Virtual Connect FlexFabric configuration for VMware question

[chuckk281]

Alexei had a VLAN question:

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I am working on new Matrix configuration.

Customer wants install ESX cluster.

and , when we discuss network configuration, customer want has Active/Active VC configuration with several VLANs on all NICs.

In other words :

-          He want to use all uplink traffic. He has 4 uplinks and he plans use all 40 Gb.

-          He plans configure 3 vDS with VLAN1-5 on vDS1, VLANs6-10 on vDS2 ans several other VLANS on vDS3.

Question is: does it possible to have multiply networks on several nics.

We plan use Scenario 5 from FlexFabric CookBook.

I think, we have to have tunneled mode for all networks and configure VLAN selection on vDS switches

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Input from Vincent:

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You can definitely have multiple FlexNICs carrying multiple VLANs. Are you asking because in the cookbook scenario 5 only physical function d is carrying multiple VLANs ? If so, you could perfectly have PF a and c also carrying multiple VLANs, no problem, as long as you don’t try to connect 2 PF of the same port to the same network.

You can use mapped mode as long as you don’t exceed its maximums, i.e. 1000 networks overall in the domain (so 500 in an active/active scenario), and 162 networks on a 10Gb server port, which you seem to be far from.

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Any other help for Alexei? Link to the latest Virtual Connect Cookbook: Virtual Connect FlexFabric Cookbook

[Niyi_2]

I am planning to do similar configuration. Did this work for you?

Going by both senario 5 & 6 of the cookbook, the vNETs with single Vlan are configured as untagged within esx while vnets with multiple vlan are configured as tagged. can the single vnet be tagged as well or will that mean VC will drop that connection because  SUS(shared uplink sets) is used?

[Psychonaut]

It will work both ways, I've got two working environments with a couple of VDS's.  One is configured w/o tags and one is configured with.  I believe the best practice is to tag.