Route based on Port ID and Load Base Teaming

[4nd7]

Hello,

When using Route based on Port ID or Load Based Teaming is it necessary that all the pnics of the ESX server to connect to the same switch or stacked switches, or there is also the posibility to connect to separate switches?

Thank you!

[Virtuadude]

I'd suggest not to do that

All the NICS (on a vSwitch) must be connected to same physical switch or Stacked switches.

In case of an issue VMware will never support it and they will ask you to change it to same physical switch Immediately.

This is applicable only to IP hash load balancing

Deepak

[Virtuadude]

All the NICS connected to one vSwitch should always be connected to same physical switch

NICS connected to different vSwitches may be connected to different physical switches.

Deepak

[4nd7]

Why would it be a problem connecting the NICS attached to a vSwitch to separate physical switches when selecting those load-balancing policies?  Traffic from one virtual machine will flow only through a single switch port.

[Virtuadude · Accepted solution]

Connecting to same physical switch is recommended only if you have configured IP Hash (link aggregation).

In rest of the load balancing policies you may connect it to different physical switches.

Actually I missed the point that you asked only for Port ID or load based policy, in which case you can connect the Pnics to different p switches.