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Use Case Study: Using Active System For VMware Cluster Environment Configuration

Configure Management Network, Storage Network, vMotion Network, and

Customer Networks

ESXi Networking Overview

There are several networks that must be set up on the ESXi host. This section describes completing

configuration of the hypervisor management network, vMotion, and Virtual Machine networks as well as

adding networking for storage which is handled via the EqualLogic MEM. Reviewing what was configured

on the servers through Active System Manager the figure below shows the networking topology on each

of the servers. The first two ports on the CNA have been configured as single 10Gb partitions to the

redundant storage fabrics in the chassis. This storage traffic is carried on VLAN 16. It is important to

remember that the Active System Manager template was configured to allow VLAN 16 to be the Native

VLAN for the server facing port on the blade I/O Module. This means that this port expects traffic from

the server to be untagged, and will tag any ingress traffic from the server with VLAN 16, which is the

storage VLAN. A vSphere switch will be configured on the ESXi host by EqualLogic MEM to handle this

storage traffic and associate it with the storage adapter in ESXi to connect to iSCSI volumes. Since the

I/O Module is expecting untagged traffic on this port a VLAN ID will not be configured on the iSCSI

vSwitch.

Example Port Configuration For ESXi Host

Figure 6.

Notice that each of the fabric B mezzanine cards on the server has been divided into four partitions, or

Virtual NICs, as was specified in the Active System Manager Template. Port 1 and Port 2 on the

mezzanine card connecting to fabric B1 and B2 in the chassis has been configured identically to provide

redundant access to the LAN networks. The server facing port on the I/O module has been configured

to carry four VLANs to the server CNA. Several vSphere switches will be configured on the ESXi host to

associate with these virtual NICs. These will carry the hypervisor management, vMotion, and the virtual

machine networks. VLAN 20 and VLAN 23 will be used as the virtual machine networks which will

provide access to the networking assigned to deployed VMs. VLAN 20 will be specified as the native

VLAN. This means virtual machines which access VLAN 20 will be allowed to utilize this VLAN without

configuring VLAN tagging in the operating system. Any ingress traffic to the I/O module on VLAN 20 will

be expected to be untagged coming from the server and will be tagged with VLAN 20 in the I/O Module.

VLAN 23 will require the user to configure VLAN tagging in the operating system of the virtual machine.

VLAN 22 will be used for vMotion traffic. Traffic on this VLAN will also be required to be tagged and

configured on the vSwitch which will be set up for vMotion traffic on the host.