Flow Virtual Networking
Connect Virtual Networks and Extend Your Cloud Environment
Simplify creating, isolating, and managing software defined networks that connect applications across hybrid multicloud environments, whether in private datacenters or the public cloud.
Why Choose Nutanix Flow Virtual Networking?
Nutanix Flow Virtual Networking (FVN) is a software-defined networking (SDN) solution that enables organizations to create and manage Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs) entirely in software, delivering public cloud agility on-premises. Key capabilities include replicable management through consistent APIs, multi-cluster networking spanning infrastructure, and seamless coexistence with existing VLANs plus one-click migration.
Replicable Management
Consistent APIs, workflows and consumption of networking services across substrates.
Multi-Cluster Networking
Create networks that seamlessly span across all your clusters.
Works with your existing VLANs
Create and run overlay networking along with your existing VLAN networks on the same hardware. 1-Click migration from VLAN to (VPCs).
Nutanix Software Defined Networking
Flow Virtual Networking for AHV virtualization brings virtual private cloud , virtual public cloud and other advanced virtual networking constructs together to bridge traditional and cloud-native network models. The use of a software defined approach simplifies the infrastructure and removes the need for costly hardware segmentation solutions or more complex and static physical network architectures.
Flow Virtual Networking automates the deployment and management of the SDN infrastructure for your Nutanix environment.
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Capabilities & Benefits
Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) Networking
A virtual network you define with complete control over your networking environment, including IP address range, subnets, routing, and gateways. Nutanix Flow Virtual Networking enables organizations to establish integrated SDN and VPC capabilities without redesigning existing networks or workloads. It delivers true multi-tenant isolation with overlapping IP addresses across tenants. Self-service provisioning enables teams to rapidly deploy isolated network environments on-demand, all managed from a unified dashboard.
Automated VPC Connectivity
Quickly connect VPCs across your local, disaster recovery, and public cloud-based Nutanix deployments through automation managed from a single dashboard. Integration with Nutanix Cloud Clusters (NC2) provides natively integrated networking between on-premises and public clouds like AWS and Azure, reducing deployment time from weeks to hours. Establish secure, high-performance network links between distributed VPCs without specialized networking expertise or complex manual configurations.
Service Insertion and ACLs
Create and manage network access policies through stateless policy-based routing that governs traffic flow between workloads, subnets, and external networks. Enhance security by inserting advanced security functions from Nutanix partners—including next-generation firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and web application firewalls—directly into your VPC environment. Configure granular ACLs that integrate with Flow Network Security's microsegmentation capabilities, enabling defense-in-depth strategies and zero-trust architectures without traditional SDN complexity.
NAT and VPN Services
Link your Nutanix VPCs to other private and virtual public cloud networks through integrated NAT capabilities that handle address translation automatically, enabling multi-tenant networks with overlapping IP addresses to coexist without conflicts. Nutanix Cloud Clusters (NC2) extends connectivity to public clouds with natively integrated networking that facilitates secure VPN connectivity across hybrid environments. Create a unified, software-defined network fabric spanning your entire IT infrastructure—enabling true application mobility while maintaining enterprise-grade security and performance.
How Flow Virtual Networking Works
Flow Virtual Networking operates through a three-plane software-defined architecture: Prism Central manages policy configuration, containerized Network Controllers distribute flow rules across the infrastructure, and Open vSwitch instances on each AHV host execute packet forwarding. This enables isolated VPCs with overlapping IP addresses, eliminates physical switch configuration requirements, and scales to support all VMs within a Prism Central.
Architecture Overview
FVN operates through a three-plane architecture that separates management, control, and data functions:
- Management Plane: Prism Central manages policy configuration and provides centralized visibility across all networking resources
- Control Plane: Containerized Network Controllers distribute flow rules across the infrastructure, ensuring consistent policy enforcement
- Data Plane: Open vSwitch (OVS) instances on each AHV host execute high-performance packet forwarding and enforce network policies
This architecture enables isolated VPCs with overlapping IP addresses, eliminates physical switch configuration requirements, and scales to support thousands of secured VMs per Prism Central instance.
Technical Implementation
FVN leverages several key technologies to deliver seamless network virtualization:
- Geneve Tunneling: Encapsulates VM traffic across hosts without requiring VLAN configuration on physical switches, simplifying network topology
- Per-VPC Virtual Routers: Evaluate stateless policies (priority values from 10 to 1,000, where higher numbers indicate higher precedence) to permit, deny, or reroute inter-subnet traffic
- Dual External Networks: Connect VPCs via NAT (with Floating IPs) and Routed networks simultaneously for flexible traffic segmentation
- Gateway Options: Enable cross-site connectivity through IPsec VPN, Layer 2 VXLAN, or BGP peering to integrate with existing network infrastructure
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Why Choose Nutanix?
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FAQ
FVN creates software-defined VPC networks on Nutanix AHV with full control over subnets, routing, gateways, NAT, VPN, and access policies. It automates SDN infrastructure deployment behind the scenes so teams can quickly connect networks between on‑prem clusters, disaster recovery (DR) sites, and public cloud environments. It also supports service insertion for third‑party security platforms.
Traditional networking requires VLANs, physical firewalls, hardware segmentation, and extensive manual configuration. FVN replaces these with:
- Software-defined VPCs
- Automated provisioning
- Built‑in segmentation
- Self‑service for developers
- Integrated DR failover networking
While other products can provide network virtualization, FVN is:
- Simple: no managers, controllers, fabric nodes, or complex overlays
- Integrated: built directly into Nutanix AHV with Prism-based management
- Lower cost: predictable pricing without hypervisor add‑on taxes
- VPC‑focused: cloud‑like VPC constructs instead of heavy SDN fabric
- Less operational friction: lifecycle automation built into Nutanix software updates
Customers looking for network virtualization without the operational weight choose FVN.
FVN is built for organizations that want to simplify networking across:
- Modernized datacenters
- Developer-driven environments
- Hybrid cloud strategies
- Multi‑tenant service providers
- Businesses needing automated DR networking
It is ideal for teams with limited networking staff or limited tolerance for physical network complexity.
Key benefits include:
- Software lifecycle automation for network components
- Self‑service provisioning for developers and application teams
- Automated DR failover and testing with built‑in network validation
- Multi‑tenant segmentation for isolating workloads
- Simple VPC creation and connectivity across on‑prem and cloud
These capabilities reduce manual effort and streamline network operations.
Yes. FVN enables consistent virtual networking across:
- Nutanix AHV clusters
- DR sites
- Public clouds via Nutanix Cloud Clusters (NC2)
You can stretch or link VPCs across these environments for seamless hybrid cloud connectivity.
No. FVN is designed for simplicity. Nutanix automates:
- SDN component installation
- Networking lifecycle and upgrades
- VPC creation and connectivity
- DR networking workflows
Most networking tasks can be completed directly from Prism without needing specialized SDN certification or hardware knowledge.
FVN supports self-service workflows, allowing developers and app owners to:
- Request or create VPCs
- Attach workloads to the right networks
- Apply predefined network and security policies
This accelerates application deployment and reduces bottlenecks for NetOps teams.
Yes. FVN supports service insertion, allowing you to integrate:
- Firewalls
- IDS/IPS
- Traffic inspection platforms
- Other advanced security services
These tools can be placed inline within VPCs for enhanced east‑west and north‑south protection.