What is the purpose of an NSX-T edge node?

The purpose of an NSX-T edge node is to provide routing and services to multiple tenants. NSX-T edge nodes are essential components in a multi-tenant environment, as they enable the secure and efficient routing of traffic between virtual networks, while also delivering services such as load balancing, VPN, and NAT (Network Address Translation). This capability allows for the isolation and management of different tenants within the same infrastructure, making it possible to serve varying customer needs without compromising on performance or security.

In the context of NSX-T, edge nodes also help ensure that network services are available and scalable, which is crucial for environments that require dynamic resource allocation. Their role is fundamental to facilitating communication between virtualized data centers and external networks, as well as between different tenant environments within the same NSX-T deployment.