If you like to listen to geeky networking podcasts on your way to the office, this is surely one not to miss.

Scott Lowe and I appeared as guests on the Packet Pushers podcast, sponsored by VMware, and hosted by Ethan Banks and Greg Ferro to discuss the technical details of VMware NSX, and the benefits it brings to a data center network.

One of the cool things we did was discuss actual packet walks in NSX based on Before/After network diagrams that listeners can easily download as a PDF. Some of the most notable points being that VMware NSX provides in-kernel host level Layer 3 and stateful Firewall forwarding.

This means with NSX your VM traffic will always take the most optimal path possible. No more traffic steering hair-pin hops through L3 switch SVIs and Firewalls. Yay!

Another awesome fact is that you can now design your data center network however you like, such as without any large Layer 2 domain and spanning-tree headaches. Go ahead and design a robust Layer 3 routed fabric into each rack, or stick with Layer 2, it doesn’t matter. The Layer 2 domain required for VM mobility now exists in the VMware NSX software switch layer, through the use of edge overlays (VXLAN, STT).

All of that, and more, was discussed on the podcast to quench your inner network geek appetite for VMware NSX knowledge. Check it out.

Cheers, Brad