3. Senior Solutions Architect @ AHEAD
VCDX #104, vExpert
Blogger – WahlNetwork.com
Author – Networking for VMware Administrators
Author – Pluralsight IT Pro training
CCNA Data Center, vCloud Director
Host – VUPaaS and IT Engine Builders Podcasts
4. Chief Technology Officer @ Varrow
VCDX #49, vExpert
Blogger – JasonNash.com
Author – Pluralsight IT Pro training
XtremIO, Cisco UCS, Nexus 1000v, vC Ops, + more
8. ü Enterprise Plus licensing
ü VMware skillset
ü ESXi host versions ≥ to VDS version
9.
10. o Lives in vCenter
o All 5.1+ features are Web Client only L
o VDS is a Data Center level object
o VDS database syncs with each ESXi host
11.
12. o Lives on the ESXi host
o We suggest
• Use Elastic ports
• Connect uplinks (vmnics) to a single network segment
o If you need multiple network segments
• Possible, but requires workarounds
15. o vSphere Standard Switch (VSS)
o Cisco Nexus 1000v
o IBM 5000V aka “Chupacabra”
16. ü Use 802.1Q tags for port groups
ü At least 2 vmnics (uplinks) per VDS
ü A 2x 10 GbE configuration can work fine
ü Put QoS tagging in VDS or physical, not both
ü Use descriptive naming everywhere
o No one knows what “dvPortGroup-1” does
17.
18. Migration
VSS to VDS
Mixing 1Gb
and 10Gb
Hosts
Handling
vMotion
Saturation
vSphere
Replication
Bandwidth
Quality of
Service
Tagging
Load Based
Teaming vs
Link
Aggregation
19. Triggers:
Ø Licensing (purchased Enterprise Plus)
Ø Consume features found only in VDS
Ø Reduce operational overhead
Ø Separate control planes and related responsibilities
20. Tips and Advice:
Ø Have a detailed plan in place
Ø Test the process on a single host with non-prod
VMs
Ø Test network convergence time and ping drops
Ø Become comfortable with the steps
Ø Put in a change control
Ø Execute change during maintenance window
27. Triggers:
Ø Purchase of new server / switch hardware
Ø Staged migration to 10 GbE
Ø Data Center transformation process
28. Tips and Advice:
Ø Use a single network segment
Ø Use a single VDS
Ø Hosts should be entirely 1 GbE or 10 GbE
Ø VM Traffic can traverse any uplink
Ø Control teaming policies on VMK networks
29. dvUplinks
VM Port Groups
VMK 1Gb
(Mgmt, vMotion, etc)
ESXi 1 Gb
vmnic1 vmnic2 vmnic3 vmnic4
dvUplink1
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
dvUplink2 dvUplink3 dvUplink4
vmnic0 was left off to
make the numbers
match
30. dvUplinks
VM Port Groups
ESXi 1 Gb
vmnic1 vmnic2
dvUplink1
VMK 10Gb
(Mgmt, vMotion, etc)
1 2 1 2
dvUplink2 dvUplink3 dvUplink4
33. Triggers:
Ø Multiple hosts migrate VMs to a single host
Ø 2+ host maintenance mode
Ø DRS migrations
Ø DRS affinity and anti-affinity rules
34. Tips and Advice
Ø Know how Ingress vs Egress works in VDS
Ø Use NIOC for source-based control
Ø Use Traffic Shaping for destination-based control
35.
36.
37.
38. Triggers:
Ø Sharing a WAN pipe with other traffic
Ø Paying for bandwidth at certain % of peak
Ø Multiple VR tenants between data centers
Ø Contention with other backup or replication jobs
39. Tips and Advice:
Ø Use NIOC with Limits (per vmnic)
Ø Use Network Resource pool for VR
Ø Alternative is to limit based on VR ports
40.
41. Ø Run script for different limits during day/night
Ø Requires PowerCLI and vCenter service account
Short URL = http://goo.gl/dAgqBz
42. Triggers:
Ø Tag traffic for various SLAs
Ø Use L2 Priority Code Point (PCP)
Ø Use L3 Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP)
Ø Data Center Bridging extensions in 802.1
Ø Priority-based Flow Control (PFC) – 802.1Qbb
Ø Enhanced Transmission Selection (ETS) – 802.1Qaz
43. Tips and Advice:
Ø KISS: QoS solves contention problems
Ø Pick a place to tag traffic – virtual or physical
Ø Try not to enforce QoS in too many ways
Ø Use clearly defined tagging when needed
Ø Avoid hard limits on traffic flows
49. Triggers:
Ø Network and Server teams not cooperating
Ø Pop out of those silos!
Ø Poor convergence times during link failover
Ø Poor use of uplink throughput
Ø Excessive Topology Change Notifications (TCN)
Ø Excessive vMotion activity
50. Load Distribution
Ø Assigning workloads to uplinks based on identifiers
Ø Example: L2, L3, L4, and VLAN values
Load Balancing
Ø Assigning workloads to uplinks based on traffic
Ø Example: “Route based on physical NIC load”
51. Load Distribution
Ø No iSCSI Binding or Multi-NIC vMotion
Ø Potential Layer 2 Path Optimization
Load Balancing
Ø Imbalanced NIC saturation
Ø Network can tolerate TCN and MAC table updates
52.
53. Load Distribution
Ø Link Aggregation Group (LAG)
Ø Static (EtherChannel) or Dynamic (LACP)
Load Balancing
Ø Set PG to Route based on physical NIC load
Ø Also known as Load Based Teaming (LBT)
