Lenovo Flex System Fabric CN4093, Application Manual

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Chapter 16. VMready
Virtualization is used to allocate server resources based on logical needs, rather
than on strict physical structure. With appropriate hardware and software support,
servers can be virtualized to host multiple instances of operating systems, known
as virtual machines (VMs). Each VM has its own presence on the network and runs
its own service applications.
Software known as a hypervisor manages the various virtual entities (VEs) that
reside on the host server: VMs, virtual switches, and so on. Depending on the
virtualization solution, a virtualization management server may be used to
configure and manage multiple hypervisors across the network. With some
solutions, VMs can even migrate between host hypervisors, moving to different
physical hosts while maintaining their virtual identity and services.
The Enterprise NOS 8.4 VMready feature supports up to 4096 VEs in a virtualized
data center environment. The switch automatically discovers the VEs attached to
switch ports, and distinguishes between regular VMs, Service Console Interfaces,
and Kernel/Management Interfaces in a VMware
®
environment.
VEs may be placed into VM groups on the switch to define communication
boundaries: VEs in the same VM group may communicate with each other, while
VEs in different groups may not. VM groups also allow for configuring group ‐ level
settings such as virtualization policies and ACLs.
The administrator can also pre ‐ provision VEs by adding their MAC addresses (or
their IPv4 address or VM name in a VMware environment) to a VM group. When a
VE with a pre ‐ provisioned MAC address becomes connected to the switch, the
switch will automatically apply the appropriate group membership configuration.
The CN4093 with VMready also detects the migration of VEs across different
hypervisors. As VEs move, the CN4093 NMotion
™
feature automatically moves
the appropriate network configuration as well. NMotion gives the switch the
ability to maintain assigned group membership and associated policies, even when
a VE moves to a different port on the switch.
VMready also works with VMware Virtual Center (vCenter) management
software. Connecting with a vCenter allows the CN4093 to collect information
about more distant VEs, synchronize switch and VE configuration, and extend
migration properties.
VE Capacity
When VMready is enabled, the switch will automatically discover VEs that reside
in hypervisors directly connected on the switch ports. Enterprise NOS 8.4 supports
up to 4096 VEs. Once this limit is reached, the switch will reject additional VEs.
Note:
In rare situations, the switch may reject new VEs prior to reaching the
supported limit. This can occur when the internal hash corresponding to the new
VE is already in use. If this occurs, change the MAC address of the VE and retry the
operation. The MAC address can usually be changed from the virtualization
management server console (such as the VMware Virtual Center).