Articles
| Open Access | Enhanced Multicast Scaling in Low-Latency Trading Colocation Environments: A Critical Analysis of VXLAN/BGP EVPN Architectures
Abstract
Context: High-Frequency Trading (HFT) relies critically on ultra-low latency dissemination of market data via IP Multicast within colocation facilities. The adoption of VXLAN/BGP EVPN has provided scalable Layer 2/3 virtualization for these multi-tenant environments. However, the sheer volume of market data feeds presents a significant and often overlooked challenge to the multicast scaling capabilities of standard EVPN architectures.
Objective: This paper provides a critical analysis of the scaling limitations of multicast forwarding mechanisms within VXLAN/BGP EVPN overlays, specifically examining their suitability for the stringent latency and group count demands of HFT colocation networks.
Methods: We analytically model and evaluate two primary EVPN multicast forwarding strategies: Ingress Replication (IR) and PIM-integrated Underlay Multicast. Key performance metrics, including Control-Plane Convergence Time, Data-Plane Latency Jitter, and Multicast Group Capacity (MGC), are defined and used for a comparative assessment based on typical HFT traffic profiles.
Results: Our analysis reveals that standard IR suffers from significant control-plane state proliferation (BGP EVPN Type-6 route explosion) and bandwidth inefficiency. Conversely, PIM-integrated solutions, while data-plane efficient, introduce complexity and potential for forwarding-state synchronization issues and hardware resource exhaustion (TCAM). Neither approach optimally meets the combined low-latency and high-MGC requirements.
Conclusion: The conventional implementations of VXLAN/BGP EVPN are insufficient to support the massive, low-latency multicast scaling required by modern HFT colocation. Architectural enhancements, including SDN-based control-plane optimization and innovative route aggregation techniques, are necessary to ensure the continued performance and resilience of these critical financial networks.
Keywords
VXLAN/BGP EVPN, IP Multicast Scaling, High-Frequency Trading (HFT), Colocation Networks, Low Latency, Network Virtualization, Multicast Group Capacity (MGC)
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