What type of traffic flow is referred to as east-west in data center communications?

East-west traffic in data center communications specifically refers to the data flows that occur between devices that are within the same data center. This includes traffic between servers, storage systems, and any other internal devices that facilitate operations, application communications, and data transfers.

Understanding east-west traffic is crucial because it reflects the interactions that happen internally, as opposed to north-south traffic, which involves data traveling to and from the external network, such as communications between users and the internet. In a typical modern data center architecture, an enormous amount of traffic occurs between these internal devices, driven by the need for fast and efficient communication, especially in virtualized environments where resources are dynamically allocated.

Recognizing the difference helps in configuring network security measures effectively, as east-west traffic often requires stringent measures to prevent lateral movement of threats within the data center, which can compromise multiple systems if not monitored properly.