Step by step – configuring networking under ESX Server 3.x
Networking is one of the major components of VMware’s virtual infrastructure. While installing VMware ESX server you get the option to create default network for virtual machines.
(see screenshot below)
If you don’t select during installation it won’t create any network for virtual machines and if you want your VMs to communicate with each other then you will have to configure the virtual infrastructure networking component.
The first thing you need while configuring a virtual network is to add or configure existing virtual switch. One virtual switch gets created by default with the installation of ESX server. You can connect virtual machines to existing virtual switch or can create additional virtual switches based on the requirement. Following are the details of virtual switch and process to add it in virtual infrastructure.
What is a virtual switch?
A virtual switch is virtualized version of Ethernet switch to create virtual network in VMware virtual infrastructure. The default virtual switch which automatically gets created with the installation of ESX server has 24 ports, though you can add more virtual switch with 0- 1016 ports.
What are port groups?
VMware has categorized the ports on virtual switch as “virtual machine port group”, “VMKernel port group” and “service console port group”. Each port group has different function.
Virtual machine port group is used to connect virtual machines to virtual switch.
VMKernel port group is used to create ports for connecting to NFS or iSCSI storage and also used to migrate virtual machines (also known as vMotion) from one ESX host to another.
Service console port group is used to configure service console which is used for ESX server management purpose. Assigning an IP to service console port is like assigning IP to ESX host.
Adding a port group and virtual switch
1. Connect to ESX host using VI (Virtual Infrastructure) client, click on configuration tab and then click on Networking.
2. As shown in the above figure there is one virtual switch which automatically gets created and if during ESX server installation you select “create default network for virtual machines” then it will also create a virtual machine port group. Click on “add networking” link in the right corner of right window.
3. These are the port groups I explained at Page 1. Select “virtual machine” port group and click on next.
4. As shown in screen shot, there is option to either create a new virtual switch or to add new port group to existing group. Select “create a virtual switch” and click next.
