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SONiC in BGP EVPN Data Center
Architecture, Configuration and Operational Fundamentals
This book is 99% completeLast updated on 2026-10-21
SONiC decouples the network operating system from the underlying switching hardware, providing a common software foundation across multiple hardware platforms. Its database centric, micro-services architecture uses containerized services to manage configuration, operational state, routing, and hardware programming.
This book explores the architecture and operational behavior of SONiC through the step-by-step configuration of a BGP EVPN data center fabric. It combines architectural explanations with practical configurations, database analysis, and lab-tested examples to show how SONiC builds and operates a modern data center network.
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About
About the Book
SONiC is an open-source network operating system designed for modern data center switching. Understanding how it works requires more than knowing the configuration commands. It also requires an understanding of its software architecture, Redis databases, control-plane processes, and the mechanisms that translate configuration into hardware forwarding state.
This book provides a practical, in-depth guide to SONiC, from its internal architecture and system initialization to the configuration and operation of a BGP EVPN data center fabric.
The first part introduces SONiC's container-based architecture, microservices, Redis databases, installation, startup process, and initial ASIC programming. It explains how SONiC components interact and how configuration is translated into SAI objects and programmed into the switch hardware.
The second part takes a step-by-step approach to building a BGP EVPN fabric with SONiC. Starting with VLANs and host connectivity, it progresses through IPv6 link-local addressing, BGP Unnumbered peering, EVPN-based Layer 2 forwarding, inter-subnet routing with asymmetric and symmetric IRB, and EVPN Ethernet Segment Identifier (ESI) multihoming. The final chapter examines fabric scaling with Layer 3 ECMP, including load balancing across multiple spine switches.
Throughout the book, configuration examples are accompanied by operational verification and technical deep dives into SONiC's Redis databases, daemons, SAI objects, and ASIC programming pipeline. Packet-forwarding examples connect these internal components to the actual behavior of the data center fabric.
The result is a practical reference for network engineers who want to configure and troubleshoot SONiC-based BGP EVPN networks while developing a deeper understanding of how SONiC implements the control plane and data plane.
Author
About the Author
Toni Pasanen
Toni Pasanen. CCIE No. 28158 (RS), Distinguished Engineer at Fujitsu Finland. Toni started his IT carrier in 1998 at Tieto, where he worked as a Service Desk Specialist moving via the LAN team to the Data Center team as a 3rd. Level Network Specialist. Toni joined Teleware (Cisco Learning partner) in 2004, where he spent two years teaching network technologies focusing on routing/switching and MPLS technologies. Toni joined Tieto again in 2006, where he spent the next six years as a Network Architect before joining Fujitsu. Toni works closely with customers in his current role, helping them select the right network solutions from technology and business perspectives. He is also the author of books:
- Virtual Extensible LAN – VXLAN: The Practical Guide to Understand VXLAN Solution - 2019
- LISP with VXLAN in Campus Fabric - 2020
- VXLAN Fabric with BGP EVPN Control-Plane. Design Considerations – 2020
- Object-Based Approach to Cisco ACI: The Logic Behind the Application Centric Infrastructure - 2020
- Cisco SD-WAN: A Practical Guide to Understand the Basics of Cisco Viptela Based SD-WAN Solution- 2021
- Network Virtualization: LISP, OMP, and BGP EVPN Operation and Interaction
- AWS Networking Fundamentals: A Practical Guide to Understand How to Build a Virtual Datacenter into the AWS Cloud
- Azure Networking Fundamentals: A Practical Guide to Understand How to Build a Virtual Datacenter into the Azure Cloud
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