Adding another network adapter to a VM

[kalora]

Hi,

We are running ESXI 5 with two DELL R710s and an MD3200. Both the DELL servers have 4 physical network adapters. Currently, I am using one for the management network and one for VMOTION, leaving two spare on both hosts.

I need to create a VM running Forefront 2010 and for this to work correctly it needs to have two network cards - one that is internet facing and one that connects to the LAN. How do I use one of my two spare NICs on the hosts to make it available to the VM, so that I can set it as the outside network? Do I add a network adapter through the properties of the vSwitch0 and then it can be seen by the VM?

Also how will VMOTION work if one of the addresses is routable and talking directly to the outside world?

Thanks in advance

Matt

[weinstein5]

Welcome to the Community - One way is to create another virtual switch and placeing the physical NIC that will be communicating to the outside network. This switch will have a virtual machine port group that you will connect the second virtual nic to -

This will have no impact on vmotion as long as the other host is configured the same way

[kalora]

Hi, thanks for your suggestion. I added another Virtual Switch (vmkernel, I assume this is correct?). I did not choose any of Vmotion, Fault Tolerance or Management traffic (should I?). I then added the routable IP and changed the gateway and saved the settings - the new swicth appears on the host.

However when I now go to the VM and add a new network adapter, I only see the defaults for Adapter Types and Network Connection - the new one I just created is not there?

[weinstein5 · Accepted solution]

Since you are wanting VM traffice you will have to create a virtual with a VMware Port Group not a VMkernel Port -  I would remove the new vswitch and recreate it with a virtual machine port group -

This guide should help you out - look at the section Setting up Networking with a vSphere Standard Switch - http://pubs.vmware.com/vsphere-50/topic/com.vmware.ICbase/PDF/vsphere-esxi-vcenter-server-50-network...

[kalora]

Thanks kindly, that was spot on.

Regards

Matt