ESXi Networking Study Guide

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Over the past week I have been putting together an overview/study guide for ESXi networking as I'm preparing for my VCP 5 exam.

I have tried to cover the points that I find appropriate and use language that means something to me!

Hopefully it might help a few people out.

ESXi Networking Part 1

ESXi Networking Part 2

ESXi Networking Part 3

 

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I'm surprised no one has commented on this. I thought there were some interesting topics on your blog and gave them a read. I'll probably read anything vm at the moment tho

 

Thanks mate, more blog posts to come

 

A couple of comments on part 1, for clarity:

- you can't trunk a vSwitch with another vSwitch
- the default port group name has a space in it - it's "VM Network"
- port group name consistency across hosts is required for VM migration and failover

- - - Updated - - -

And comments on part 2:

- VMkernel ports are also used for HA heartbeats
- multiple VMkernel ports enables VMkernel networking across multiple IP subnets and VLANs
- technically, VMkernel ports do not require an uplink to work - uplinks are there to connect the vSwitch to an equivalent uplink port on a physical switch

 

And part 3:

- what do you mean by "connections" in the first sentence? The load balancing policy determines what happens
- ESXi can only load balance on traffic that leaves the host through an uplink, but the physical network can still load balance on what comes into a host
- you are not guaranteed an even balance of VMs to uplink with the default load balancing policy
- a VM NIC can be assigned to a new port ID if you alter the VM NIC is connected to an alternate port group then back to the original port group
- you don't have to have all the uplinks connected to the same physical switch to use the IP hash policy if your switches are stackable - the key requirement is the physical switch ports must be aggregated using 802.3ad, or Etherchannel as Cisco would call it
- the notify switches option causes the transmission of a RARP when those events occur
- your definition of the security options isn't clear
- you didn't discuss the fail back policy

 

Thanks Scott, i will update my blog

 

I shouldn't post so late at night, I forgot to say that I actually like the articles - easy to read/consume