# EVPN Designs Published articles for EVPN Designs. This is one page of public article previews, not the complete archive. Follow Next page to continue. Summaries are not the original full articles. ## Worth Reading: More VXLAN and EVPN Labs DevFeed: [Worth Reading: More VXLAN and EVPN Labs]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Published: 2026-07-06T05:44:00Z Content type: opinion Language: en Sources: [ipSpace.net blog]() Topics: [evpn](), [VXLAN]() Tags: [evpn](), [evpn-designs](), [free](), [journey](), [netlab](), [vxlan](), [worth-reading]() ### AI overview The article highlights Ali Bahadır Coşkun's progress through free netlab-powered EVPN/VXLAN labs, including basic EVPN control-plane work, VXLAN/IRB/anycast exercises, and available lab designs. ### Source excerpt Ali Bahadır Coşkun continued his EVPN/VXLAN journey. Using the free netlab-powered EVPN/VXLAN labs, he finished the basic EVPN/VXLAN lab (adding EVPN control plane to VXLAN underlay), and then completed the whole VXLAN/IRB/anycast saga. Want to do something similar? The free EVPN/VXLAN lab exercises include six VXLAN labs, almost a dozen EVPN labs, and a few EVPN designs. I might add a lab or two during the summer break. ## Multi-Pod EVPN Troubleshooting: Fixing Next Hops DevFeed: [Multi-Pod EVPN Troubleshooting: Fixing Next Hops]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Published: 2025-11-18T06:27:00Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [ipSpace.net blog]() Topics: [evpn](), [BGP](), [Network](), [configuration]() Tags: [bgp](), [configuration](), [evpn](), [evpn-designs](), [netlab](), [network](), [route](), [troubleshooting]() ### AI overview This tutorial demonstrates troubleshooting a multi-pod EVPN network by checking BGP route propagation and inclusive multicast routes. It identifies an incorrect EVPN next-hop change across an EBGP session and explains how to trace the responsible configuration. ### Source excerpt Last month, I wrote about the specifics of troubleshooting multi-pod EVPN designs. Today, I'd like to start a journey through an example in which (channeling my inner CCIE preparation lab instructor) I broke as many things as I could think of. Here's the lab topology we'll use (and as usual, the corresponding netlab topology file and device configurations are on GitHub). Our network has two sites (pods), each with a spine switch, a leaf switch, and a host attached to the leaf switch. The inter-pod link is connected to the spine switches to minimize the number of devices. Read more ... ## EVPN Designs: Multi-Pod Fabrics DevFeed: [EVPN Designs: Multi-Pod Fabrics]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Published: 2025-10-01T05:59:00Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [ipSpace.net blog]() Topics: [evpn](), [BGP](), [VXLAN](), [networking](), [Networks]() Tags: [bgp](), [design](), [evpn](), [evpn-designs](), [netlab](), [using-vrfs-and-vlans](), [vxlan]() ### AI overview This tutorial describes a multi-site design that connects two EVPN fabrics through an EBGP session to form a unified EVPN fabric. It explains the underlay and routing setup, the netlab topology changes, and how EVPN routes propagate between sites. ### Source excerpt In the EVPN Designs: Layer-3 Inter-AS Option A, I described the simplest multi-site design in which the WAN edge routers exchange IP routes in individual VRFs, resulting in two isolated layer-2 fabrics connected with a layer-3 link. Today, let's explore a design that will excite the True Believers in end-to-end layer-2 networks: two EVPN fabrics connected with an EBGP session to form a unified, larger EVPN fabric. We'll use the same "physical" topology as the previous example; the only modification is that the WA-WB link is now part of the underlay IP network. Read more ... ## EVPN Designs: Layer-3 Inter-AS Option A DevFeed: [EVPN Designs: Layer-3 Inter-AS Option A]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Published: 2025-08-26T06:48:00Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [ipSpace.net blog]() Topics: [evpn](), [MPLS VPN](), [BGP](), [networking]() Tags: [bgp](), [design](), [evpn](), [evpn-designs](), [mpls-vpn](), [netlab](), [routing](), [vxlan]() ### AI overview This tutorial examines a multi-site design in which each site runs an independent EVPN fabric connected by a layer-3 DCI with a separate virtual link for each tenant, known as Inter-AS Option A in MPLS/VPN. It uses a netlab topology to show how EVPN type-2, type-3, and type-5 routes are propagated between sites through tenant VRF BGP sessions. ### Source excerpt A netlab user wanted to explore a multi-site design where every site runs an independent EVPN fabric, and the inter-site link is either a layer-2 or a layer-3 interconnect (DCI). Let's start with the easiest scenario: a layer-3 DCI with a separate (virtual) link for every tenant (in the MPLS/VPN world, we'd call that Inter-AS Option A) Lab topology Read more ... ## EVPN Designs: EVPN IBGP over IPv4 EBGP DevFeed: [EVPN Designs: EVPN IBGP over IPv4 EBGP]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Published: 2024-11-25T08:57:00Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [ipSpace.net blog]() Topics: [BGP](), [evpn](), [networking]() Tags: [alternatives](), [bgp](), [complexity](), [design](), [evpn](), [evpn-designs](), [github](), [netlab](), [networking](), [vxlan]() ### AI overview This article examines an EVPN design that carries EVPN over IBGP sessions between loopbacks while advertising those loopbacks with EBGP IPv4. It explains how BGP local AS functionality makes the underlay sessions appear as EBGP, discusses the design's complexity compared with IBGP over an IGP, and documents the netlab changes needed to support it. ### Source excerpt We'll conclude the EVPN designs saga with the "most creative" design promoted by some networking vendors: running an IBGP session (carrying EVPN address family) between loopbacks advertised with EBGP IPv4 address family. Oversimplified IBGP-over-EBGP design There's just a tiny gotcha in the above Works Best in PowerPoint diagram. IBGP assumes the BGP neighbors are in the same autonomous system while EBGP assumes they are in different autonomous systems. The usual way out of that OMG, I painted myself into a corner situation is to use BGP local AS functionality on the underlay EBGP session: Read more ... ## EVPN Designs: EVPN EBGP over IPv4 EBGP DevFeed: [EVPN Designs: EVPN EBGP over IPv4 EBGP]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Published: 2024-10-29T06:12:00Z Content type: opinion Language: en Sources: [ipSpace.net blog]() Topics: [evpn](), [networking]() Tags: [churn](), [design](), [evpn](), [evpn-designs](), [netlab](), [routing](), [vxlan]() ### AI overview The article compares EVPN designs and discusses why an EBGP-over-EBGP approach might be recommended. It argues that IBGP-based EVPN keeps sessions stable through many core-link failures, while EBGP-only EVPN can require a full EVPN route exchange after a failed link is restored. ### Source excerpt In the previous blog posts, we explored three fundamental EVPN designs: we don't need EVPN, IBGP EVPN AF over IGP-advertised loopbacks (the way EVPN was designed to be used) and EBGP-only EVPN (running the EVPN AF in parallel with the IPv4 AF). Now we're entering Wonderland: the somewhat unusual1 things vendors do to make their existing stuff work while also pretending to look cool2. We'll start with EBGP-over-EBGP, and to understand why someone would want to do something like that, we have to go back to the basics. Read more ... ## EVPN Designs: EBGP Everywhere DevFeed: [EVPN Designs: EBGP Everywhere]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Published: 2024-10-08T06:12:00Z Content type: article Language: en Sources: [ipSpace.net blog]() Topics: [evpn](), [BGP](), [datacenter](), [VXLAN]() Tags: [bgp](), [data-center](), [design](), [evpn](), [evpn-designs](), [netlab](), [network](), [vxlan]() ### AI overview This article examines whether EBGP sessions between leaf and spine switches can also carry EVPN in a data center fabric without an IGP. It discusses configuration complexity, IPv6 link-local EBGP sessions, EVPN next-hop behavior, and limitations of automatic route-target assignment across autonomous systems. ### Source excerpt In the previous blog posts, we explored the simplest possible IBGP-based EVPN design and made it scalable with BGP route reflectors. Now, imagine someone persuaded you that EBGP is better than any IGP (OSPF or IS-IS) when building a data center fabric. You're running EBGP sessions between the leaf- and the spine switches and exchanging IPv4 and IPv6 prefixes over those EBGP sessions. Can you use the same EBGP sessions for EVPN? TL&DR: It depends™. Read more ... ## EVPN Designs: Scaling IBGP with Route Reflectors DevFeed: [EVPN Designs: Scaling IBGP with Route Reflectors]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Published: 2024-09-05T09:47:00Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [ipSpace.net blog]() Topics: [evpn](), [BGP](), [Network](), [interoperability](), [GitHub]() Tags: [bgp](), [design](), [evpn](), [evpn-designs](), [fabric](), [github](), [netlab](), [network](), [route](), [vxlan]() ### AI overview This tutorial explains how to scale an IBGP-based EVPN leaf-and-spine fabric by using spine switches as BGP route reflectors. It discusses placement considerations, interoperability and control-plane limits, then demonstrates the design with a netlab lab topology and optional GitHub Codespaces support. ### Source excerpt In the previous blog posts, we explored the simplest possible IBGP-based EVPN design and tried to figure out whether BGP route reflectors do more harm than good. Ignoring that tiny detail for the moment, let's see how we could add route reflectors to our leaf-and-spine fabric. As before, this is the fabric we're working with: Read more ... ## EVPN Designs: IBGP Full Mesh Between Leaf Switches DevFeed: [EVPN Designs: IBGP Full Mesh Between Leaf Switches]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Published: 2024-05-23T06:52:00Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [ipSpace.net blog]() Topics: [evpn](), [BGP](), [VXLAN](), [networking](), [Routing (disambiguation)]() Tags: [bgp](), [design](), [evpn](), [evpn-designs](), [github](), [netlab](), [ospf](), [vxlan]() ### AI overview This tutorial builds an EVPN control plane for a VXLAN leaf-and-spine fabric using a full mesh of IBGP sessions between leaf switches. It explains the lab setup with netlab, the required BGP and EVPN configuration changes, and relevant Arista EOS settings. The article notes that a full leaf-to-leaf mesh is best suited to tiny fabrics or small-scale EVPN pilots. ### Source excerpt In the previous blog post in the EVPN Designs series, we explored the simplest possible VXLAN-based fabric design: static ingress replication without any L2VPN control plane. This time, we'll add the simplest possible EVPN control plane: a full mesh of IBGP sessions between the leaf switches. This blog post describes an initial BGP design that we'll refine in subsequent blog posts. Having a full mesh of IBGP sessions between leaf switches might be a bad idea unless you have a tiny fabric or you're deploying a small-scale EVPN pilot. Read more ... ## EVPN Designs: VXLAN Leaf-and-Spine Fabric DevFeed: [EVPN Designs: VXLAN Leaf-and-Spine Fabric]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Published: 2024-04-03T06:45:00Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [ipSpace.net blog]() Topics: [evpn](), [VXLAN](), [datacenter](), [networking](), [Routing (disambiguation)]() Tags: [configuration](), [data-center](), [design](), [evpn](), [evpn-designs](), [netlab](), [networking](), [protocol](), [routing](), [vxlan]() ### AI overview This tutorial series explores routing protocol designs for EVPN-with-VXLAN Layer 2 VPNs in a leaf-and-spine data center fabric. It introduces a four-leaf, two-spine lab topology and begins with an OSPF-based IP fabric using VXLAN ingress replication without EVPN. ### Source excerpt In this series of blog posts, we'll explore numerous routing protocol designs that can be used to implement EVPN-with-VXLAN L2VPNs in a leaf-and-spine data center fabric. Every design will come with a companion netlab topology you can use to create a lab and explore the behavior of leaf- and spine switches. Our leaf-and-spine fabric will have four leaves and two spines (but feel free to adjust the lab topology fabric parameters to build larger fabrics). The fabric will provide layer-2 connectivity to orange and blue VLANs. Two hosts will be connected to each VLAN to check end-to-end connectivity. Read more ...