VMware Cloud Community
Fewsed
Contributor
Contributor

new (small) network configuration help

I am looking for some guidance in how to configure the network for a small VM environment I have been tasked with setting up. The VM's at this point will be just for the servers (Windows Server 2008) and the workstations are physical boxes.
My previous experience has all been physical, so the management network and LAN networks are raising some questions as to which hosts should be on which network.
What I have available is a vSphere client machine (single NIC), two ESXi servers available with dual NICs, and a NAS with dual nics.
I cannot add additional hardware at this time. The ESXi servers will be configured for high availability.
Please correct me if I am way off base, but - I believe I should configure the network as follows:
VC - management subnet (192.168.0.50)
ESX 1 - NIC0 - management subnet (192.168.0.51)
ESX 1 - NIC1 - to physical switch for LAN traffic to the guest OS
ESX 2 - NIC0 - management subnet (192.168.0.52)
ESX 2 - NIC1 - to physical switch for LAN traffic to the guest OS
NAS - NIC0 - management subnet (192.168.0.75)
NAS - NIC1 - (not connected?)
I believe I just need to create an iSCSI connection from the NAS to the vSphere client system to configure the VM's, rather than setting it up on the LAN segment as well - is this correct? I have not yet investigated where or why I would need to create vSwitches in this specific environment.
Sorry if any of the terminology is not what you are used to, this has come up quickly and I have not had much chance to read up a lot yet, just hoping I am heading in the right direction.
Thanks in advance.
Reply
0 Kudos
3 Replies
Tsjo
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Hi,

If you're planning to use the NAS as shared ESXi storage it has to be available to all ESXi hosts, the vSphere client is just a management tool so it can be used on any client with access to the vCenter.

If it's possible get an additional physical switch so you can connect all NIC0 (management/NAS) to it and all NIC1 to the physical switch for LAN (and NAS?) traffic.

If you find this information useful, please award points for "correct" or "helpful".
Fewsed
Contributor
Contributor

So with the two switches, would the second NIC be configured through the ESXi interface with an IP address on the local network (NIC1) side as well?

Switch 1 (NAS, Management) NIC0DeviceSwitch 2 (LAN) NIC1
192.168.0.50VC(N/A)
192.168.0.51ESXi Host 1192.168.1.51
192.168.0.52ESXi Host 2192.168.1.52
192.168.0.75NAS192.168.1.75

Or would it be plugged in just for the use of the guest VM's. And if the NAS is only being used for the VM's, is there any actual need to connect the second NIC to the local network at all? I don't believe the local network would need to see the NAS at all.
Switch 1 (NAS, Management) NIC0DeviceSwitch 2 (LAN) NIC1
192.168.0.50VC(N/A)
192.168.0.51ESXi Host 1Connected to switch only, no IP assigned in ESXi?
192.168.0.52ESXi Host 2Connected to switch only, no IP assigned in ESXi?
192.168.0.75NASNot connected
Thanks again, learning on the fly here!
Reply
0 Kudos
Tsjo
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

If the NAS will be used only as a datastore, I'd connect NAS NIC1 to Switch 1 and add both adresses to the hosts. That way you'll get some redundancy if one if the NAS NICs fail.

If you find this information useful, please award points for "correct" or "helpful".