Specifications

Administration Guide
322 VMware, Inc.
2Search!/etc/vmware/devnames.conf:
$ grep 2:04.0 /etc/vmware/devnames.conf
002:04.0 nic vmnic0
The!device!name!is!vmnic0.
Creating a Virtual Switch
You!can!find!basic!instructions!for!creating!and!modifying!virtual!switches!in!
“Network!Connections”!on!page 188.
Choosing a Load Balancing Mode
You!can!choose!one!of!three!modes!to!determine!how!ESX!Server!distributes!traffic!
among!the!network!adapters!assigned!to!a!virtual!switch:
! MAC!address!balancing
! IP!address!balancing
! Standby
Select!the!load!balancing!mode!by!setting!the!load_balance_mode!option!for!a!virtual!
switch.!All!options!for!virtual!switches!are!defined!in!/etc/vmware/hwconfig,!which!
you!can!modify!through!the!Service!Console.
MAC!address!load!balancing!distributes!networking!traffic!based!on!the!MAC!
hardware!addresses!of!the!source!network!adapters.!Select!
MAC!address!balancing!by!
setting!load_balance_mode!to!out-mac.
IP!address!load!balancing!distributes!networking!traffic!based!on!IP!addresses.!ESX!
Server!distributes!network!traffic!not!using!the!IP!protocol!on!a!fixed‐volume!
sequential!cycle.!Select!IP!address!balancing!by!setting!load_balance_mode!to!
out-ip.
Standby!mode!designates!a!specific!adapter!to
!use!as!the!primary!connection.!Use!
Standby!mode!for!redundant!connection!switches,!as!described!in!the!next!section.!
N
OTE The!configuration!options!described!below!are!used!for!optimizing!virtual!switches!for!
complex!operating!conditions.!You!can!create!and!use!a!virtual!switch!without!
changing!these!options!for!most!configurations.!
NOTE MAC!address!balancing!is!the!default!load!balancing!mode!in!ESX!Server.