Trunk Port on Vmware EXSi 5?

[QantasA380]

Hello,

We have vShpere Essentials Plus here with EXSi 5. I wish to trunk 4 times network ports for each host. Then on Vmware we can choose what VLAN the Virtual Machine belongs to.

I think i know how to setup the Cisco switch. Set 4 ports in a trunk and put all 4 ports into a channel group. I am not sure how to set Vmware. Does anyone have any links to blogs with step by step guides please?

Thanks

[jrmunday]

You are simply creating a vSwitch with 4x virtual machine port groups (one per VLAN with the VLAN tag configured). The vSwitch will have uplinks which are patched into your trunk ports. You need one uplink at a minimum, but best to use diverse patching for redundancy.

You can either do this configuration using the vSphere Client or CLI - my preference is PowerCLI.

Do you need some screenshots?

[Rubeck]

Also see http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1004048

If you need basic load balancing there's really no need to go "channeling", IMO.. 

Add you physical NICs to a vSwitch, add portgroups with matching VLAN ID compared to your physical switch ports.... That's it.

/Rubeck

[QantasA380]

Thanks for the help.

Some screenshots would really help :-)

Thanks

[jrmunday]

I'm just on a very delayed train home, but will send you a walkthrough doc later!

[QantasA380]

Thanks for your time and efforts :smileyhappy:

[QantasA380]

@jrmunday did you find the guide please?

[a_p_]

Set 4 ports in a trunk and put all 4 ports into a channel group

I would not create a channel-group, but only configure trunk ports and connect the ESXi host to these ports. Then - on the ESXi host - attach these uplinks to a vSwitch and create port groups on which you set the appropriateVLAN-ID.

Please see tha KB articles about EtherCahnnel configuration (http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1004048) and its limitations as well as the one which explains VST mode (http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1004074)

André

PS: You may also want to read http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/virtual_networking_concepts.pdf

[jrmunday]

This assumes you have a ESXi 5.0 host, default installation, and connected to the network.

Using your vSphere Client, select the Host, Configuration Tab, Networking (we will use Standard switches). The defaults should look like this;

In this example, I will add 4x virtual machine port groups to vSwitch0 to cater for your four VLAN’s.

Select Properties, Add, select Virtual Machine and click Next.

Edit your network label and VLAN ID, Click Next

Preview your changes and click Finish

You should see your newly configured virtual machine port group listed. Click Add and repeat this process for your remaining three VLAN’s.

Once you’ve added all required virtual machine port groups, click Close.

Your switch is now configured with all your VLAN’s.

[QantasA380]

Thanks for your help. I will test this tomorrow (if i get time). I assume on the cisco switch its just a standard switchport mode trunk - nothing else special?

Thanks

[Josh26]

QantasA380 wrote:

Thanks for your help. I will test this tomorrow (if i get time). I assume on the cisco switch its just a standard switchport mode trunk - nothing else special?

Thanks

Yes, that's correct.

It's recommended to configure portfast too.

[chriswahl]

Discussion moved from VMware ESXi 5 to VMware vSphere™ vNetwork

[QantasA380]

Wow i have done it and that was allot more simple than i thought! Thanks for all the help.