Any time I am attempting to learn a new technology, I find it helpful to compare components and feature parity to help shorten the learning curve. Microsoft SDN on Azure Local and VMware NSX on VMware vSphere have many similarities but different approaches. Below you will find the compare and contrast of the many virtual infrastructure components that make up both solutions.
Feel free to check in on this series:
Component Comparison Table (For SEO Indexing):
| Component | VMware NSX-T | Azure Local SDN |
|---|---|---|
| Tier-0 Gateway | North-south routing, BGP, ECMP | VNet Gateway, Azure Firewall |
| Tier-1 Gateway | East-west routing, NAT, services | Subnet + UDR or NVA |
| Edge Node | Egress point, NAT, services | Gateway VM, SDN Host |
| Segment | Overlay-backed L2 switch | Azure Subnet + NSG |
| VRF Gateway | Tenant routing domains | Separate VNets + route tables |
Who Is This For? This comparison is especially useful for cloud architects, SDDC engineers, and IT pros evaluating multicloud networking strategies or performing brownfield migrations.
Common Migration & Search Terms: Whether you’re comparing VMware NSX-T with Microsoft SDN, transitioning from NSX to Azure networking, or evaluating cloud-native SDN solutions, understanding component-level mappings is essential. This cheat sheet highlights Tier-0 vs VNet Gateway, NSX Segments vs Azure Subnets, and how edge routing translates between platforms.
🔧 Frequently Asked Questions:
- What is the Azure Local SDN equivalent of NSX Tier-0 Gateway?
- Can Azure Local replace NSX VRF for multitenancy?
- How do NSX Segments translate into Azure SDN design?
Summary:
This article was intended to be short and precise. Hopefully, the above helps everyone.
*The thoughts and opinions in this article are mine and hold no reflect on my employer*