In layer-3 networking, routing takes instance MAC and IP addresses out of the network core, reducing state churn. The only time there would be a routing state change is in the case of a Top of Rack (ToR) switch failure or a link failure in the backbone itself. Other advantages of using a layer-3 architecture include: Layer-3 networks provide the same level of resiliency and scalability as the Internet. Controlling traffic with routing metrics is straightforward. You can configure layer-3 to use Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) confederation for scalability. This way core routers have state proportional to the number of racks, not to the number of servers or instances. There are a variety of well tested tools, such as Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) to monitor and manage traffic. Layer-3 architectures enable the use of quality of service (QoS) to manage network performance.

在第三层网络中，路由将实例的MAC地址和IP地址从网络核心中移除，减少了状态变化。只有在Top of Rack (ToR)交换机故障或骨干链路故障的情况下，才会发生路由状态的变化。使用第三层架构的其他优势包括：

第三层网络提供与互联网相同级别的弹性和可扩展性。

使用路由度量控制流量非常直观。

可以配置第三层使用边界网关协议（BGP）联盟来实现可扩展性。这样，核心路由器的状态与机架数量成比例，而不是与服务器或实例数量成比例。

有各种经过充分测试的工具，例如Internet控制报文协议（ICMP），用于监视和管理流量。

第三层架构使得可以利用服务质量（QoS）来管理网络性能。