The “Collapsed Spine IP Fabric” Network Topology with BGP/VXLAN

This document presents a complete solution for the implementation of a network infrastructure for small data centers that still need high levels of resilience and reliability. The EVPN framework, an evolution of L2VPNs, and the 3 different supported topologies are examined: 3-stage IP fabric, 5-stage IP fabric, and Collapsed Spine IP Fabric. All the main features for implementing multi-homing functionality in active-active mode (to have a full-mesh between the production devices) in the "Collapsed Spine IP Fabric" topology are analyzed and implemented. This specific topology is chosen for analysis because it can be resilient and reliable while keeping costs very low, a common problem in small businesses. The EVPN framework provides two different protocols for data plane management: the MPLS protocol and the VXLAN protocol. This document focuses on the VXLAN protocol. Having Juniper Networks devices available for experimentation, the commands are related to JunOS.