IBM Bladecenter H Nic on Vmware
Hi. Fairly new to the IBM bladecenter, being a HP guy originally but have taken over a bladecenter H with 2 blades installed and 2 BNT gigabit Ethernet layer 2/3 copper switch modules installed. Vmware is installed on both blades, but no cluster license so the baldes are acting as 2 different machines sharing the same storage.
At then moment, the switch on the blade i question is connected as follows:
Port 1 and 2 are connected to the Storage controller
port 3 is connected to the management module
port 4 is connected to the LAN switch in the Company.
This setup is working, but i am in need of setting up port 5 directly to a port in our router and putting some virtual machines into this closed network.
On the Vmware i see 4 NIC´s: Vmnic0, 1 2 and 3.
First question: Why is there only 4 Nics, when there are 6 ports in the switch?
Second question: How do i map port 5 on the switch to a Vmnic so i can make a closed Network between 1 port on my IBM and 1 port on my router?
Vmware is 5.1
Thanks!
At then moment, the switch on the blade i question is connected as follows:
Port 1 and 2 are connected to the Storage controller
port 3 is connected to the management module
port 4 is connected to the LAN switch in the Company.
This setup is working, but i am in need of setting up port 5 directly to a port in our router and putting some virtual machines into this closed network.
On the Vmware i see 4 NIC´s: Vmnic0, 1 2 and 3.
First question: Why is there only 4 Nics, when there are 6 ports in the switch?
Second question: How do i map port 5 on the switch to a Vmnic so i can make a closed Network between 1 port on my IBM and 1 port on my router?
Vmware is 5.1
Thanks!
Subhashish Laha
Create a new vSwitch on ESXi using vmnic 5 or 6. At the time of creation of vSwitch, it will show free vmnic ports.
ASKER
As clearly stated, I do not see vmnic 5 and 6. Thats the issue.
Did you use the OEM HP version of ESXi? available from the HP Website?
Did you add additional network drivers required by the server?
If you want to read more on networking in VMware ESX/ESXi, then I recommend the following:-
I would also recommend reading through the Networking Sections of the following guides to gain a better understanding of Networking in VMware ESX/ESXi.
Pages 13 - 73 Discuss Networking in Detail, including trunks, VLANs, switches, and load balancing
ESXi Configuration Guide ESXi 4.1
http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vsphere4/r41/vsp_41_esxi_server_config.pdf
Virtual Networking
http://www.vmware.com/technical-resources/virtual-networking/virtual-networks.html
Virtual Networking Concepts
http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/virtual_networking_concepts.pdf
Did you add additional network drivers required by the server?
If you want to read more on networking in VMware ESX/ESXi, then I recommend the following:-
I would also recommend reading through the Networking Sections of the following guides to gain a better understanding of Networking in VMware ESX/ESXi.
Pages 13 - 73 Discuss Networking in Detail, including trunks, VLANs, switches, and load balancing
ESXi Configuration Guide ESXi 4.1
http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vsphere4/r41/vsp_41_esxi_server_config.pdf
Virtual Networking
http://www.vmware.com/technical-resources/virtual-networking/virtual-networks.html
Virtual Networking Concepts
http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/virtual_networking_concepts.pdf
Those are 20 port switches. The 6 you're referring to are the external ports. The other 14 are internal (you can't see them, but they're there.) If you do indeed see 4 vmnic's in ESXi, then you have 4 BNT switches in your chassis, not 2. (For every physical NIC port that needs network connectivity on a Blade, you need one switch.)
You need to verify that your ESXi virtual networks are set to do virtual switch tagging of VLANs. That method is going to be the one you want to use in a Blade type config. In that scenario, you would then verify/add VLAN configuration on the BNT switches, add external port(s) to the VLAN for the new connection, then add the internal ports as members of that VLAN, and then in ESXI, create a new VM port group in the virtual network and set its VLAN to the new VLAN ID.
You need to verify that your ESXi virtual networks are set to do virtual switch tagging of VLANs. That method is going to be the one you want to use in a Blade type config. In that scenario, you would then verify/add VLAN configuration on the BNT switches, add external port(s) to the VLAN for the new connection, then add the internal ports as members of that VLAN, and then in ESXI, create a new VM port group in the virtual network and set its VLAN to the new VLAN ID.
@hanccocka: this is na IBM Bladeserver, there's an OEM ESXi image available from IBM at http://www-03.ibm.com/systems/x/os/vmware
@cdjc: creating a new VLAN seems like the right way to go, but regarding the vmnics, we must first know which Bladeserver model johnnybrian has on his BC-H. If it's an HS23 he may have 2 disconnected NICs, and 2 NICs going to the BNT switches.
@johnnybrian: before we can give a definitive answer, can you detail a bit more what model of Blade you have, and any additional cards it may have within? You can check that via the AMM on Hardware VPD... IT would also be nice to know if the router connection must be separate from your existing LAN connection, or if they are on the same subnet/VLAN (i.e. you just want to attach the router directly to the BCH). I'm assuming the first, but...
Carlos
@cdjc: creating a new VLAN seems like the right way to go, but regarding the vmnics, we must first know which Bladeserver model johnnybrian has on his BC-H. If it's an HS23 he may have 2 disconnected NICs, and 2 NICs going to the BNT switches.
@johnnybrian: before we can give a definitive answer, can you detail a bit more what model of Blade you have, and any additional cards it may have within? You can check that via the AMM on Hardware VPD... IT would also be nice to know if the router connection must be separate from your existing LAN connection, or if they are on the same subnet/VLAN (i.e. you just want to attach the router directly to the BCH). I'm assuming the first, but...
Carlos
To clarify my previous statement a bit... If there are 4 vmnics with a connection to the external network, then that means there are 4 network switches in the chassis.
For the purposes of this discussion, the actual machine type and model of blade is not critical for resolution here. There's a fundamental misunderstanding here by the OP in how the components in the BladeCenter h all connect together internally. If they can understand how it all connects and talks to each other, I believe that their questions here will be thoroughly answered.
Since there's been no sight of the OP in quite a while, I will sum up by suggesting that they go to IBM's Redbooks website, search for BladeCenter, and start reading about their blades, chassis, and network switches.
For the purposes of this discussion, the actual machine type and model of blade is not critical for resolution here. There's a fundamental misunderstanding here by the OP in how the components in the BladeCenter h all connect together internally. If they can understand how it all connects and talks to each other, I believe that their questions here will be thoroughly answered.
Since there's been no sight of the OP in quite a while, I will sum up by suggesting that they go to IBM's Redbooks website, search for BladeCenter, and start reading about their blades, chassis, and network switches.
ASKER
Its a BladeCenter H. I will go to the rebooks site and read and return.
ASKER
Still did not manage to create a working Vlan after reading how to do it. It simply doesnt work. Alas, i will have to call a guy.
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ASKER
Bug in firmware, the guy updated it and the error was gone.