cyberattacks from unscrupulous interferers against client’s application servers are a major concern to data center service providers. This brings to focus the need to optimize the transmission of VXLAN encapsulated traffic, using Q-in-Q technology. This technology allows the extension of Data Center Fabric from its location to a client’s premises via layer2 leased line or a clear channel. As an advantage, such an extension permits the exchange of huge data between the data center and a client’s server, a process that need not happen through the internet. The snag with this process is that it is capital intensive, because it requires a layer 2 clear channel. With the use of this technology, Data Center Fabric can be extended via a clear channel or a layer 2 leased line from its current location to a client’s premises. One benefit of this modification is that it makes it possible to transfer massive amounts of data between a client’s server and the data center without using the internet.
The drawback is that this procedure necessitates a layer 2 clear channel, which makes it capital intensive. A service provider can divide the traffic of several clients clearly and effectively, using the same infrastructure by utilizing a Q-in-Q VLAN tunnel. Through this procedure, which entails attaching an extra 802.1Q tag to an already-tagged frame, clients on the network can use an extensive range of VLANs for their internal purposes.
More so, by means of 802.1Q tunneling, a service provider can use a single VLAN for numerous clients even if each of them possesses multiple VLANs in their internal operations. It is noteworthy that the idea behind 802.1Q tunneling is to use a hierarchical structure called VLAN-in-VLAN to increase the capacity of VLAN. With this method, one needs to tag again the already labeled packets.
Given the foregoing, maximizing data center traffic flow is essential to realizing the full potential of cutting-edge technologies like cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and big data. It is equally important to state that two noteworthy breakthroughs emerged from my research on Q-in-Q technology: a flow chart for VXLAN encapsulated traffic utilizing Q-in-Q technology and a new VXLAN frame structure with an inserted Q-in-Q header. These innovations produced a number of important discoveries, such as the capacity of Q-in-Q technology to preserve VLAN utilization, optimize VXLAN encapsulated traffic flow, and permit the use of 16 million VNI IDs.
What does this signify, then, for data centers? Q-in-Q technology allows data centers can handle more clients while using less VLAN space. It also fosters the development of AI, Big Data, SD-WAN, Cloud, and Cybersecurity. According to my research, Q-in-Q technology has enormous potential to transform data center operations completely.
Looking ahead, more study is required in order to investigate how to use Q-in-Q technology to enhance Big Data transmission and processing. It is worth looking into more because of its enormous potential to improve cybersecurity, cloud computing, AI, and SD-WAN. To sum this up, Q-in-Q technology is an effective tool for data centers’ VXLAN encapsulated traffic flow optimization. We can advance data management significantly and open up new avenues for developing technology if we accept this innovation. Data centers have a promising future, and Q-in-Q technology is setting the standard.
Oluyede, MSc Advanced Computer Networks, (Sheffield Hallam University,) CCIE, CCNP, VCP-DCV, VCP-NV
