Port Group used for High Availability.

HA Traffic flows over the Management Network (which is a VMKernel Portgroup <---- they have IP Addresses!).


Any VMKernel Portgroup because it has an IP Address, can be selected as Management Network, vMotion, FT, vSAN etc

However here, it says that it needs separate vmkernel:
https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/1010631

A separate VMkernel port group must be defined for Fault Tolerance logging

I also other network requirements:

Fault Tolerance logging and VMotion portgroups must be defined and assigned a physical network card for uplink. This network card must be at least 1Gb, with a 10Gb card preferred.

Enable use of Jumbo Frames for the Fault Tolerance logging.

Not clear about the above requirements:

Fault Tolerance logging is a different function and off topic here and not related to your opening question.

Fault Tolerance logging and VMotion portgroups must be defined and assigned a physical network card for uplink. This network card must be at least 1Gb, with a 10Gb card preferred.

also a different question and nothing to do with the opening question which was about HA traffic.

Sorry for the FT

Well the Vmware link I posted on my Question stated:

On ESXi hosts in the cluster, vSphere HA communications, by default, travel over VMkernel networks. With an ESXi host, if you want to use a network other than the one vCenter Server uses to communicate with the host for vSphere HA, you must explicitly enable the Management traffic check box.

can you please explain the sentence in Bold ?

Create another VMKernel Portgroup and tick the Management box see screenshot above.

(out of the box ESXi creates a default one for you on vSwitch0, but you can have more than one, and it's often called Management Network)

Two VMKernel Portgroups both carrying traffic, both with different IP Addresses, e.g. two management addresses.

After you create the second Management vMkernel, how do you tell HA to use this Management vMkernel ?

Create a new network and subnet, and specify different isolation addresses in Advanced Settings.

I do not see that in Advanced Setting of Vmkernel port:

It's advanced settings for the ESXi host, where all the advanced settings are located, and also Advanced Settings on the Cluster.

You need to read up on isolation addresses  etc

see here

https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-vSphere/6.5/com.vmware.vsphere.avail.doc/GUID-E0161CB5-BD3F-425F-A7E0-BF83B005FECA.html

It is here, It just not put up in clear way:


https://pubs.vmware.com/vsphere-50/index.jsp?topic=%2Fcom.vmware.vsphere.avail.doc_50%2FGUID-B1906BCD-E538-4FFF-AAE9-5403FE253F38.html

Networks Used for vSphere HA Communications

To identify which network operations might disrupt the functioning of vSphere HA, you should know which management networks are being used for heart beating and other vSphere HA communications.

      

- On legacy ESX hosts in the cluster, vSphere HA communications travel over all networks that are designated as service console networks. VMkernel networks are not used by these hosts for vSphere HA communications.

      

- On ESXi hosts in the cluster, vSphere HA communications, by default, travel over VMkernel networks, except those marked for use with vMotion. If there is only one VMkernel network, vSphere HA shares it with vMotion, if necessary. For ESXi, if you wish to use a network other than the one vCenter Server uses to communicate with the host for HA, you must explicitly enable the Management traffic checkbox for vSphere HA to use this network. For ESX hosts, HA uses by default all the service console networks. To contain HA traffic to a subset of the ESX console networks, use the allowedNetworks advanced option.

it sounds like if we create another vMkernel port and check the box "Management Traffic" , this will be used for HA, even if there was already an existing vMkernel for Management traffic before we enabled HA.

Yes... and see Advanced settings, if you are going to use it!

It's difficult for me to understand if all these questions are training or practical and design for implementation.

if training then I'll stick to basic responses, otherwise you'll be overwhelmed with options and configurations, which later in Advanced stages you can develop further.

training geared towards practical and design

We will stick with the basics then, just as if you were doing

VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage

but this is a Specific question


if we want  HA to use a separate Vmkernel port, then we create separate vmkernel port.
Now where do you tell HA to use this newly created Vmkernel port ?

There is already Management Vmkernel Port with "Management" box checked.

Back to the original question posted:-

Port Group used for High Availability.

per this link:
https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-vSphere/6.5/com.vmware.vsphere.avail.doc/GUID-B1906BCD-E538-4FFF-AAE9-5403FE253F38.html

On ESXi hosts in the cluster, vSphere HA communications, by default, travel over VMkernel networks. With an ESXi host, if you want to use a network other than the one vCenter Server uses to communicate with the host for vSphere HA, you must explicitly enable the Management traffic check box.

Not sure which VMkernel Network they are referring to. I thought by default HA traffic flows with Management Traffic (it uses the same Vmkernel port).

Any help ?

Thank you

If you really feel the need to have another, more than one special VMKernel Portgroups for HA Traffic, then create more Management Traffc Ports.

Just tick the box - Management, (on a dedicated VMKernel Portgroup - no vMotion, no VSAN, no FT) (I posted a screenshot above) but I would not recommend it.

Let HA traffic run over the default network created by default out of the box, unless you have some special configuration required.

That's all there is too it, try it out in your lab. (and all these different VMKernels really would benefit by different subnets)

 Just tick the box - Management, (I posted a screenshot above) but I would not recommend it.

do not see it

it's the very first post - https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/29174292/Port-Group-used-for-High-Availability.html?anchorAnswerId=43039983#a43039983

here again with arrows

you posted the screenshot above...so we can create new Vmkernel and tick "Management" , HA will use it ?

Thank you

no probelms