Top 10 things you must read about VMware Networking

By Eric Siebert
published: Wednesday, June 11 2008

Virtual environments introduce some unique networking concepts that both VMware administrators and network administrators should be aware of. Setting up a virtual server environment also means extending the physical network into a virtual network on your host servers. Virtual switches differ from physical switches and should be properly configured to ensure maximum performance, reliability and security. One networking technology that is almost always used with virtual servers is 802.1Q VLAN tagging which is new to many administrators. This top 10 list covers virtual networking concepts, recommended configurations, performance tips and expectations as well as best practices for connecting your virtual network to your physical one. It includes white papers from Cisco and VMware, VMworld presentations and knowledgebase articles.

VI3 Networking – Concepts and Components

http://www.vmworld.com/vmworld/mylearn?classID=11280

A VMworld 2007 presentation describing the VI3 network architecture and how to properly configure it.

VI3 Networking - Advanced Configurations and Troubleshooting

http://vmworld.com/vmworld/mylearn?classID=11647

A VMworld 2007 presentation on advanced virtual networking topics with tips for troubleshooting problems.

VMware ESX Server 3 802.1Q VLAN Solutions

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx3_vlan_wp.pdf

Provides concepts and configuration tips for using 802.1Q VLAN tagging with your vSwitch configurations.

Integrating Virtual Machines into the Cisco Data Center Architecture

http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/solution/vmware.pdf

A white paper written by Cisco on ESX server networking architecture and integration with Cisco network devices.

Networking Performance in VMware ESX Server 3.5

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/ESX_networking_performance.pdf

A white paper from VMware comparing virtual to physical networking performance.

Network Throughput in a Virtual Infrastructure

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx_network_planning.pdf

A white paper from VMware that outlines the considerations that affect network throughput.

ESX3 Networking Internals

http://www.vmware-tsx.com/download.php?asset_id=41

A VMware TSX 2007 presentation on the internals of how ESX vSwitches function.

High Performance ESX Networking

http://www.vmware-tsx.com/download.php?asset_id=43

A VMware TSX 2007 presentation on ESX network design considerations.

How To Configure Networking from the Service Console Command Line

http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1000258

A VMware KB article on setting up networking via the CLI, a must know if you lose your networking configuration and cannot connect to an ESX Server via the VI Client.

Server Virtualization – Network Implications and Best Practices

http://www.cisco.com/web/BE/learn_events/pdfs/Server_Virtualization.pdf

A presentation from Cisco on network virtualization architecture and design considerations for Cisco networks to support virtual environments.

Coming Next Week: Top 10 Things you must read about VMware Performance  

VMware , VirtualCenter , Top 10 things you must read about VMware Troubleshooting , Top 10 Things you must read about VirtualCenter , VMworld 2007, Cisco Networks