VM Networking: Back to Basics :(

[Dryv]

Hi All,

Looking for some help with understanding . I dont have access to a lab at the moment to test unfortunately.

I have:

-A cluster of 4 ESXi Servers and VCSA. Both 6.5

-Ent+

-Shared Storage all configured

-Management and vMotion networks configured

- A single Physical Switch just serving Management and vMotion traffic

Now I want to try and create 3 Test environments within this setup. A test environment consists of a number of VMs across 5 networks. But the networks across all test environments need to run the same IP address space, so for example Net1 in each environment will always be 192.168.1.x, Net2 192.168.2.x, Net3 192.168.3.x, Net4 192.168.4.x, Net5 192.168.5.x. Per environment the networks should be only be able to communicate with each other, no cross environment communication should take place.

Is it possible to do this:

- with just dvSwitches/vSwitches

- Possibly with pVLANS?

- A VM per environment possibly to do the routing between the 5 networks of each environment

- Allowing each environment to be spread across the 4 hosts in the cluster, (i.e not restricting myself to having a full environment deployed across its own dedicated ESXi hosts)

- With no NSX

- With no Physical uplinks (just the Management and vMotion uplinks which serve only Management and vMotion networks and not the environment VMs)

I'm not sure if further clarification is required to be able to answer this, but I hope its clear what I'm trying to achieve.

Dryv

Message was edited by: Dryv Corrected some typos

[mhampto · Accepted solution]

Based on the information provided, here is my best answer:

• With no Physical uplinks (just the Management and vMotion uplinks which serve only Management and vMotion networks and not the environment VMs)
• Allowing each environment to be spread across the 4 hosts in the cluster, (i.e not restricting myself to having a full environment deployed across its own dedicated ESXi hosts)
  
  As long as each host contains all the VM's required for the test environment, this should not be an issue.  If the VM's are to be spread out, then an uplink will be needed to communicate to the adjacent host.
  
  
• with just dvSwitches/vSwitches
  
  This should not be an issue
  
  
  
• Possibly with pVLANS?
  
  I would think this separation would only be needed if there are uplinks used that are shared with other environments.
  
  
• A VM per environment possibly to do the routing between the 5 networks of each environment
• With no NSX
  
  Yes, a VM with a linux Guest that can do routing can do this. Note that NSX Edges should be able to do this also, but as you mentioned, NO NSX so it would not apply.

Some term definitions are available here that may help: Networking Concepts Overview

[Dryv]

Thanks bud!