Network Resource

ZStack Cloud network resources mainly include:
  • L2 network resources
  • L3 network resources
  • Route resources
  • SDN controller
  • Dedicates networks
  • VPC

L2 Network Resources

L2 network resources include VXLAN pools and an L2 networks.
  • An L2 network corresponds to a layer 2 broadcast domain. This L2 network supports multiple network types, such as L2NoVlanNetwork, L2VlanNetwork, VxlanNetwork, and HardwareVxlanNetwork.
  • L2NoVlanNetwork and L2VlanNetwork is a group that must be identical to the configurations of compute node ports on the switch sides.
  • Both VXLAN Pool and VxlanNetwork with the hardware SDN type provide the VxlanNetwork configurations. Before you use VxlanNetwork, create a VXLAN pool first. Then, create VxlanNetwork by specifying or randomly choosing VNIs.
  • Both VXLAN Pool and HardwareVxlanNetwork with the hardware SDN type provide the HardwareVxlanNetwork configurations. Before you use HardwareVxlanNetwork, create a VXLAN pool first. Then, create HardwareVxlanNetwork by specifying or randomly choosing VNIs.

L3 Network Resources

An L3 network can serve as a sub-resource of the L2 network. Mainly based on the L2 network, the L3 network provides the network configurations for VM instances, including the IP range, gateway, DNS, and network service.

Route Resources

ZStack Cloud provides network services for VM instances by using custom Linux VM instances to serve as routing devices. Related route resources mainly include VPC vRouters, VPC HA, vRouter images, and vRouter offerings.

SDN Controller

By adding SDN controllers, you can take over the SDN networks of hardware switches on the cloud to lower the network latency and improve the VXLAN network performance.

Dedicated Networks

ZStack Cloud allows you to create dedicated networks to manage physical resources on the cloud platform and provide dedicated network services. Dedicated networks include management networks and flow networks. Note that you can not create VM instances in dedicated networks.

Network Usage Procedure

You need to first create an L2 network, use the L2 network to create an L3 network, and then use these networks to provide multiple network services.

Network Architecture Model

ZStack Cloud supports two basic network architecture models: flat network and VPC.
  1. Flat Network
    • A flat network supports multiple network services: DHCP, EIP, security group, and User Data.
    • The network services of the flat network adopt the distributed DHCP and the distributed EIP structure.
    • The DHCP service of the flat network can also include the DNS feature.
    • The network model used by the wizard guide adopts the flat network.
    • ZStack Cloud supports the flat network infrastructure based on both VxlanNetwork and HardwareVxlanNetwork.
  2. VPC
    • VPC supports multiple network services: DHCP, DNS, SNAT, router table, EIP, port forwarding, load balancing, IPsec tunnel, security group, dynamic routing, multicast routing, VPC firewall, and Netflow.
    • The DHCP service of a VPC adopts the distributed DHCP by default.
    • VPC provides multiple network services by mainly using custom Linux VM instances as VPC vRouters.
    • Network services such as port forwarding, load balancing, IPsec tunnel, and router table can apply to multiple subnets of a VPC simultaneously to improve network efficiencies.
    • ZStack Cloud supports the VPC network infrastructure based on VxlanNetwork.
    • ZStack Cloud supports the distributed routing feature to optimize east-west network traffics, and to lower network latencies.

Network Protocol

ZStack Cloud public network, flat network, and VPC network support two network protocols: IPv4 and IPv6. You can create an IPv4 network, an IPv6 network, or an IPv4+IPv6 network as needed.