hosts can not ping each other on the same DPortGroup

[Cosz3]

Hello,

I only have one physical server within 172.18.211.0/24 network, I want to establish a embedded vsphere environments inside the physical server.

1. The physical server has 8 physical network adapters (vmnic1 to vmnic7), the default deployment created a vswitch0 has connected with vmnic0 which is in 172.18.211.0/24 network.

2. I created two ESXi VMs connected with VM Network portgroup of vswitch0 (this is a virtual standard switch), each ESXi VMs has two virtual network cards like below, and I configured both of ESXi VMs with 172.18.211.X IP address

3. I added these two ESXi host to a Vcenter, and created a virtual distributed switch DSwitch in database. I added two ESXi VM hosts in this DSwitch like below:

4. Because each ESXi VM hosts has two virtual network cards NIC, thus I used one network card NIC of each ESXi VM host as virtual distributed switch DSwitch uplink, like below (uplink 1, uplink 2)

5. I created one CentOS 7 VM in each ESXi VM host, and both of them are connected within DPortgroup, like below:

6. I started up both CentOS 7 VMs and configured both VMs within the same network, for example 192.168.10.0/24

7. Problem: Then it revealed the problem that both CentOS7 VMs can not ping with each other.

8. My Guess: Is this problem cause by building virtual distributed switch on virtual standard switch? therefore two CentOS 7 vm can not ping with each other.

Questions:

1. so why the Two CentOS 7  can not ping each other?

2. Could I use this environment to test NSX and iSCSI, if I create more ESXi VMs on the physical hosts? since I have not tried.

Hope someone could guide me a bit, I am new to vsphere, and trying to learn more about vsphere.

Thank you much in advance.

[Mparayil]

Hello ,

based on my understanding you have 1 Physical ESXi host and you have created a 2 VM on it and installed ESXi { Nested ESXi and inside thes Nested ESXI you have created a Virtual machine with Cent OS, is my understanding correct.

can you try to change the port group configuration to Promiscuous mode on the Physical ESXi server where this Nested ESXi is connected. and try to ping.

Regards

VP

[daphnissov]

If you "rolled your own" ESXi VM, don't do that. Use William Lam's provide appliance which you can deploy that has all the necessary settings enabled. Get it here: https://www.virtuallyghetto.com/2017/05/updated-nested-esxi-6-0u3-6-5d-virtual-appliances.html

[Cosz3]

Thank you for your reply.

Yes, your understanding of Nested structure is correct

But the Network I need point out a bit here: the Nested ESXi connected with the "VM network" portgroup of virtual standard switch (vSwitch 0) in the physical server, and the Cent OS is connected with the "DPortgroup" of virtual Distributed switch (DSwitch) which has Nested ESXi.

The virtual standard switch (vSwitch0) uplink is a physical network card, but the virtual distributed switch (DSwitch) uplink is a virtual network card in "VM network portgroup".

The Nested ESXi can ping each other after configured a certain ip (did this mean the physical ESXi network card is already Promiscuous mode), but the CentOS nested in Nested ESXi can not ping each other, even within the same subnet IP configured and configured "VM network" portgroup as Promiscuous mode . (it seems their layer 2 is not connected by the virtual Distributed switch, even I configured the VM network security with Promiscuous mode).

In short, vsphere will not allow uplinks of virtual distributed switch (DSwitch) provided by Portgroup (VM network) of virtual standard switch (Switch0), is it right ?

best regards

shengping

[Cosz3]

Thank you for your reply,

This is really helpful, I will read it through.

but I want to learn some details from deploy a whole system manually.

[Cosz3]

Hello VP,

I just tried again, I set the vm network portgroup of virtual standard switch as Promiscuous mode, then wait a while, the two Nested CentOS vms can ping each other.

[Mparayil · Accepted solution]

great you mean after making the changes on the Prot-group you are able to ping the vm. if it is working pleas mark as answered

Regards

VP