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Dphiance
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Please Help! Nested ESX 4 Networking Issue. No Service Console Access!

Hi, im setting up a home lab to help prepare for VCP certification and have run into a problem. I've been trying to fix this all day and have done extesive googleing to no avail.

Current VMs:

6 x ESX 4 Update 1 (Hostnames = 8VESXC1N1 - 3 and 8VESXC2N1 - 3)

1 x Server 2008 DataCenter (Hostname = Cedar)

1 x Openfiler 2.3 (Hostname = Oak)

1 x UDA 2.0 (Hostname =Pine)

My vSwitch setup looks like this:

Currently I have each of the ESX VM's setup with one NIC in the Service Console port group. They are addressed from 192.168.10.51 - 192.168.10.53 for what will be cluster 1 and 192.168.10.61 - 192.168.10.63 for cluster 2 (all with 24 bit masks). yet for some reason I cant connect to or ping them from either a laptop sitting on the other side of the physical interface (with IP in same range) or from the "Cedar" VM.

If it has any bearing then my domain controller and DNS is through 192.168.10.40 (the Cedar VM)

Im using the E1000 type vmnic and my physical interface is a Intel PRO1000 GT which is listed in the HCL.

Command Outputs:

Any ideas Smiley Sad

Cheers

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a_p_
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6 Replies
a_p_
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Did you enable promiscuous mode on vSwitch0?

André

EDIT:

http://www.vcritical.com/2009/05/vmware-esx-4-can-even-virtualize-itself/

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Dphiance
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Thanks for your quick reply!

I don't have promiscuous mode enabled, how would this help? I assume this would let any host on the switch see all traffic on the switch? Why would this be needed?

Thanks

Adam

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Dphiance
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IT worked! Thankyou soooo much.. I'm still really curious as to why this is need if you wouldn't mind explaining.

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Dphiance
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Cheers got the edit!

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a_p_
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Adam,

the reason for promiscious mode for the "outer" vSwitch0 is, that you not only nested ESX but also nested vSwitches.

The "inner" service console is connected to the "inner" vSwitch, which has an uplink to the "outer" vSwitch0. Therfore all traffic needs to be passed to the nested/inner vSwitch in order to reach the service console.

André

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Datto
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Chiming in a little late to this thread -- just wanted to mention that rather than engaging Promiscuous Mode on the entire VSwitch, you can just engage Promiscuous Mode (change to Accept from the default of Reject) for the Service Console Port and the Virtual Machine Port.

Datto

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