Every VMware Cloud Director provider VDC that is backed by NSX Data Center for vSphere includes a VXLAN network pool.

When you create a provider VDC that is backed by NSX Data Center for vSphere, you can associate that provider VDC with an existing VXLAN network pool, or you can create a VXLAN network pool for the provider VDC.

A newly created VXLAN network pool is given a name derived from the name of the containing provider VDC and attached to it at creation. You cannot delete or modify this network pool. If you rename a provider VDC, its VXLAN network pool is automatically renamed.

Note: To ensure optimal network performance across your infrastructure, create one VXLAN network pool and associate it with all your provider VDCs upon their creation.

VMware Cloud Director VXLAN networks are based on the IETF VXLAN standard, and provide various benefits.

  • Logical networks spanning layer 3 boundaries
  • Logical networks spanning multiple racks on a single layer 2
  • Broadcast containment
  • Higher performance
  • Greater scale (up to 16 million network addresses)

For more information about VXLAN networks in a VMware Cloud Director environment, see the NSX Administration Guide.

Create a Network Pool Backed by an NSX Data Center for vSphere Transport Zone in Your VMware Cloud Director

To register an NSX Data Center for vSphere transport zone for VMware Cloud Director to use, add a VXLAN-backed network pool.

Prerequisites

Create an NSX Data Center for vSphere transport zone on any vCenter Server registered to VMware Cloud Director. See the NSX Administration Guide.

Procedure

  1. From the top navigation bar, select Resources and click Cloud Resources.
  2. In the left panel, select Network Pools and click New.
  3. Enter a name and, optionally, a description for the new network pool, and click Next.
  4. Select VXLAN-backed and click Next.
  5. Select a vCenter Server instance to specify the VXLAN transport zone to be used by this network pool, and click Next.
  6. Select an NSX Data Center for vSphere transport zone to back the new network pool, and click Next.
    Note: To create a universal network pool for cross-virtual data center networking, select a UNIVERSAL_VXLAN type transport zone.
  7. Review the network pool settings and click Finish.

What to do next

Create an organization VDC network that is backed by the network pool or associate the network pool with an organization VDC and create vApp networks.