Networking Requirements for Management, DB, Cirba, VFoglight

[mamun001]

Hi:

We are implementing a solution where the following physical servers will support numerous ESX hosts (48+)

2 Management servers (virtualcenter)

2 Database servers

1 Cirba Server

1 VFoglight Server

My question is what are networking requirements for these servers?

e.g. which ones must be connected to the Vmotion switches?

e.g. which connections must exist amongst these servers?

e.g. which physicla connections must exist between each of these and the ESX hosts?

Thanks in advance.

-Mamun

[weinstein5]

From VMware's perspective you need at least three networks possibly four - VMware recommends the following networks to be seperate -

1. Management - this will used for you and virtual center to connect to your ESX Servers -Foglight and Cirba will also need access to this network

2. Production - This is the network that your virtual machines will connect to - Foglight and Cirba might need access to this if they need to communicate directly with the guest o/s in the vm -

3. vMotion - it is only the esx server that will have access to this network - virtual center, foglight and cirba shoudl have no need to be on this network

4. IP Based Storage (iSCSI or NAS/NFS) - this should be on its own isolated network for security and performance - if you are not going to have IP based storage this is not necessary

For your database servers they can commuicate over the production network unless you have some security reason that they need to be on their own segment -

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[Texiwill]

Hello,

e.g. which ones must be connected to the Vmotion switches?

Nothing but ESX hosts through the VMotion VMKernel port should be connected to the VMotion Switches. This is not a general purpose network and no tool needs to be on this.

e.g. which connections must exist amongst these servers?

Anything 'management' should be on a Virtualization Management Network, specifically if it has to access either vCenter or the SC. I would not have it cross a security zone (management vs production for example).

e.g. which physicla connections must exist between each of these and the ESX hosts?

Generally these are management tools.

vCenter, vFoglight, Cirba, etc.

DB is generally not a management tool UNLESS you have a DB only for Management tools.

So they would all go onto a Virtualization Management Network.

However, we can give you more help if you were to draw out your existing networking so we can assist with where to put these.

Best regards,
Edward L. Haletky
VMware Communities User Moderator
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Author of the book 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise: Planning and Securing Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2008 Pearson Education.
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