EVPN adoption accelerates
With the evolving adoption of cloud-based architectures and the proliferation of data centers closer to end users, there’s a growing need to simplify today’s IP networks.
EVPN, with its ability to simplify, has gained strong momentum. After years of extensive multi-vendor interoperability testing, adoption is becoming mainstream for:
- Communications service providers (CSPs)
- Webscale companies (cloud providers, gaming/social media companies, content streaming/internet exchange providers)
- Large enterprise networks.
The simplicity of EVPN
Network operators have turned to EVPN for its many benefits. EVPN is cloud friendly, simplifying automation and connectivity with a single VPN protocol. This lowers operational cost, improves time-to-market – and ultimately increases revenues.
EVPN deployments accelerate
Proven vendor interoperability was key to early EVPN adoption. For example, EVPN interoperability has been an integral part of EANTC testing at MPLS + SDN + NFV World Congress events over the past four years. This time to mature has led to widespread market acceptance of EVPN.
Today, we are on the cusp of widespread EVPN deployment. According to a 2018 Routing, NFV and Packet-Optical - Strategies service provider survey from IHS Markit, 50 percent of service providers had EVPN deployed somewhere in their network in 2017. This percentage is forecast to rise to 85 percent by the end of 2019. It’s clear that operators see EVPN as a key enabler for their network transformation journey.
EVPN use cases
At Nokia, we are seeing several EVPN use cases deployed by our customers across multiple industry segments. Using the same IP network infrastructure, an operator can easily move to EVPN-based implementation.
Enterprise VPN services
For CSPs, EVPN enables the integration of Layer 2 and Layer 3 enterprise services through a single interface. There’s only one technology for both services, with no need for multiple VPN protocols. EVPN-based services can be delivered over IP networks: an MPLS core using EVPN-MPLS or an IP core using EVPN-VXLAN.
CSPs can also enhance their offering with a direct connect to public cloud providers using EVPN to offer seamless integration of VPN and cloud services.
Data Center Interconnect
For DCI, EVPN enables scalable Layer 2 or Layer 3 connectivity with a common control and data plane between virtualized data centers. EVPN is common to the data center and WAN, ensuring seamless, unified connectivity across WAN and data center boundaries.
SD-WAN
For SD-WAN-based WAN connectivity automation, EVPN can provide the best networking complement. EVPN supports VXLAN over IPsec for untrusted networks (internet). For trusted IP/MPLS networks, EVPN uses various IP transport tunnels, such as VXLAN, MPLSoGRE and MPLSoUDP. In this way, EVPN offers maximum flexibility for SD-WAN deployment.
As shown in the following network diagram, EVPN can serve as an underlay for SD-WAN in the trusted (IP/MPLS) network, allowing SD-WAN connectivity to benefit from the predictable QoS and resiliency capabilities of the underlying IP/MPLS network.
EVPN makes extension into the cloud much easier. VXLAN and MPLSoUDP can be used to extend tunnels beyond the border gateway directly into the data center, to connect securely with cloud compute and storage resources. Cloud resource access policies and permissions can also be extended, by the SDN controller, to specific security zones or subnets in connected enterprise locations.
IP mobile transport
In CSP networks, EVPN can play an important role in IP networks used for mobile backhaul and aggregation. EVPN supports a unified IP Anyhaul (IP mobile transport) solution with VLL, VPLS and L3VPN connectivity. Mobile RAN traffic can be transported directly to the EPC/cloud mobile gateway using a point-to-point layer 2 VPN (EVPN-VPWS). The unified solution can provide efficient local hand-off and low-latency using EVPN-VPLS for point-to-multipoint Layer 2 VPN connectivity and EVPN-IP VPN for Layer 3 VPN connectivity.
EVPN and Nokia
At Nokia, we have taken a leadership role in helping operators simplify their networks with EVPN. As co-author of and contributor to more than 30 EVPN-related draft/RFC documents, Nokia has been a driving force in standards and interoperability since 2014. Our robust and resilient Service Router Operating System (SR OS) delivers the most comprehensive EVPN feature set in the industry and is implemented across our IP routing products. With SR OS support for EVPN/segment routing and extensive interworking mechanisms, the Nokia 7750 Service Router (SR), for example, can be used in all EVPN deployment functions – with no need for multiple products. The Nokia 7750 SR can be used as:
- An IP edge and IP core in the WAN
- A data center gateway for data center-to-data center and data center-to-WAN interconnect
- A peering edge in the IP backbone of the data center
- A peering edge and IP backbone edge of the PoP.
Summary
EVPN simplifies automation and connectivity, thereby lowering operational costs and enhancing service agility. We are on the cusp of widespread EVPN deployment. By the end of this year, we expect most network operators will have implemented EVPN somewhere in their network.
How is EVPN being used for your network and service transformation journey?
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Learn more
For details about EVPN and interoperability testing, read:
