Automatic routed underlay
Instead of hand-configuring routing on every node, you define a fabric — a logical layer that sets up the routing protocol on chosen interfaces and provides L3 connectivity between cluster nodes. On that routed base you then run Ceph traffic or an EVPN/VXLAN overlay.
Fabrics use the FRR implementation — make sure the frr and frr-pythontools packages are installed.
Two protocols to choose from
A fabric can run on one of two routing protocols (both from the FRR suite):
- OpenFabric — a modern, easy-to-maintain link-state protocol; the router-ID can be an IPv4 or IPv6 address.
- OSPF — the classic, widely known protocol; router-ID as an IPv4 address (dotted notation).
Each node in a fabric needs a unique router-ID (e.g. 192.0.2.1) — its identity in the routing domain.
A fabric step by step
You set it all up from the UI — no hand-editing FRR files:
| Step | Where / what |
|---|---|
| Create a fabric | Datacenter → SDN → Fabrics → "Add Fabric", pick the protocol |
| Add nodes | use the "+" button to select nodes and the interfaces linking them |
| Router-ID | give each node a unique router-ID |
| Apply | SDN → Apply — the routing config rolls out across the cluster |
Full-mesh for Ceph and EVPN
- Full-mesh for Ceph — connect nodes directly (no dedicated switch) and let the fabric handle routing. During Ceph setup you pick the fabric network from the list of available networks.
- Underlay for EVPN/VXLAN — the fabric is the routed base on which the EVPN controller builds the overlay for guests.
Meshing 3 nodes over a fabric gives a cheap, fast Ceph backend without an expensive 100GbE switch in the middle — a popular choice when consolidating after a VMware migration.
We'll design the SDN network in your cluster
We'll plan the fabric (OpenFabric/OSPF), a full-mesh for Ceph and an EVPN/VXLAN overlay — cleanly and with performance in mind after a VMware migration.
⚡ Free consultation → WireGuard & BGP in SDN