vswitch does NOT appear as a network adapter

[glousteau]

I've currently got 2 vswitches working in my environment for connectivity to seperate LANs.  I'd like to create a 3rd/4th.  I've configured the vswitch, same as the original 2; however, when I go to edit the settings on a VM and click the down arrow to choose a network adapter, I am NOT seeing the 3rd/4th vswitch.  A friend helped me setup the original vswitch, so its entirely possible I've missed a step, but am curious why I don't see the new vswitch listed in network adapters?

I get the same 2 original vswitches ONLY.  I've tried mutliple vm's but no dice, they all look the same, so I'm thinking it has to do with my vswitch configuration (but only a guess)?

thanks

[daphnissov]

Please show screenshots describing what you mean.

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[scott28tt]

Is this all on 1 ESXi host or multiple?

Did you create a VM Port Group on the new vSwitch? (you assign the network adapter of a VM to a VM Port Group, not to the vSwitch)

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[glousteau]

Wow, rapid fire responses.  Thanks.

This is all inside one ESXi host, yes.  Perhaps I should state my end goal also?

I have a 4 port nic in this server.  I want to use 2 physical ports (one in and one out) for a given VM.These NICs would be dedicated to this single VM.

I realize this isn't probably the most appropriate use of vm resources, but none-the-less what I'm trying to configure>  a DMZ gateway of sorts

here are my screenshots

[daphnissov]

You've created a vSwitch with no port groups. VMs do not attach to vSwitches, they attach to port groups. You must create one designed for VMs for them to show in that list.

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[glousteau]

This was definitely my issue, but now I'm puzzled and curious.

What is a port group?

What is a vswitch?

I had the understanding that all I needed to configure was a vswitch?  In my mind a vswitch is a virtual switch.  A physical switch has ports (physical and logical).  Ports can be uplinks, access, etc.  A switch provides connectivity to all hosts connected to it.  In my situation I'm connecting a VM to my switch, My switch also has an "uplink" of sorts that connects to the outside world.

My question remains, what is a port group? and why did I need to configure it.  As part of that configuration I had to assign it to a vswitch?

Maybe the more I think about it.....a port group bridges the virtual to physical worlds.  Meaning I can connect numerous VMs together inside a vswitch, but by default a vswitch is just that, it has no physical ports in it.  Build a port group and assign it to a vswitch. Now your virtual world is connected to your virtual world via the port group.  Kinda like the port group is the uplink out of the vswitch.  Why can't I natively add a physical port to a vswitch?

is my rambling making any sense?

Greg

[scott28tt]

A port group is a group of ports, it is a child object of a vSwitch, and has certain distinct properties:

VLAN

Security policies

Teaming policies

A vSwitch can have just 1 or multiple port groups.

If you want all the VMs using that vSwitch (and the underlying uplink port) to leverage all the same properties as mentioned above just create 1 port group on the vSwitch and connect all the VM network adapters to it, but if some of your VMs need to be in different VLANs or use different security or teaming policies you would create multiple port groups and decide which VM network adapters to connect to which port group.

It is the vSwitch which offers the connection to the physical world, through the uplink port(s) you associate with it - the right hand side of the switch graphic in the screenshot you posted earlier. You don’t have to give a vSwitch a physical uplink port, for example if the VMs you connect to any port group on that vSwitch only need to communicate with one another and not the physical world. But a vSwitch must contain at least 1 port group or VMkernel port in order to do anything useful, as you have learned in this thread.

These are fundamental concepts of vSphere networking.

Forum Usage Guidelines: https://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-12286
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[glousteau]

Thanks!  sorry, I'm probably just being dense here...

Does a vswitch work without a port group defined/configured? if so, what does it do without a port group?

Why would I ever configure a vswitch without a port group? why would the UI allow me to configure a vswitch without a port group?

Can you point me to any reading/diagrams more specifically on this topic that would help me understand?

thanks!

Greg

[scott28tt · Accepted solution]

I answered that above:

"But a vSwitch must contain at least 1 port group or VMkernel port in order to do anything useful, as you have learned in this thread."

Start at the top: About vSphere Networking

Forum Usage Guidelines: https://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-12286
VMware Training & Certification blog: http://vmwaretraining.blogspot.com

[scott28tt]

Exactly as I mentioned, you connect the network adapter of a VM to a VM Port Group - but your vSwitch doesn't have any VM Port Groups, where the bottom screenshot says "No portgroups"

Forum Usage Guidelines: https://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-12286
VMware Training & Certification blog: http://vmwaretraining.blogspot.com