Network virtualization vs. VLAN
Network virtualization vs. VLAN
A VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) divides a physical local area network (LAN) into multiple virtual networks. Groups of ports are isolated from each other as if they were on physically different networks. The VLAN access is like slicing a large network pie into many small networks. Looking forward as the network grows, the limitation to 4096 VLANs in a single LAN may be a limitation.
Network virtualization is much more than just VLANs and allows you to create entire networks in software - including switching, routing, firewalling, and load balancing. This provides much more flexibility than has been possible in the past. With all networking and security services handled in software and connected to VMs, management- and configuration-intensive processes can be simplified and automated, with networks being created automatically to meet the requirements.
Example VLAN