how to set IP for a vmnic?

[samansalehi]

I have a ESX 4.1 Host in a 4 NIC physical server.

I use three nics of those four:

     vmnic0: I set at the installation time with the ip: 172.20.2.91

     vmnic1: NIC Teaming with vmnic0.

          Both of them configure for service console, vmkernel, and some VMs.

     vmnic3: set for FTP VM.

I have problem with the IP of vmnic1 and vmnic3, and I want to set them statically to know what of my IPs in my range used.

would u please show me how to set this?

[kjb007]

Teamed NICs don't function in this manner.  They are simply switch uplinks.  They don't hold IPs.  The devices behind the vSwitch are the ones that are actually IP'd.  The vmnic's only provide the plumbing.

-KjB

[samansalehi]

Hello Kanuj

Thank u for replying.

You mean the IP: 172.20.2.91 is set for vmnic0 and vmnic1?

and what about vmnic3, what is the IP of that Network Card?

[kjb007]

You're missing the concept.  The vmnic's are uplinks to the physical switch, they are just the plumbing that allows virtual machines and/or mgmt ports to talk through the vswitch to the physical switch.  None of the vmnics hold an IP.  The service console port, the vmkernel port, those hold IPs.  They are doing the communication, and going through the vmnic pipes that you have created.

-KjB

[idle-jam]

kjb007 is right. i would advise you reading more on virtual networking concepts as it would give you a better idea how networking works in ESX. http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/virtual_networking_concepts.pdf

also if you need to create a vlan later (there are many types) , here is a tutorial http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1003806

[idle-jam]

vmnic are tied vswitch and then tied to a virtual machine in which the IP will inherint from your guest OS. the initial IP define is actually the management IP of the ESX host.

Here is a tutorial on setting up teaming at the vswitch level.

http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1004088

Message was edited by: Troy Clavell - fixed broken URL

[samansalehi]

Hello idle-jam

if i want to enable that last vmnic, i mean vmnic2 and in VLAN 7, it is just enough to set the VLAN of that port in physical switch to 7 and just connecting the port?

and for example if i connect a VM to that vmnic with vlan 7 and set IP: 172.20.7.40, the IP of vmnic2 will be 172.20.7.40?

[kjb007]

Not exactly. Enabling vmnic2, and setting the switch port to VLAN7, will assume that all virtual machines behind that vswitch will be using VLAN7.  So, if you create a vm that is set for that particular IP address, then that VM will hold the IP address, but will pass through vmnic2 to get to the physical switch.  The result will be that the vm will be on the correct VLAN and IP address, but the vm itself holds the IP address, not the vmnic2 directly.

-KjB

[samansalehi]

thank you to everyone, i think i know how to manage my Virtual Network Infrastructure.

Special Thannks to kjb007 and idle-jam.

[idle-jam]

no problem, feel free to come back here and if you bump into any problems later on.