What is Leaf/Spine Architecture in networking？

The leaf/spine architecture is a type of network topology that is widely used in data centers.

It is a two-tier architecture that consists of two types of switches: leaf switches and spine switches. The leaf switches are responsible for connecting the servers, while the spine switches are responsible for connecting the leaf switches.

Benefits of Using Leaf/Spine Network Architecture

If you are considering a new network topology for your data center, the leaf/spine architecture is a good option to consider. It offers a number of advantages that can help you improve the performance of your network.

• Scalability: The leaf/spine architecture is very scalable, as it can be easily expanded by adding more leaf switches or spine switches. This makes it a good choice for data centers that are growing rapidly.
• Reliability: The leaf/spine architecture is very reliable, as there are multiple paths between any two servers. This means that if one path fails, there is another path that can be used.
• Efficiency: The leaf/spine architecture is very efficient, as it minimizes the amount of traffic that needs to be routed through the spine switches. This can improve performance and reduce congestion.
• Manageability: The leaf/spine architecture is easy to manage, as all of the switches are connected to a single management plane. This makes it easy to configure and troubleshoot the network.

Data Center Networking Technology Helps Improve Enterprise Network Efficiency

With the changes in the market and technology, cloud networking has advanced tremendously in the past two decades. Today, although cloud network architecture was born from enterprise campus network architecture, its development has long surpassed the latter-both in network architecture and in hardware equipment, scalability, and operation and maintenance capabilities, the cloud network has made great strides compared to the traditional enterprise network.

Refer to：Asterfusion’s Cloud Enterprise Network Solution

The Leaf/Spine architecture is flatter and easier to scale horizontally, while shortening the east-west communication path and reducing communication latency. With this architecture, we can use single-chip box switches to build a more efficient and streamlined next-generation enterprise network.

Compared to traditional networking solutions, Asterfusion’s full layer3 network horizontal scaling solution（Leaf/Spine network architecture）can reduce large enterprise network construction and operation costs by more than 40%.

Besides Leaf/Spine network architecture, Asterfusion makes comprehensive changes with advanced technical concepts in cloud data centers such as Arp-to-Host and distributed gateway，no CAPWAP tunnels to enable more efficient WiFi roaming and O&M with only 2-3 sets of configuration template files…

All these changes will bring the most direct value to the owners and operators of the campus network: reduce the cost of network construction, improve the efficiency of network operation, and support the possibility of unlimited innovation.

For more information, visit: Introducing Leaf/spine Network Architecture from DC to Enterprise Network or send email to sales@asterfusion.com

How to choose enterprise network architecture for your business?

The best option for a particular organization will depend on a number of factors, including the size and complexity of the organization, the types of applications and data that need to be supported, and the security requirements.
Here are some additional considerations that should be taken into account when choosing an enterprise network architecture:

• Scalability: The enterprise network should be able to grow with the organization as its needs change.
• Reliability: The enterprise network should be designed to minimize the risk of downtime.
• Security: The enterprise network should protect the organization’s data from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure.
• Cost: The cost should be justified by the benefits it provides.

Can the Leaf/Spine network architecture, which is maturely used in data centers, be used for enterprise office networks?

The answer is yes, the Leaf/Spine architecture, also known as a distributed core network, is derived from the Switch Fabric inside the switch, hence the name Fabric.

This advanced network architecture provides high-bandwidth, low-latency, non-blocking end-to-end connectivity, and is favored by large cloud data centers for its scalability, high reliability and high performance.
We have demonstrated the feasibility of applying technologies related to open networking in the cloud to the campus in eight dimensions.

Compared with the traditional “access-aggregation-core” network architecture, the Leaf/Spine architecture is flatter and easier to scale horizontally, while shortening the east-west communication path and reducing communication latency. With this architecture, we can use single-chip box switches to build a more efficient and streamlined next-generation enterprise network.

An example of a typical enterprise network configuration with Leaf/Spine architecture

Floor-wide, with access layer switches as Leaf and floor aggregation switches as Spine, constituting a first-tier network;

Building-wide, with floor aggregation switches as Leaf and building aggregation switches as Spine, constituting a second-level network;

Larger range, building aggregation switch as Leaf and higher level aggregation switch as Spine, forming the third level network；

Better scalability for enterprise network

As it scales, the network with the Leaf/Spine architecture is able to scale horizontally from one level to multiple levels, accommodating anywhere from tens to hundreds of thousands of campus access terminals, with the newly expanded modules (new access floors or buildings) all identical to the original.

Better bandwidth utilization for enterprise network

Under the Leaf/Spine network architecture, each node is a layer3-enabled switch, building up an IP-based layer3 network, which we call IP Fabric.

IP is a protocol that has been designed with loop avoidance, multi-path forwarding, high reliability and multi-path in mind, eliminating the need to introduce anti-loop mechanisms such as STP – combined with BGP routing and ECMP load balancing design, all physical lines in the campus network can theoretically be fully utilized, achieving 100% The network can achieve 100% bandwidth utilization and port utilization.

Simplifying Network Operations and Management

As mentioned earlier, the Layer 2 domain in the Leaf/Spine network architecture has been compressed below the access layer. During actual O&M management, administrators only need to set up different layer3 subnets to isolate different services, without the need to configure and maintain complicated layer2 functions such as various STPs, global VLANs, and broadcast suppression. At the same time, the full Layer 3 network environment also eliminates campus broadcast storms and various network viruses that rely on Layer 2 broadcast mechanisms.

About De-Stacking: Based on the natural high reliability and multi-path capability of the layer3 network, we can use a more reliable and easier to manage “cloud-based cluster” solution instead of a stacked group solution。

More adaptable to enterprise network trends

With the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) and various mobile office services, the pressure on the access layer has increased dramatically. A large campus may have thousands of sensors, monitoring devices and smart terminals distributed to access the network, generating a large amount of east-west traffic.

The nodes in the Leaf and Spine layers are connected using Full-mesh, and communication between any two terminals is guaranteed to be completed within 3 hops. And because of the routing structure，all network communications make full use of all wires, the network communication quality is high performance, highly reliable and predictable.

In addition, it will be easy to continue adding either Spine or Leaf nodes in order to cope with the continued growth of network traffic in the future.

All of the above are offered by Asterfusion enterprise networking solution.

For more information, visit: https://asterfusion.com/enterprise_network/or send email to sales@asterfusion.com

Why Enterprise Networks Need SDN (Software Defined Networking)?

Software-defined networking (SDN) is an approach to implementing networks that use software-based controllers to communicate with the underlying hardware and determine how traffic is routed across the network.

1. Enterprises use SDN to deploy applications faster while reducing overall deployment and operational costs.SDN allows IT administrators to manage and configure network services from a single location.
2. The benefits of SDN are greater flexibility and agility, reduced workload through automation, and reduced deployment-related downtime.

Can SDN Solve Problems of Enterprise Networks?

The enterprise network is gradually crossing into the Internet of Things (IoT) era where everything is connected. The explosive growth of various smart terminals and innovative applications in the digital economy are putting forward more demanding requirements for the enterprise office network. Drawing on the development experience of cloud data center networks, cloud-based transformation of traditional networks is the unanimously agreed solution.

However, most common cloud-based solutions are built around a comprehensive SDN controller for the entire campus network – centralizing many complex and tedious operation and deployment tasks on a unified SDN controller, and completing the operation and deployment of the entire network through a visual Web interface.

This does simplify the daily operation and maintenance work to a large extent, but the change is not thorough enough . Although a shiny SDN controller is presented to the public, the underlying network architecture is still rigid, complex and bloated traditional network architecture. Many of the troubles that traditional networks are experiencing, such as complex security policy additions and deletions, broadcast storm positioning, WiFi disconnection, difficulty in diagnosing network problems, and other problems still exist.

Ideas for Next-generation Enterprise Networks

Better enterprise network transformation ideas will go deeper into the underlying network architecture, targeting the complex and bloated traditional architecture and making comprehensive changes with advanced technical concepts in the field of cloud data centers such as Leaf/Spine, Arp-to-Host and distributed gateway.

Compared to traditional networking solutions, Asterfusion’s full layer3 network horizontal scaling solution can reduce large enterprise network construction and operation costs by more than 40%.

• Scale-out Leaf/Spine architecture using box switch. CX-M series as leaf/spine switches and CX-N series as spine/fiber switches, and these switches help us connect more than 100,000 terminals.
• IP Fabric is designed to eliminate broadcast storm problems, and every endpoint is naturally Layer 2 segregated by default.
• Wired and wireless access are converged, and WiFi roams without interference.
• Single profile template for all leaf switches, simplifying delivery with ZTP.

For more information, visit: https://asterfusion.com/enterprise_network/