Networking configuration for ESX or ESXi Part 3

Today, third part, this time ESX(i) host has 10 pNIC’s (1Gbps) on Standard Switches (vSS)

Scenario #1 – 10 NIC’s (1Gbps – 2 x quad port adapters and 2 on-board ports) – standard Switch for each type of traffic

In  scenario I have to design network for 5 different type of traffic. Each of the traffic has different vLAN ID which will help to utilize all NIC’s for more than one traffic, optimize pNIC utilization and have network secured.

1. mgmt – VLANID  10
2. vMotion – vLANID 20
3. VM network – vLANID 30
4. VM Backup – vLANID 40
5. DMZ – vLANID 50

When you don’t have Enterprise Plus vSphere license the only way to configure virtual networking is vSS. In a diagram below, mgmt (Service Console or vmk port) and vMotion were placed on common vSwitch0 with active passive approach (in vSphere 4 vMotion can use only on vmnic), Active and Stand by state is set in a portgroups. On physical ports, where both pNICs are connected two vLANs must be trunked (vLAN 10 and 20) cause we need both network available on each port, such as  in case of failover – traffic from both networks will carry over one port.

Other networks, have their own dedicated vSwitch’es, each vSwitch has at least 2 NICs connected to two physical switches and all vmnics are in Active state (see table below for details). Below configuration follows virtual networking best practices in terms of:

• hardware redundancy – 2 physical switches, at least two pNIC per vSwitch,
• failover – each virtual network has at least two vmnics available
• security – separate vLAN for each traffic (e.g vMotion is not encrypted), vSwitch security options set to Reject
• capacity – each network has preserve bandwidth capacity (sending traffic over separate physical NIC)

vSwitch settings (applicable for all vSwitches)

• Promiscuous mode – Reject
• MAC address changes – Reject
• Forget Transmits – Reject
• Load balancing = route based on the originating virtual port ID (default)
• Network failover detection – link status only
• Notify switches – Yes
• Failback – No

vmnic	location	vSwitch	portgroup	state	vLANID	pSwitch
vmnic0	on board	vswitch3	backup VM	active	30	Switch1
vmnic1	on board	vswitch3	backup VM	active	30	Switch2
vmnic2	quad NIC 1	vSwtich0	mgmt/vMotion	active in mgmt passive in vMotion	10, 20	Switch1
vmnic3	quad NIC 1	vSwitch1	DMZ	active	40	Switch1
vmnic4	quad NIC 1	vswitch2	VM network	active	50	Switch1
vmnic5	quad NIC 1	vswitch2	VM network	active	50	Switch1
vmnic6	quad NIC 2	vSwtich0	mgmt/vMotion	active in vMotion passive in mgmt	10, 20	Switch2
vmnic7	quad NIC 2	vSwitch1	DMZ	active	40	Switch2
vmnic8	quad NIC 2	vswitch2	VM network	active	50	Switch2
vmnic9	quad NIC 2	vswitch2	VM network	active	50	Switch2

If you have questions regarding particular case scenario, put question in comments and I will be glad to help you

Next post, further this week, will describes scenario with 10 pNIC but using vSS together with vDS (mixed virtual networking configuration approach)

 

UPDATE:

Network configuration 10 x 1Gbps for vSphere 5.1

 

Above is my recommended network configuration for vSphere 5.1 with Enterprise Plus license. As you know one of  the cooles new features in vSphere 5.1 is backup possibility of the Virtual Distributed Switches. In case you lost vCenter Database and there is no way to restore it you can easily restore vDS config into new DB – awesome. No risk of loosing network after vCenter DB lost and all network types including mgmt vMotion can run on single Virtual Distributed Switch. All vLAN has to be trunk on all physical switch ports.

Network configuration 10 x 1Gbps for vSphere 5.x and vSphere 4.x

 

My recommended network configuration for vSphere 5.X and vSphere 4.X with Enterprise Plus license. In above config vMotion and mgmt run on Virtual Standard Switch and Active/Passive vmnic configuration, where Storage, VM and FT traffic utilize Virtual Distributed Switch. The reason of heaving mgmt traffic on vSS is, in case of vCenter database lost you wont loose possibility to change ESXi/ESX host networking (N/A on vSphere 5.1 and above).