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VMware Feature Note
Force10 Networks tested VMware’s virtualization software suite with the E-Seriesswitch/router to demonstrate a resilient server virtualization solution. Version 1.0 for FTOS 6.5.3.1 and VMware ESX Server 3.0/VirtualCenter 2.0 January 12, 2007
All rights reserved. Force10, the Force10 logo, EtherScale, and FTOS are trademarks of Force10 Networks, Inc. All other brand and r registered trademarks of their respective holders. Information in this document is subject to change without notice. Certain features may rce10 Networks, Inc. assumes no responsibility for any errors that may appear in this document.
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VMware Feature Note
Introduction Consolidation and virtualization of data center resources offers an opportunity for architectural transformations based on the use of scalable, high density, high availability technology solutions. New architectures include high density 10 GbE switch/routers, high density servers, network attached storage, and virtualization software. This combination of highly complementary technologies has now matured to the point where mainstream adoption in large data centers is occurring. The E-Series switch/router is the foundation of the consolidated data center and provides several key density and high-availability features that build a resilient network layer, providing the foundation for the VMware software suite to enable server virtualization and seamless migration of virtual servers between physical servers.
• Line-rate Throughput
Server virtualization achieved with VMware not only drives CPU utilization but also increases network bandwidth consumption dramatically. Deploying a non-blocking and line-rate E-Series network infrastructure will greatly improve the performance of a virtualized data center, and will eliminate any bottlenecks and design constraints needed to work around a blocking network architecture.
• Predicable Forwarding and Latency
Because the E-Series forwards packets consistently across its backplane regardless of packet size, customers will be able to greatly simplify path engineering without having to worry if a packet is locally switched on a line card or switched over the backplane. The E-Series forwarding architecture also delivers predictable latency that is unaffected by the traffic load on the backplane. • Resilient Hardware and High Availability Software Architecture
The E-Series hardware and software architectures enable the resilient and highly available network that is required in a virtualized data center. Features such as fully redundant hardware, and a modular operating system leverages a dedicated 3 CPU (L2 CPU, L3 CPU, Management CPU) architecture that easily scales to millions of IP routes and supports standards-based L2 and L3 protocols. Network availability is also greatly improved through OIR components, hitless software upgrades and hardware-based CPU DoS protection.
• High Port Density
The true intention of virtualization is to get more utilization out of fewer devices, and a switch/router with high port density is key to reduce the network layer components to protect valuable data center real estate. The E-Series embodies this concept by delivering 672 line-rate GbE ports (1260 high density GbE ports) and 56 10 GbE line-rate ports (224 high density 10 GbE ports) per chassis.
• Data Center Features
The E-Series supports the specialized virtualization features required by servers, such a NIC teaming for redundant network connections, by incorporating data center features into the E-Series. These features ensure that servers can make full use of multiple NICs in network failover scenarios.
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VMware Feature Note
VMware Solutions Testing Force10 has successfully tested VMware’s virtualization software suite in a redundant network topology to demonstrate key resiliency features between the E-Series and VMware software.
VMware NIC Teaming
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VMware Control Center
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Figure 1 - VMware Test Network Topology The resilient network is the foundation that enables VMware’s software to migrate live Virtual Machines (VMs) and use NIC teaming to dual home servers to redundant switch/routers. Two E-Series switch/routers are deployed in a redundant configuration for high density Layer 2 server aggregation with GbE line cards. Each ESX server is connected to each switch/router, using VMware’s Virtual Switch Tagging (VST) to designate a primary and secondary network interface. VLANs are used to create logical networks, a management network for VMware Control Center (VLAN 131) and an I/O network for VMs (VLAN 6). Since there is no possibility of creating a loop in the network, Spanning Tree is not needed to ensure a loop-free topology. Link Aggregation (LAG) is used to create a resilient interconnect between switch/routers, typically using multiple GbE or 10 GbE ports, to provide non-blocking interconnect capacity. The ports in the LAGs can be distributed over multiple line cards, protecting the network against failure of a line card. If a line card or physical path fails in the LAG, traffic will be automatically redistributed by the switch/router in subsecond failover times to provide a graceful failure scenario that ensures applications continue to run. The sample switch/router configuration below was used in the testing, and involves a few simple steps: enabling the NIC Teaming feature, creating the LAG interface, and creating the VLAN interfaces.
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VMware Feature Note
! ! Enable ARP refreshes for NIC Teaming. ! mac-address-table station-move refresh-arp ! ! Configure interfaces for Layer 2. ! interface range GigabitEthernet 8/24 - 30 no ip address switchport no shutdown ! ! LAG (port-channel) interface between switches. ! interface Port-channel 1 no ip address switchport channel-member GigabitEthernet 8/24-27 no shutdown ! ! VMware I/O VLAN. ! interface Vlan 6 no ip address tagged Port-channel 1 tagged GigabitEthernet 8/28-29 shutdown ! ! VWware Control Center VLAN. ! interface Vlan 131 no ip address tagged Port-channel 1 tagged GigabitEthernet 8/28-29 shutdown
Figure 2 – Sample Configuration Live migration of a running Linux VM between ESX servers using VMotion was demonstrated with excellent performance results. ESX servers A and B were configured to use a shared iSCSI storage on a NetApp filer to store the VMFS. Two migration scenarios were tested; the first involved simply moving the VM between servers, which directed traffic over the 4-port LAG connecting the two E-Series. In the second test, a link in the LAG was also failed during the migration, to simulate a port failure on the LAG. In each case, the VM was migrated and running on the new server, and responded to network requests in under 2 seconds. These results are inline with VMware’s white paper and test results for migration on a GbE network[1]. Next, failover between virtual and physical NICs on ESX server connected between two E-Series using VMware’s NIC teaming was successfully tested. Server connectivity was protected using the E-Series NIC teaming feature and VMware’s VST feature. Virtual and physical IP and MAC addresses migrated between E-Series devices seamlessly during failover. The NICs were configured in an active/standby configuration and performed subsecond failover when physical link status was lost between the active link and the switch/router.
Conclusion The combined solution of the E-Series switch/router and VMware’s virtualization software provides an interoperable and resilient network that supports high availability data center virtualization and server migration features. Force10’s E-Series switch/router delivers key network requirements such as line-rate throughput, predictable forwarding and latency, a resilient hardware and software architecture, the industry’s highest port density and specialized data center features.
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VMware Feature Note
References [1] “Building the Virtualized Enterprise with VMware Infrastructure”: http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vmware_infrastructure_wp.pdf Force10 Networks, Inc. 350 Holger Way San Jose, CA 95134 www.force10networks.com Phone: 408-571-3500 Fax: 408-571-3550 Email: [email protected]
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