Category Archives: Network

Configure Virtual Machine-FEX with Cisco VIC and Nexus 5K – Part 3

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In this final part we discuss on the configuration that needs to be done on vCenter to enable VMFEX.

vmware-ciscoFirst step is to install vCenter and login to vCenter as administrator user. Now create a Datacenter where you want to add the hosts which will participate in VM-FEX. In this document, I use the datacenter name DC1.

Configure SVS connection to vCenter

Once the DC is created in vCenter, login to Nexus 5000 Switch using its management IP.

Before starting this configuration, make sure that the Nexus switch management ip is reachable by vCenter server. Following is an example on SVS connection creation.

  1. 1.     configure
  2. 2.     svs connection <svs connection name>
  3. 3.     protocol vmware-vim
  4. 4.     vmware dvs datacenter-name <vCenter datacenter name>
  5. 5.     dvs-name <vCenter DVS name>
  6. 6.     remote ip address <vCenterServer IP> port <vCenter Port> vrf management
  7. 7.     install certificate default
  8. 8.     extention-key cisco_nexus_fex

Example screenshot:
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Configure Virtual Machine-FEX with Cisco VIC and Nexus 5K – Part 2

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Cisco-VMFEXOnce the configuration on Cisco VIC adapter is done, we need to do certain configuration settings on Nexus switch to enable VM-FEX. In this section we discuss more on the configuration settings that needs to be done specifically on on Nexus 5000 Series switch to enable VM-FEX. We also discuss on settings that needs to be done on ESXi to enable VMFEX.

A VM-FEX license is required for Cisco Nexus device. The license package name is VMFEX_ FEATURE_PKG. Incase if you are just interested in experimenting with this cool feature, a grace period of 120 days starts when you first configure this feature.

We have to do the following configuration on Nexus 5000 switch:

  1. Enable VM-FEX and other related services
  2. Define port profiles for dynamic Virtual Machine ports
  3. Enable vntag on applicable ports
  4. Install Cisco_nexus_vmfex plugin in vCenter
  5. Configure SVS connection to vCenter
  6. Activate and verify the SVS connection

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Configure Virtual Machine-FEX with Cisco VIC and Nexus 5K – Part 1

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Sick and tired of managing physical and virtual network for your data center from different management interfaces? VMFEX is Cisco’s answer to your problem. Cisco Virtual Machine Fabric Extender (VM-FEX) technology extends cisco’s fabric extender technology to virtual machines. In simpler words, with VMFEX you will be able to manage both physical and virtual network ports from your Nexus 5000.
 
vmware-ciscoThe objective of this article is to help users setup a VMFEX solution very easily in their virtualized environment with Cisco Rack Servers. This document has been divided into 3 parts.

Part 1: Introduction and VIC configurations

Part2: Nexus 5000 configuration

Part 3: ESXi and vCenter configuration
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