Macro-Segmentation
Zone-level enforcement using Arista VXLAN/EVPN with Palo Alto firewall enforcement at zone boundaries.
Zero Trust Architecture
Eliminate Lateral Movement in the Data Center
Distributed micro-segmentation using Arista Multi-Domain Segmentation Services and Palo Alto NGFW integration — enforced at wire speed, visible end to end.
Over 80% of data center traffic is east-west communication that traditional perimeter firewalls cannot inspect. Our Zero Trust architecture applies policy enforcement to every flow, regardless of source, without disruptive network redesign.
Integrated Arista + Palo Alto architecture for distributed security enforcement in production data centers.
A Different Approach
Distributed enforcement across the fabric — not backhauled through perimeter firewalls
IVI designs data center Zero Trust architectures using Arista Multi-Domain Segmentation Services (MSS) and Palo Alto NGFW integration. We've built this practice on direct experience with both platforms and operational requirements for running distributed security enforcement in production data centers.
The Challenge
Perimeter security cannot stop threats that are already inside the network. Once an attacker breaches the perimeter, a flat data center network gives them freedom to move laterally across servers, applications, and data stores.
Over 80% of data center traffic is east-west — invisible to perimeter firewalls
Average breach dwell time measured in weeks due to lateral movement
Backhauling east-west traffic creates latency and doesn't scale
Traditional segmentation requires disruptive network redesign
Integrated Arista + Palo Alto Architecture
Distributed, policy-driven enforcement across the Arista fabric, with Palo Alto providing deep application inspection and security intelligence.
Micro-Segmentation
Policy enforcement within zones at application tier and workload level using Arista MSS integration.
Identity-Based Policy
Palo Alto User-ID and workload identity integration for policy based on what workloads are, not just IP addresses.
Implementation Process
Six-phase approach from traffic analysis to operational Zero Trust enforcement.
1
Traffic Assessment & Zone Design
Analyze east-west traffic flows using CloudVision analytics and DANZ capture to design segmentation without breaking applications.
2
Architecture Design
Produce Zero Trust architecture: zone definitions, VXLAN/EVPN VRF design, Arista MSS configuration, and Palo Alto policy framework.
3
Macro-Segmentation Implementation
Deploy zone-level segmentation with VXLAN/EVPN VRF structure and Palo Alto enforcement at zone boundaries.
Core Capabilities
Comprehensive Zero Trust data center architecture and implementation.
Data Center Segmentation Architecture Design
Zone definitions based on application sensitivity, compliance requirements, and operational function with Arista VXLAN/EVPN VRF design.
Arista MSS and Palo Alto Integration
Service chaining design with Arista fabric steering traffic to Palo Alto for App-ID and threat prevention, then enforcing policy at wire speed.
East-West Traffic Visibility
Deploy visibility tooling to document actual communication patterns before segmentation enforcement using discover-before-enforce methodology.
Workload Micro-Segmentation
Policy enforcement at individual workload level using application identification rather than port/protocol through integrated architecture.
Operational Outcomes
- East-west traffic subject to policy enforcement — lateral movement requires traversing enforcement points
- Application tiers isolated from each other and unrelated workloads
- Palo Alto App-ID and threat prevention applied to east-west flows without full backhaul
- Complete audit trail for compliance and incident response
- Reduced blast radius from breaches — compromise cannot easily spread between tiers
- Improved compliance posture for PCI DSS, HIPAA, and NIST 800-207
Ideal Fit
- Organizations with Arista data center infrastructure and Palo Alto NGFW platforms
- Flat or minimally segmented data centers where east-west lateral movement is a known risk
- Compliance requirements (PCI DSS, HIPAA, NIST 800-207) requiring documented network segmentation
- Organizations that have experienced breaches highlighting east-west visibility gaps
- Cloud-hybrid data centers with east-west traffic spanning on-premises and cloud workloads
Industry Applications
Zero Trust data center architecture for regulated and high-risk environments
Recommendation: keep to one or two short sentences.
Financial Services
Meet PCI DSS network segmentation requirements and protect sensitive financial data with comprehensive east-west enforcement.
Best Fit
Organizations with card data environments requiring documented segmentation and audit trails.
Healthcare
HIPAA-compliant network segmentation with access control and audit logging for protected health information.
Best Fit
Healthcare organizations with electronic health records and medical device networks requiring isolation.
Manufacturing
Protect operational technology networks and intellectual property with micro-segmentation between production systems.
Best Fit
Manufacturing environments with OT/IT convergence and critical production systems.
Why IVI
Bridging Arista and Palo Alto practices for integrated Zero Trust architecture
Integrated Platform Expertise
IVI bridges Arista and Palo Alto practices — a prerequisite for designing Zero Trust data center architecture correctly.
Joint Architecture Design
We design the integrated architecture that makes the joint value proposition real: Arista enforcement at wire speed, Palo Alto intelligence informing policy.
Production-Ready Implementation
Our operational experience running both platforms means we design integration that holds up in production, not just vendor proof-of-concepts.
Discover-Before-Enforce Methodology
We document traffic flows in log-only mode before enforcing policy to prevent segmentation from breaking application flows.
Traffic Analysis First
Complete visibility into east-west communication patterns before any enforcement is enabled.
Application Team Collaboration
We present findings to application teams and resolve policy gaps before enforcement begins.
Related Resources
Related Resources
Review related solution pages, supporting materials, and additional resources that help explain where this solution fits and how it can be applied.
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Zero Trust data center architecture implementation.
We don't have Arista in our data center yet. Can we still implement Zero Trust segmentation?
Yes, though the implementation approach differs. Without Arista MSS, data center Zero Trust segmentation can be implemented through Palo Alto NGFW-based enforcement, host-based micro-segmentation, or VMware NSX if your environment is heavily virtualized. We assess your existing infrastructure and recommend the segmentation approach that delivers the most security improvement with the least architectural disruption.
How do we handle micro-segmentation for containerized workloads?
Containerized environments have their own network policy frameworks (Kubernetes NetworkPolicy, Calico, Cilium) that can be integrated with Palo Alto Prisma Cloud for cloud-native segmentation. For environments where containers coexist with bare metal and VM workloads, we design an integrated segmentation approach that enforces policy consistently across all workload types.
We're concerned that segmentation will break application flows we don't know about. How does IVI handle this?
The discover-before-enforce methodology addresses this directly. We document traffic flows in log-only mode before enforcing any policy — identifying communication patterns that would be blocked by the intended segmentation. We present these findings to your application teams and resolve policy gaps before enforcement is enabled.
How long does a Zero Trust data center program typically take?
Macro-segmentation can typically be implemented in 6-10 weeks for a medium-complexity data center. Micro-segmentation across all application environments is a longer program: 6-18 months depending on the number of application tiers, application documentation maturity, and change control capacity. We phase the program so security improvement begins early and continues progressively.
What compliance frameworks does this architecture support?
Zero Trust data center architecture supports PCI DSS network segmentation requirements, HIPAA access control and audit logging, and NIST SP 800-207 Zero Trust Architecture guidelines. We document the segmentation design, enforcement mechanism, and policy framework in formats that support compliance review and audit evidence requirements.
How does this integrate with existing SIEM and security operations?
The Arista + Palo Alto integration provides comprehensive logging of all east-west traffic flows and policy enforcement actions. These logs integrate with existing SIEM platforms for security event correlation and can be incorporated into Aegis managed services for ongoing security event monitoring and policy change management.