What is data center networking?
Data center networking is the integration of a constellation of networking resources — switching, routing, load balancing, analytics, etc. — to facilitate the storage and processing of applications and data.
Modern data center networking architectures leverage full-stack networking and security virtualization platforms that support a rich set of data services connecting everything from VMs, containers, and bare metal applications while enabling centralized management and granular security controls.
This model of data center networking represents a significant shift from the standard networking model in data centers not long ago. From on-premises physical servers, to virtualized infrastructure, to an integrated edge-to-cloud model of networking and security that is present wherever apps and data live, data center networking has evolved greatly in a short time.

VMware NSX Data Center - Datasheet

Introduction to VMware NSX
Why data center networking?
How does data center networking work?
A modern data center networking platform runs all network services required to support traditional enterprise applications entirely in software, enabling the automation of what were previously manual and error-prone provisioning tasks. It also makes possible capacity planning, security policy planning, and network troubleshooting. When applications are decommissioned, the networking platform handles de-provisioning policies associated with that application, which prevents the sprawl of stale policies that would otherwise degrade manageability, security, connectivity, and compliance.
Related Solutions and Products
NSX Data Center
Network and security virtualization platform
NSX Distributed Firewall
Secure your data center with a full-stack firewall distributed at each workload.
NSX Advanced Threat Prevention
Network traffic analysis and intrusion prevention for NSX Distributed Firewall