Address Resolution for Large Data Center Problem Statement

Server virtualization enables one physical server to support multiple virtual machines (VMs) so that multiple virtual hosts (20, 30, or hundreds of) can be running on one physical server. As virtual machines are introduced to the data center, the number of hosts within one data center can grow dramatically, resulting in significant impact on the network. This document describes reasons why it is still desirable to have virtual machines in the data center to be in one Layer 2 network and potential problems this type of Layer 2 network will face. The goal is to outline the problem area for the IETF to create a working group. This working group will work on interoperable and scalable solutions for data center(s) with large number of virtual machines.