BCF is not bound by legacy operational paradigms. Instead, its software-defined fabric acts as one logical switch. This architecture drives business velocity by simplifying operations, providing full visibility and telemetry, and enabling rapid service chaining at the network level.

The following figure illustrates the logical chassis architecture:

Figure 15.          Logical chassis architecture: One logical switch

The network layer is often the least agile part of data center infrastructure to design, configure, and operate, especially when compared to compute infrastructure. Most data center networks are built using old network architecture, which inhibits the ability to meet the demands of modern applications and software-defined data centers. Network overlays consisting of virtual switches have emerged to provide agility but still lack the visibility that is required to effectively troubleshoot issues.