need to multihome esx4i with connections on 2 different subnets

[vperris]

we are setting up an esx4i server and would like to multihome it with connections to two subnets, like:

nic 1 -> 10.10.10.xx

nic 2 -> 10.10.11.xx

the subnets cannot access each other

I set up the esxi server itself like: 10.10.10.45, using nic0 configured from the console.

I can run the client and connect to the system successfully.

however, now how do I set up the second one? I can't configure a second interface

at the console. It is configured as a second virtual switch on the server, with a different

management network and default gateway (see picture)

so, vswitch0 has mgmt inetwork vmk0 ip 10.10.103.45, gateway 10.10.103.1

vswitch1 has vmkernel port vmk1, ip 10.10.104.45 gateway 10.10.104.1

but, only one of the two vswitches can have management traffic, and that is 10.10.103

we are going to try to use this to physical-to-virtual systems from both subnets.

anyone done this before? is this even possible?

thanks in advance for any help with this

[DSTAVERT]

You can create a second virtual switch attached to the second NIC. You can add Virtual machines to both switches. The management subnet will be able to administer both virtual switches and all the VMs on those switches. You can remove the VMkernel port from teh second switch.

[vperris]

DStavert,

Thanks, I did that. However, what we are going to try to do is use the converter to send

images from physical hardware onto the server.

Since running p-to-v requires a target ip address of the esx server,we can convert images

from one subnet - the one with the management network ip on it.

However, there is no way for the vm's on the second network to specify a server to send

the p-to-v images to.

So, in other words:

lan 1 - vswitch0 - 10.10.30.xx management ip of the esx server is 10.10.30.45 --

converter runs from windows systems specify 10.10.30.45 for the esx server

lan 2 - vswitch1 - 10.10.40.xx -- no management ip on this vswitch, but vmk1 in vmkernel specifies 10.10.40.45

if converter runs on windows systems specify 10.10.30.45, it comes up cannot find that ip.

and, 10.10.40.45 is not pingable on the network. (symptom of same thing)

The issue is getting the converter to recognize the ip of the second vswitch, 10.10.40.45,

from the windows systems we want to convert on to 10.10.40 subnet.

thanks.....vicki

Victoria Perris

SVL SDS VMware and Storage Environments

IBM Silicon Valley Lab

Email: vperris@us.ibm.com

Phone: (408) 463-3516, t/l 8-543-3516

http://w3.svl.ibm.com/sds

DSTAVERT <communities-emailer@vmware.com>

DSTAVERT <communities-emailer@vmware.com>

06/15/2009 03:20 PM

To

Victoria Perris/San Jose/IBM@IBMUS

cc

Subject

New message: "need to multihome esx4i with connections on 2 different subnets"

,

A new message was posted in the thread "need to multihome esx4i with connections on 2 different subnets":

http://communities.vmware.com/message/1284792#1284792

Author : DSTAVERT

Profile : http://communities.vmware.com/people/DSTAVERT

Message:

[DSTAVERT]

I have used a physical router between the two subnets and used a vpn from the machine being converted.

[vperris]

Will that work if there is no router between the two subnets? They are completely separate on the network.

Is there something else we can try in the way of configuring the second vswitch/nic that would give the

windows systems running converter on that second network a way to connect to the IP of the second nic?

thanks..Vicki

Victoria Perris

SVL SDS VMware and Storage Environments

IBM Silicon Valley Lab

Email: vperris@us.ibm.com

Phone: (408) 463-3516, t/l 8-543-3516

http://w3.svl.ibm.com/sds

DSTAVERT <communities-emailer@vmware.com>

DSTAVERT <communities-emailer@vmware.com>

06/15/2009 04:09 PM

To

Victoria Perris/San Jose/IBM@IBMUS

cc

Subject

New message: "need to multihome esx4i with connections on 2 different subnets"

,

A new message was posted in the thread "need to multihome esx4i with connections on 2 different subnets":

http://communities.vmware.com/message/1284804#1284804

Author : DSTAVERT

Profile : http://communities.vmware.com/people/DSTAVERT

Message:

[DSTAVERT]

I am assuming here that the two networks MUST be kept separate. You could add a virtual router. There are several virtual appliancesavailable.

If they don't need to be separated and the nics are in the same switch you can just change the netmask.