Explore: BGP in Data Center Fabrics
Got mentioned in this tweet a while ago:
Watching @ApstraInc youtube stream regarding BGP in the DC with @doyleassoc and @jtantsura.Maybe BGP is getting bigger and bigger traction from big enterprise data centers but I still see an IGP being used frequently. I am eager to have @ioshints opinion on that hot subject.
Maybe I’ve missed some breaking news, but assuming I haven’t my opinion on that subject hasn’t changed.
I’ve been writing, talking, and teaching about various aspects of using BGP in data center fabrics (including “do we really need it”) for almost a decade, and I know it’s hard to collect all that information, so I did it for you in ipSpace.net BGP in Data Center Fabrics resource page.
As for the hotness of the topic:
- It was hot when Petr Lapukhov presented the first idea at NANOG in 2013 or described how to build scalable data centers with BGP in May 2016, but maybe not when a startup decides to use it to promote their product in 2020.
- It turned into a lemming run with many data center switching vendor promoting it as the best thing invented since sliced bread.
- When combined with EVPN on an old BGP code base it usually gets so complex that you need an automation solution on top of it to stay sane (notable exception: FRRouting).
No wonder Apstra sees BGP-only data centers as a gift from networking gods ;)