According to Juniper Networks' validated designs for campus fabrics, the campus fabric core-distribution with edge-routed bridging (ERB) is the optimal architecture when high volumes of east-west traffic are present and access switches are restricted to Layer 2 operations. In an ERB design, the EVPN-VXLAN fabric extends from the core switches to the distribution switches.1 The critical differentiator is the placement of the default gateways (Integrated Routing and Bridging or IRB interfaces). In the ERB model, these gateways are moved from the core to the distribution layer, which effectively acts as the "edge" of the EVPN fabric.

By placing the Layer 3 gateways at the distribution layer, inter-VLAN (east-west) traffic is routed closer to the endpoints.2 This prevents the "hairpinning" effect found in Centrally-Routed Bridging (CRB) architectures, where traffic must travel all the way to the core layer to be routed between subnets before returning down to the distribution and access layers. This reduction in latency and core-link utilization is essential for modern campus environments with high server-to-server or client-to-client traffic patterns.

Furthermore, this architecture specifically accommodates Layer 2 access switches. In the ERB core-distribution model, the access switches are not part of the EVPN-VXLAN overlay; instead, they connect to the distribution tier using standard Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) or ESI-LAG. This allows organizations to leverage existing legacy or lower-tier access switches that do not support advanced VXLAN capabilities while still benefiting from a robust, scalable EVPN-VXLAN fabric at the distribution and core layers.5 In contrast, while the campus fabric IP Clos also excels at handling east-west traffic, it requires the access switches themselves to perform VXLAN encapsulation/decapsulation (acting as VTEPs), which contradicts the requirement for access switches to operate only at Layer 2.