The networking solutions of today often combine hardware and software of differing vendors to meet the varying requirements demanded of modern networks. Network solutions consisting of equipment from multiple manufacturers may be used to reduce costs, improve flexibility, or improve the performance of the network. Within data centre environments, where certain performance and scalability requirements in the form of horizontal network architectures like Spine-Leaf, cost-cutting measures as these may be of particular interest.

Despite the benefits provided by multi-vendor environments, they also create new challenges concerning the compatibility of different devices. The purpose of this study is to examine the possibility of combining Cisco Catalyst 9300L Multilayer-switches and FortiGate 7.4.3 within the same MP-BGP EVPN VXLAN-environment, and how this may be accomplished.

The study shows that difficulties occur during implementation, caused by lacking documentation surrounding multi-vendor environments of this kind, as well as challenges in configuring the differing devices similarly to achieve successful peering. Despite these issues, the results show that an implementation of a stable VXLAN-network is possible using the correct configuration and a good understanding of the surrounding technologies in use. A repeatable solution has been documented and verified by a smaller number of research subjects. Further research is required to improve the documentation, particularly in order to verify methods of implementing Multicast within the networking solution.