Connect. Secure. Manage.
VXLAN EVPN Fabrics
Build Cisco VXLAN EVPN fabrics with clear underlay, overlay and tenant designs, using supported capabilities and testable routing and failure behaviour.
Devices supported
across the UK
Client locations
supported
Traffic handled
at peak time
Average
response time
Average response is not a resolution time or a contractual guarantee. Support scope and response commitments are agreed for each engagement.
VXLAN EVPN fabrics let workload networks run over a separate physical IP network. That can help with scale and workload placement, but both layers need a clear design. We build and support Cisco fabrics around the apps they carry. The scope covers the underlying paths, routing control, tenant services and links to outside networks.
Workload-led design
Start with application, compute and storage dependencies rather than the switch model.
Clear failure domains
Understand which links, devices and sites can fail together.
Operational clarity
Make fabrics, external routing and management responsibilities supportable.
Establish the case for a fabric
We start with workload locations, traffic patterns, segmentation and growth needs. A fabric may help an organisation manage a larger or more dynamic data-centre estate, while a smaller setup may be better served by a simpler design. We compare the benefits with the extra engineering and support duties instead of assuming that every network needs an overlay.
The assessment includes hardware, software, licences and the team’s ability to support the chosen architecture. Cisco platforms differ in feature combinations and scale. We check the actual needs against supported capabilities, including external routing and server attachment. An example setup working in a lab is not enough evidence that the same design fits the customer’s production estate.
Standards & partnerships
Confidence in the team behind your network.
Cisco Partner
Cisco Meraki
Cyber Essentials
Cyber Essentials PlusMCI Network Services is operated by Proxar Ltd. Certifications apply to the certified legal entity and the scope of its certificates. View accreditation information
Design underlay and overlay as distinct layers
The underlay provides IP reachability between the fabric endpoints and relevant control-plane addresses. We set out its addressing, routing, MTU and failure behaviour independently of tenant services. A stable foundation makes overlay problems easier to investigate. An unreliable underlay can create symptoms that appear to be endpoint or policy faults elsewhere.
The overlay carries the workload networks and uses EVPN control-plane information according to the chosen supported design. We document identifiers, route exchange and endpoint-learning behaviour. The relationship between physical paths and logical services remains visible in diagrams and operating procedures. This avoids a situation where an engineer can inspect each layer separately but cannot explain the path taken by a particular app.
A useful starting point
Not sure where to start?
Bring the requirement. We will help you define the engineering work.
Define tenant and gateway behaviour
Tenant segmentation involves routing contexts, virtual-network identifiers and controlled route exchange. We agree which services remain isolated and which need access to shared infrastructure. The design distinguishes reachability separation from security inspection. A tenant identifier does not on its own provide encryption or replace a firewall where application-level enforcement is required.
Gateway placement is chosen for the workload model. Supported distributed anycast gateways can provide consistent local routing, but their setup and coexistence with legacy gateways need careful planning. We document addressing, endpoint movement and the expected path between subnets. A migration must not create competing gateway ownership simply because the old and new setups both need to remain connected temporarily.
Different environments. The same care.
Built around the work
your network supports.
Finance, banking and the wider private sector. We start with the systems and people that depend on your connections.
Finance & banking
Market-data paths, routing and provider coordination on clients’ behalf.
Financial-market services ↗Offices & multi-site teams
Reliable access between people, workplaces and business applications.
Office network design ↗Data centres & cloud
Network boundaries, workload connections and operational ownership.
Data centre networks ↗Connect the fabric to the wider network
Border network access defines how apps reach WAN, internet, private cloud and partner services. We establish route ownership, permitted advertisements and inspection points. The external network may use different routing or security assumptions. So the border design is treated as a service boundary rather than a few extra uplinks.
Resilience is assessed across that complete path. A fabric can survive an internal link failure while remaining dependent on one external firewall or circuit. We assess the capacity of surviving paths and the app effect of route changes. Availability claims identify the failures covered by the design and those requiring protection in another layer.
Implement and validate in manageable stages
Deployment separates underlay verification, overlay control-plane checks, tenant services and workload introduction. We use reviewed setup and supported automation where appropriate, with clear ownership of the intended state. A controller or template does not remove the need to check the resulting forwarding behaviour on the actual equipment.
Acceptance includes representative apps, expected isolation and authorised fault scenarios. We observe failure and restoration, not just initial network access. The handover records what was tested and any remaining limitation. Teams responsible for servers, virtualisation and security participate where their setup affects the outcome, preventing a network-only test from being mistaken for complete app acceptance.
Keep the fabric understandable in operation
The operating package includes topology, identifiers, routing policy, setup protection and a troubleshooting method that moves between underlay, control plane and forwarding. Monitoring should reveal loss of redundancy and useful service symptoms without hiding them inside a large collection of unprioritised events. Lifecycle planning considers switches and management tooling together.
MCI’s data centre network services cover architecture, migration and ongoing Cisco engineering support. A focused engagement can review a current fabric or design a new one around the customer’s needs. Share the workload model, current topology and growth constraints to begin. We will identify the supported architecture and the operational work required to make it a reliable business service.
Talk to a specialist
What does your network need next?
Tell us what you are planning, changing or trying to improve. We will help define a practical next step and the engineering scope.
+44 203 196 6566Choose option 1
sales@proxar.co.ukUK-wide service.
Most of our engineers are based in Kent, with a focus on London, Sussex, Essex and Berkshire.
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