I was doing some research on how datacenter networks are designed, as I had a rough idea on what the various terminologies meant, but didn’t have a solid grasp on how they all fit together. I ran across this article and it neatly explains the progression from big flaky layer 2 networks, to EVPN steered VXLANs.
The truth is, we are currently in the process of transition and the data center architecture has gone through a number of design phases: let’s call them waves. Ideally, transitioning through each wave is a type of network hygiene. We are now in wave 3, which is based on Ethernet EVPN. There is a bias in technology that tilts it in certain ways and presently, the tilt is towards the layer 3 networks. As more enterprises adopt the leaf-and-spine topology, EVPN is the technology to how they are making traditional applications work on this architecture. For better understanding, let’s learn about the mechanics of the 3 waves.
https://www.networkworld.com/article/3303717/the-rise-of-evpn-in-the-modern-data-center.html