New to VM, network config question

[AmDD]

I have a question with networking on a VM host. Im fairly new to VMs so forgive me if this is a dumb question or if its in the wrong forum.

Say I have a single VM host with ESXi 5 running multiple Win2008 servers. The physical switch in the network is a 48 port 10/100 but has 2 gigabit ports. The physical host has 4 gigabit NICs. Is it better to run 4 NICs at 100MB/s or run two in gigabit? WHat about running 2 NICs in each (2 in giga and 2 in 100)? How would I configure everything?

Im just trying to see what options are avilable to me with this and what the prefered configuration is.

thank you!

[sigreaves]

If the traffic is flowing between virtual machines on the same host I would configure it with a single switch and give the virtual machines 10Gb NICs as the traffic will never leave the host and so won't traverse the physical switch.

If you want to connect your 10/100/1000Gb switch to another switch then the traffic will only flow as fast as the slowest connection.  If you populate both of your 1Gb ports with this one host that doesn't leave anything for cross switch connections.  Unless they are stacking switches of course.

I wouldn't worry too much about it and just put all your VMs on the same virtual switch to keep the traffic on the host.

Regards,

Simon Greaves

www.simongreaves.co.uk

[AmDD]

I see what you are saying. I forgot to mention there are workstations connected to the switch as well. Most all data will flow from server to workstation with very little between the servers themselves. There is also only a single switch with no need to link another switch for the forseeable future.

[sigreaves · Accepted solution]

You may as well plug them into the 1Gb ports as if you do have any traffic that flows out of the 1Gb host uplinks and back into the same host again that will at least be 1Gb speed.

All your host to workstation traffic will flow at 100Mb max.

Personally I would look at picking up a new switch if budgets allow it.  You can get a 48 port gigabit switch for around £180, or if you don't use all 48 ports you can get a smaller one much cheaper.

Regards,

Simon Greaves

www.simongreaves.co.uk

[AmDD]

I'll look into a new switch but I doubt thats the direction they will want to go.

I'll see about switching to the 1GB ports, I see no advantage in using even all 4 100mb connections...

Thank you for the info!