How app-vm1 in DC1 reaches app-vm2 in DC2 on the same subnet:
Who talks to whom:
1️⃣ The ESXi host tunnels the frame (TEP) to the local Edge that’s active for this segment.
2️⃣ That Edge re-wraps it and sends it over RTEP to the active Edge in DC2.
3️⃣ The DC2 Edge tunnels it (TEP) to the destination host.
4️⃣ The VM gets the original frame and never notices any of this.
Field notes:
⚠️ Put the Edge pair in different failure domains.
⚠️ Enable Standby Relocation, and remember there’s no preemption after an Edge reboot.
⚠️ RTEP can fragment, but size the WAN MTU properly anyway (1700+).
Other parts of this series:
🔗 Part 1 (Architecture): Part 1: NSX Federation in VCF 9.1 – the architecture in 60 seconds
🔗 Part 2 (Management Plane): Part 2: NSX Federation in VCF 9.1 – Managament Plane in 60 seconds
🔗 Part 4 (Gateway options): Part 4: NSX Federation in VCF 9.1 – Gateway options in 60 seconds
