ESX Configuration Guide

6Map each iSCSI port to just one active NIC.

By default, for each iSCSI port on the vSwitch, all network adapters appear as active. You must override this setup, so that each port maps to only one corresponding active NIC. For example, iSCSI port vmk1 maps to vmnic1, port vmk2 maps to vmnic2, and so on.

a On the Ports tab, select an iSCSI port and click Edit.

b Click the NIC Teaming tab and select Override vSwitch failover order.

cDesignate only one adapter as active and move all remaining adapters to the Unused Adapters category.

7Repeat the last step for each iSCSI port on the vSwitch.

What to do next

After performing this task, use the esxcli command to bind the iSCSI ports to the software iSCSI or dependent hardware iSCSI adapters.

Configuring Networking on Blade Servers

Because blade servers have a limited number of network adapters, you might need to use VLANs to separate traffic for the service console, vMotion, IP storage, and various groups of virtual machines.

VMware best practices recommend that the service console and vMotion have their own networks for security reasons. If you dedicate physical adapters to separate vSwitches for this purpose, you might need to relinquish redundant (teamed) connections, stop isolating the various networking clients, or both. VLANs allow you to achieve network segmentation without having to use multiple physical adapters.

For the network blade of a blade server to support an ESX port group with VLAN tagged traffic, you must configure the blade to support 802.1Q and configure the port as a tagged port.

The method for configuring a port as a tagged port differs from server to server. The list describes how to configure a tagged port on three of the most commonly used blade servers.

Table 6-1. Port Tagging Options on Blade Servers

Configure a Virtual Machine Port Group with a VLAN on a Blade Server

Configuring virtual machine networking on a blade server requires some special considerations.

Procedure

1 Log in to the vSphere Client and select the host from the inventory panel.

2Click the Configuration tab, and click Networking.

3 On the right side of the page, click Properties for the vSwitch associated with the service console.

4On the Ports tab, click Add.

5 Select Virtual Machines for the connection type (default).

6Click Next.

Chapter 6 Networking Best Practices, Scenarios, and Troubleshooting

7In the Port Group Properties group, enter a network label that identifies the port group that you are creating.

Use network labels to identify migration-compatible connections common to two or more hosts.

8For VLAN ID, enter a number between 1 and 4094.

If you are unsure what to enter, leave this blank or ask your network administrator.

9Click Next.

10 After you determine that the vSwitch is configured correctly, click Finish.

Configure a VMkernel Port with a VLAN on a Blade Server

You can configure a VMkernel networking interface using a VLAN on a blade server.

Procedure

1 Log in to the vSphere Client and select the host from the inventory panel.

2Click the Configuration tab, and click Networking.

3 On the right side of the page, click Properties for the vSwitch associated with the service console.

4On the Ports tab, click Add.

5 Select VMkernel and click Next.

This option lets you connect the physical network to the VMkernel, which runs services for vMotion and IP storage (NFS or iSCSI).

6 In the Port Group Properties group, select or enter a network label and a VLAN ID.

Enter a network label to identify the port group that you are creating. This is the label that you specify when configuring a virtual adapter to be attached to this port group, when configuring VMkernel services, such as vMotion and IP storage.

Enter a VLAN ID to identify the VLAN that the port group’s network traffic will use.

7 Select Use this port group for vMotion to enable this port group to advertise itself to another ESX host as the network connection where vMotion traffic should be sent.

You can enable this property for only one vMotion and IP storage port group for each ESX host. If this property is not enabled for any port group, migration with vMotion to this host is not possible.

8In the IP Settings group, click Edit to set the VMkernel default gateway for VMkernel services, such as vMotion, NAS, and iSCSI.

Under the DNS Configuration tab, the name of the host is entered into the name field by default. The DNS server addresses and the domain that were specified during installation are also preselected.

On the Routing tab, the service console and the VMkernel each need their own gateway information. A gateway is needed if connectivity to machines not on the same IP subnet as the service console or VMkernel.

Static IP settings is the default. 9 Click OK and then click Next.

10Click Back to make any changes.

11Review your changes on the Ready to Complete page and click Finish.