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Stay connected with tips and trends in vSphere networking
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Overhaul vSphere configuration to head off issues
Older VMware shops with outdated settings in vSphere can benefit from improved network behavior with a few adjustments. Read Now
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How to improve virtual security using the border router
Filtering potentially dangerous traffic from entering and sensitive data from leaving the data center can give the added benefit of better overall system performance. Read Now
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Isolate VMkernel to protect network performance
These troubleshooting steps can determine whether a faulty configuration is causing congestion. Read Now
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Avoid slow VM migrations by adding a virtual switch
Administrators looking for the best protection and performance should avoid the default networking configuration. Read Now
Editor's note
The data center of today has more strain put on its network as virtual desktop infrastructures, mobile devices and cloud services grow in popularity.
As more devices and users get connected and even more servers are virtualized, the vSphere network needs administrators with the troubleshooting know-how to remove roadblocks quickly when network traffic slows to a crawl.
VMware's vSphere Standard Switch and vSphere Distributed Switch are two ways to route traffic; administrators who have expertise with these switches can tweak their systems for better performance and more security around virtual machines. For multi-tenant cloud providers or large enterprises that require even greater flexibility and protection, VMware came out with its NSX network virtualization offering that infuses functionality, such as a distributed firewall, into the hypervisor.
This guide shares troubleshooting tips and informative articles that cover the latest in networking in a vSphere infrastructure.
1Working with the vSphere Standard Switch
Despite the word "standard" in its name, the vSphere Standard Switch features plenty of functionality to route traffic in the data center and keep data moving in the right direction.
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How to manage a vSphere Standard Switch
Don't let the name fool you. The vSS has plenty of functions to help shape network traffic. Read Now
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Factors to consider with the standard switch
An expert says there are a few instances when the vSS is preferred to the vSphere Distributed Switch. Read Now
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How the vSphere Standard Switch differs from the vSphere Distributed Switch
Our expert describes the differences between VMware's two switch options. Read Now
2Stepping up to the vSphere Distributed Switch
The vSphere Distributed Switch (vDS) comes with the vSphere Enterprise Plus license. The enhanced functionality of vDS offers more visibility to the network along with centralized administration to simplify operations.
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Keep VMs running during a switch transition
Trying to avoid downtime in a networking change? There are a few steps required to avoid interruptions in service. Read Now
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Automate the management of virtual distributed switches
With PowerCLI 5.5, VMware put in additional cmdlets to give administrators another option to work with vDSes. Read Now
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Making the switch from vSS to vDS
Replacing standard switches with vDS will provide better monitoring and networking capabilities. This advanced tip walks administrators through the process. Read Now
3Network virtualization with NSX
VMware introduced its NSX network virtualization offering in 2013 and promoted the product as a way to bring added flexibility and security to an area that had largely remained constant for several decades. By abstracting certain network functions from hardware, NSX is a key component to VMware's vision for the software-defined data center.
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What do you need to run Cisco ACI and VMware NSX?
A look at the requirements for two competing network virtualization products Read Now
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The security capabilities of NSX
In addition to making the network more flexible, VMware touts NSX as a way to keep data away from prying eyes. Read Now
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What are some of the benefits VMware promises with NSX?
The virtualization company says freeing your physical network from its shackles will increase deployment speeds while reducing the network's complexity. Read Now
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How Cisco and VMware approach network virtualization
VMware's method is more software based while Cisco uses a combination of hardware and software to abstract the network. Read Now
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NSX versus Hyper-V network virtualization
Each product virtualizes Layer 3 hardware but gets plugged into the network in a different fashion. Read Now
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NSX assists with carving out network space
The VXLAN overlay gives multi-tenant cloud providers a way to provide the segmentation required to operate their business. Read Now
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NSX Edge gateway service handles several functions
The security and gateway services in the NSX Edge virtual machine means a company can always scale up these functions by adding more virtual machines. Read Now
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With security in the hypervisor, micro-segmentation a core feature in NSX
The NSX 6.1 update infused more protections into the hypervisor enabling security rules to stick with virtual machines as they move around the data center. Read Now
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How does software-defined networking differ from network virtualization?
NSX helps steer network traffic while software-defined networking deals with more with optimization of that flow. Read Now
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Five VMware NSX 6.1 enhancements
The 6.1 update to NSX added key security, high availability and management features geared toward cloud providers. Read Now
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Network virtualization certification track is unique
VMware released its certification track for NSX at VMworld 2014 for administrators who want to prove their expertise in this technology. Read Now
4Key networking terms
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Definition
beacon probing
Beacon probing is a networking troubleshooting feature in VMware vSphere that pinpoints failures with physical Ethernet adapters and physical switches. Read Now
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Definition
lldpnetmap
Lldpnetmap is a troubleshooting command that displays to which physical switch an ESXi host is connected. Read Now
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Definition
SplitRX Mode
SplitRX Mode is a VMware vSphere feature that can improve network performance for some multicast workloads. Read Now
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Definition
virtual switch
A virtual switch is a software program that allows one virtual machine (VM) to communicate with another. Read Now
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Definition
vmkping
Vmkping is a command used to verify and troubleshoot VMkernel network connectivity. Read Now
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Definition
VMware NIC teaming
VMware NIC teaming is a way to group several network interface cards (NICs) to behave as one logical NIC. Read Now
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Definition
VMware NSX
VMware NSX is a virtual networking and security software product family created from VMware's vCloud Networking and Security (vCNS) and Nicira's Network Virtualization Platform (NVP) intellectual property. Read Now
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Definition
VMware VMCI (VMware Virtual Machine Communication Interface)
VMware VMCI (Virtual Machine Communication Interface) is a high-speed interface that virtual machines (VMs) on the same host use to communicate with each other and the host kernel modules. Read Now
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Definition
VMware vSphere Distributed Switch (VMware vDS)
A VMware vSphere Distributed Switch (VMware vDS) allows a single virtual switch to connect multiple hosts in a cluster or multiple clusters for centralized management of network configurations in a vSphere environment. Read Now
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Definition
VMware vSphere Network I/O Control (NIOC)
VMware vSphere Network I/O Control (NIOC) allows administrator to set up rules and policies to prioritize bandwidth for different network resource pools on a vSphere distributed switch. Read Now
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Definition
VMXNET Generation 3 (VMXNET3)
VMXNET Generation 3 (VMXNET3) is a virtual network adapter designed to deliver high performance in virtual machines (VMs) running on the VMware vSphere platform. Read Now
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Definition
VXLAN
Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN) is a proposed Layer 3 encapsulation protocol that will make it easier for network engineers to scale out a cloud computing environment while logically isolating cloud apps and tenants. Technically, VXLAN works by creating Layer 2 logical networks that are encapsulated in standard Layer 3 IP packets. Read Now