What is the purpose of the NSX-T data plane?

The NSX-T data plane is primarily designed for handling data traffic between workloads. This includes the forwarding, routing, and processing of network packets between various virtual machines, containers, and physical servers within a virtualized infrastructure. The data plane is essential for maintaining the performance and efficiency of the network by ensuring that traffic flows smoothly and securely between these workloads without unnecessary delays or bottlenecks.

In the context of NSX-T, the data plane operates in conjunction with the control plane, which is responsible for managing the network's logical topology and configurations. The data plane acts on the information provided by the control plane to facilitate actual data transmission, enabling features such as load balancing and network segmentation.

Understanding the role of the data plane is crucial for designing and implementing effective network solutions within NSX-T environments, as it directly impacts how data is handled and flows across the network.