Palo Alto Networks (PANW) Certified Cybersecurity Entry-level Technician (PCCET) Practice Exam

What type of traffic flows inside a data center?

1. North-south

2. East-west

3. Up-down

4. Egress traffic

The correct answer is: East-west

In the context of a data center, east-west traffic refers to the network communication that occurs between resources within the same data center or between servers. This type of traffic is crucial because it facilitates interactions between different applications, services, and databases, all of which are typically housed in the same location. East-west traffic is characterized by its lateral movement within the data center, contrasting with north-south traffic, which describes data coming in (ingress) or going out (egress) of the data center to external sources or clients. The predominance of east-west traffic in a data center setting is due to the need for high-speed communication and low latency among virtual machines and services without needing to traverse public or perimeter networks. Understanding the dynamics of east-west traffic is essential for network design and security configurations in a data center environment, as it highlights the importance of internal security measures and efficient data handling between interconnected systems.