How to test ESX network policies

[amishera]

You know, ESX has some interesting networking policies:

1. Load balancing (IP hash)

2. Load balancing (virtual port id)

3. Load balancing (MAC hash)

4. Network failover detection (link status only)

5. Network failover detection (beacon probling)

6. Notify switches (yes/no)

7. Traffic Shaping (average, peak, burst size)

8. Security (promiscuous mode, mac address change)

Are there any tools available for validating the features?

Besides are there any commands for automating selection of the features (ie without going through the GUI). Apparently the vsphere SDK have no such commands/scripts. I might be wrong. Want to confirm.

Thanks

[mcowger]

As far as testing - its easy enough to configure them and then watch the traffic over the various NICs and simulate failures to see whats going on.  esxtop will be your friend in situations like this.

As far as the automating selections - all of these are exposed via the API.  You can use PowerCLI, Perl, VIJava, etc.

[amishera]

Thanks for the response. I was suspecting the same, but did you ever use the APIs to do the things? I want to confirm with someone who has really done something with the API. Concerning the first question, I am also suspecting that there might be some tool like iperf, etc there which can be tested. I would like to know what is the VMware's recommended method of testing them.

[amishera]

Hi,

I want to confirm the validity of my testing:

1. For Promiscuous mode testing: I created two VMs. In one VM I install the wireshark. When I set accept, the wireshark was able to capture the packets even the packets from the other VM in the same switch to the 3rd VM even in a different host (which is I am doubtful , is it a right behavior). But if the promiscuous mode is disabled, wireshark can't capture the packets.

2. For MAC address change testing: I created 2 VMs. I set the switch properties to have MAC address change accept. So while I am pinging

ping -t <ip>

And in the middle of the ping, I do this on the other VM:

ifconfig eth0 down hw ether <new mac>

ifconfig eth0 up

which causes temporary interruption (request time out) but eventually it resuems and goes on.

But if I cange the property to reject, the above interruption (request time out) goes on forever.

I hope I am following the correct procedure and hope someone to confirm so.

Thanks

[amishera]

Yes I can. I was thinking of using some off-the-shelf utility. I think I have managed the one which I have been looking for:

vim-cmd hostsvc/net/vswitch-setpolicy

The idea of using the SDK seems to be interesting. I am thinking of studying to discover something new there.