VMware Cloud Community
JamesSpader
Contributor
Contributor
‎05-19-2009 02:24 PM
Jump to solution

HELP ! Newbie Network Question

Hi Experts,

I have just started using VMware and I had a simple kind of question. I have inherited 4x Dell R900 servers. Each server has 2x 10G Fibre Cards, 2xHBA cards, 4x 1G onboard nics and a additional 4x 1G Nics. I have built all 4 ESX servers and sorted out the storage which happens to be a EMC DMX. The only issue I have now is what do I do networking wise? Obviosuly it would seem logical to crete the Server VLAN on the 10g Cards but what to do with the others?

Please help! Thanks in advance.

James

0 Kudos
1 Solution

Accepted Solutions
gary1012
Expert
Expert
‎05-19-2009 02:27 PM
Jump to solution

Misread the earlier post...

Since you have an abunance of NICs, you might want to consider this:

vSwitch0 (Service Console) --> Onboard 1G NIC1 and PCI 1G NIC1 as a failover pair. The best practice is to have the Service Console on a controlled segment away from the virtual machines and vmkernel networks

vSwitch1 (Virtual Machines) --> Both 10G cards in a trunked connection. Use VLAN tagging to provide access to multiple networks

vSwitch2 (vmkernel/vMotion - if used) --> Onboard 1G NIC2 and PCI 1G NIC2 as a failover pair. This should be on an isolated VLAN to enhance security and to ensure that all the bandwidth is dedicated to vMotion

Also, ensure that all of the NICs are on the VMware HCL.

Community Supported, Community Rewarded - Please consider marking questions answered and awarding points to the correct post. It helps us all.

View solution in original post

0 Kudos
3 Replies
gary1012
Expert
Expert
‎05-19-2009 02:27 PM
Jump to solution

Misread the earlier post...

Since you have an abunance of NICs, you might want to consider this:

vSwitch0 (Service Console) --> Onboard 1G NIC1 and PCI 1G NIC1 as a failover pair. The best practice is to have the Service Console on a controlled segment away from the virtual machines and vmkernel networks

vSwitch1 (Virtual Machines) --> Both 10G cards in a trunked connection. Use VLAN tagging to provide access to multiple networks

vSwitch2 (vmkernel/vMotion - if used) --> Onboard 1G NIC2 and PCI 1G NIC2 as a failover pair. This should be on an isolated VLAN to enhance security and to ensure that all the bandwidth is dedicated to vMotion

Also, ensure that all of the NICs are on the VMware HCL.

Community Supported, Community Rewarded - Please consider marking questions answered and awarding points to the correct post. It helps us all.
0 Kudos
JamesSpader
Contributor
Contributor
‎05-20-2009 02:04 AM
Jump to solution

Thanks Gary....Brillaint help.

James

0 Kudos
dconvery
Champion
Champion
‎05-20-2009 05:46 AM
Jump to solution

Take a look at Ken's "Great Virtual Switch Debate" -> http://kensvirtualreality.wordpress.com/tag/best-practice/

Dave Convery

VMware vExpert 2009

http://www.dailyhypervisor.com

Careful. We don't want to learn from this.

Bill Watterson, "Calvin and Hobbes"

Dave Convery, VCDX-DCV #20 ** http://www.tech-tap.com ** http://twitter.com/dconvery ** "Careful. We don't want to learn from this." -Bill Watterson, "Calvin and Hobbes"
0 Kudos