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Table Of Contents
VMware Server User’s Guide
238 VMware, Inc.
Configuring Bridged Networking When Using Teamed Network
Interface Cards
Networkadapterteaming(wheretwoormorenetworkinterfacecardsworkasoneand
appearasasingle,separatedevice)providesaVMwareServerhostandthevirtual
machinesrunningonitwithalevelofnetworkhardwarefaulttolerance.Ifonephysical
networkadapterfails,thennetworktrafficforthe
hostandvirtualmachinescan
continueusingtheremainingnetworkadaptersintheteam.
Anothermethodforprovidingfaulttoleranceisbymakingsurethatautomatic
bridgingisenabled.ThisfeatureisavailableonWindowshostsonlyandisenabledby
default.Formoreinformation,see“ConfiguringBridgedNetworkingOptionson
a
WindowsHost”onpage 225.Thismethodismorelimitedthanusingnetworkadapter
teaming,asitdoesnotallowforloadbalancing,switchfaulttolerance,faulttolerance
toanynecessaryservicesrunningonthehost,ortheabilitytospecifyanadapterasthe
primaryorsecondaryadapter.
Certain
networkadapterteamingmodesprovideloadbalancingandarediscussed
below.
IfyourVMwareServerhostisconfiguredtouseteamednetworkinterfacecards,and
youusebridgednetworkingwithyourvirtualmachines,youneedtoadjustyour
networksettings.YoudothisbybindingtheVMwareBridgeProtocoltothe
teamed
networkadapterandunbindingitfromeachindividual,physicalnetworkadapteron
thehost.See“SettingUptheWindowsHost”onpage 239.
BeforeyoustartusingteamedNICstonetworkyourvirtualmachines,youmusthave
agoodunderstandingofhownetworkteamingworksinyourhostenvironment.
Support for Network Adapter Teaming
VMwaresupportsteamedNICsonWindowshostswithenterpriseclassnetwork
adaptersthatcanbeconfiguredfornetworkadapterteaming.Ifthereisaspecific
teamednetworkingmode(suchas802.3adDynamicor802.3adDraftStaticmode)you
wanttouse,youmustuseadaptersthatsupportthatmode.
VMwarehas
nottestedanddoesnotsupportnetworkadapterteamswith
VMware ServeronLinuxhosts.
N
OTEYoumightbeunabletouseHostTeamedBroadcomNICsforabridgedvirtual
networkifyouareusingteamedBroadcomnetworkadapterssettoSmartLoadBalance
andFailOverusingBroadcomteamnetworkingsoftware,orifyouarenotrunningthe
latestvirtualadapterdriver.Tobridgeto
ateamedBroadcomdevice,makesurethat
youhaveinstalledthelatestdriver,thenrecreatetheteamwithGenericTrunkingasthe
TeamType.