Vmotion vMKernel port

You have to create a VMKernel Portgroup (TCP/IP) and then you need to ENABLE that port for vMotion by flagging it/enabling it as the vMOTION PORT!

Just creating a VMKernel Portgroup does not make it a vMotion Portgroup!

Vmotion vMKernel port

in a standard switch we can configure vMkernel for vMotion, this,  I believe should  have an IP address assigned to it, let's say 192.168.1.15

Yes, ALL VMKERNEL PORTGROUIPS NEED TO HAVE AN IOP ADDRESS they are TCP/IP - we've discussed this many time now.

Now if in every ESX host in the cluster I need to configure vMkernel port which is recommended, then should all vMkernel ports be in the same  VLAN ?

Yes, it keeps it simple, for your question. If they are in different VLANs or networks traffic has to route....

(BUT Hosts need to communicate with each other across a LAN or WAN for vMotion.

So to say they need to be in the same VLAN/LAN is not really true....)

but they must be able to communicate - comes back to that network design again!

for the classroom - yes same LAN/VLAN!

If hosts cannot communicate, vMotion will fail and not even start.....

I thought vMotion works on Layer 2 only


if 2 ESX Hosts  have 2 vMotion vMkernel Ports  in 2 different VLANs then vMotion cannot work

Let s say ESX1

VM Port Group1
All VMs in 192.168.1.0/24
VM Port Group 2
All VMs in 192.168.2.0/24

there is  vMotion vMkernel Port with IP address 192.168.10.10 subnet 255.255.255.0

and ESX 2
VM Port Group3
All VMs in 192.168.3.0/24
VM Port Group 4
All VMs in 192.168.4.0/24

there is  vMotion vMkernel Port with IP address 192.168.20.10 subnet 255.255.255.0

in this case can VM from ESX1 be vMotinned to ESX2 and vice-versa ?

Thank you

It's not strictly cannot! (and depends on version of ESXi, many things have changed in 20+ years)

That would depends if you have inter-vlan routing, and setting gateways for vMotion.

Cross-vCenter vMotion would not work if that was the case!

https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/29172863/Vmotion-vMKernel-port.html?anchorAnswerId=43031823#a43031823

the Scenario above for One Vcenter in Vsphere 6.
Will the vMotion fail or be successful ?

I guess Even if 2 ESX hosts that have their  [Vmkernel Management Port] in separate subnets , can vMotion between 2 VM Port groups that are in the same subnet only... I believe you still can create 2 VM Port Groups in the same VLAN   and VM Port Groups reside in 2 Separate ESX Hosts that have their vMkernel Management ports in 2 separate subnets.



Thanks

per this link , it is possible:
http://www.enterprisedaddy.com/2016/10/vmotion-tcpip-stack-layer-3-vmotion/

What has not been mentionned on the link above, is whether the new vMkernel vMotion IP address needs to be on the same subnet as the IP address of the ESX host it resides on , or it can be on separate subnet

I see no reason why it is not. because now we have TCP/IP Stacks which were designed for Cross vCenter Migrations, different countries, and different datacentres which are not necrssarily stretch VLANS.

Thank you