Networking for VMware Administrators

The one-stop guide to modern networking for every VMware® administrator, engineer, and architect

Now that virtualization has blurred the lines between networking and servers, many VMware specialists need a stronger understanding of networks than they may have gained in earlier IT roles. Networking for VMware Administrators fills this crucial knowledge gap. Writing for VMware professionals, Christopher Wahl and Steve Pantol illuminate the core concepts of modern networking, and show how to apply them in designing, configuring, and troubleshooting any virtualized network environment.

Drawing on their extensive experience with a wide range of virtual network environments, the authors address physical networking, switching, storage networking, and several leading virtualization scenarios, including converged infrastructure.

Teaching through relevant examples, they focus on foundational concepts and features that will be valuable for years to come. To support rapid learning and mastery, they present clear learning objectives, questions, problems, a complete glossary, and extensive up-to-date references.

Coverage includes:

. The absolute basics: network models, layers, and interfaces, and why they matter

. Building networks that are less complex, more modular, and fully interoperable

. Improving your virtual network stack: tips, tricks, and techniques for avoiding common pitfalls

. Collaborating more effectively with network and storage professionals

. Understanding Ethernet, Advanced Layer 2, Layer 3, and modern converged infrastructure

. Mastering virtual switching and understanding how it differs from physical switching

. Designing and operating vSphere standard and distributed switching

. Working with third-party switches, including Cisco Nexus 1000V

. Creating powerful, resilient virtual networks to handle critical storage network traffic

. Deploying rackmount servers with 1 Gb and 10 Gb Ethernet

. Virtualizing blade servers with converged traffic and virtual NICs

Christopher Wahl has acquired well over a decade of IT experience in enterprise infrastructure design, implementation, and administration. He has provided architectural and engineering expertise in a variety of virtualization, data center, and private cloud based engagements while working with high performance technical teams in tiered data center environments. He currently holds the title of Senior Technical Architect at Ahead, a consulting firm based out of Chicago.

Steve Pantol has spent the last 14 years wearing various technical hats, with the last seven or so focused on assorted VMware technologies. He is a Senior Technical Architect at Ahead, working to build better datacenters and drive adoption of cloud technologies.

Autorentext

Chris Wahl has acquired more than a decade of IT experience in enterprise infrastructure design, implementation, and administration. He has provided architectural and engineering expertise in a variety of virtualization, data center, and private cloud-based engagements while working with high performance technical teams in tiered data center environments. He currently holds the title of Senior Technical Architect at Ahead, a consulting firm based out of Chicago. Chris holds well over 30 active industry certifications, including the rare VMware Certified Design Expert (VCDX #104), and is a recognized VMware vExpert. He also works to give back to the community as both an active "Master" user and moderator of the VMware Technology Network (VMTN) and as a Leader of the Chicago VMware User Group (VMUG). As an independent blogger for the award winning "Wahl Network," Chris focuses on creating content that revolves around virtualization, converged infrastructure, and evangelizing products and services that benefit the technology community. Over the past several years, he has published hundreds of articles and was voted the "Favorite Independent Blogger" by vSphere-Land for 2012. Chris also travels globally to speak at industry events, provide subject matter expertise, and offer perspectives as a technical analyst.

Steve Pantol has spent the last 14 years wearing various technical hats, with the last seven or so focused on assorted VMware technologies. He holds numerous technical certifications and is working toward VCDX-if only to stop Wahl from lording it over him. He is a Senior Technical Architect at Ahead, working to build better data centers and drive adoption of cloud technologies.

Inhalt

Foreword xix

Introduction xxi

Part I Physical Networking 101

Chapter 1 The Very Basics 1

Key Concepts 1

Introduction 1

Reinventing the Wheel 2

Summary 6

Chapter 2 A Tale of Two Network Models 7

Key Concepts 7

Introduction 7

Model Behavior 9

Layering 9

Encapsulation 9

The OSI Model 10

The TCP/IP Model 12

The Network Interface Layer 12

The Internet Layer 13

The Transport Layer 14

The Application Layer 14

Comparing OSI and TCP/IP Models 15

Summary 16

Chapter 3 Ethernet Networks 17

Key Concepts 17

Introduction 17

Ethernet 18

History and Theory of Operation 18

Ethernet Standards and Cable Types 19

Ethernet Addressing 23

Extending Ethernet Segments: Repeaters, Hubs, and Switches 24

Switching Logic 25

Summary 26

Chapter 4 Advanced Layer 2 27

Key Concepts 27

Introduction 27

Concepts 28

Trunking 30

Loop Avoidance and Spanning Tree 32

Spanning Tree Overview 32

PortFast 35

Rapid Spanning Tree 35

Link Aggregation 36

What Is Link Aggregation? 36

Dynamic Link Aggregation 39

Load Distribution Types 41

Summary 42

Reference 43

Chapter 5 Layer 3 45

Key Concepts 45

Introduction 45

The Network Layer 46

Routing and Forwarding 46

Connected, Static, and Dynamic Routes 46

The Gateway of Last Resort 47

IP Addressing and Subnetting 47

Classful Addressing 48

Classless Addressing 48

Reserved Addresses 50

Network Layer Supporting Applications 50

DHCP 50

DNS 51

ARP 51

Ping 52

Summary 52

Chapter 6 Converged Infrastructure 53

Key Concepts 53

Introduction 53

Concepts 54

Converged Infrastructure Advantages 54

Examples 55

Cisco UCS 55

HP BladeSystem 57

Nutanix Virtual Computing Platform 59

Summary 60

Part II Virtual Switching

Chapter 7 How Virtual Switching Differs from Physical Switching 61

Key Concepts 61

Introduction 61

Physical and Virtual Switch Comparison 62

Similarities 62

Differences 63

Switching Decisions 63

Physical Uplinks 65

Host Network Interface Card (NIC) 65

Virtual Ports 66

Virtual Machine NICs 67

VMkernel Ports 67

Service Console 67

VLANs 68

External Switch Tagging (EST) 68

Virtual Switch Tagging (VST) 68

Virtual Guest Tagging (VGT) 69

Summary 70

Chapter 8 vSphere Standard Switch 71

Key Concepts 71

Introduction 71

The vSphere Standard Switch 72

Plane English 72

Control Plane 72

Data Plane 73

vSwitch Properties 73

Ports 73

Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) 74

Security 75

Promiscuous Mode 75

MAC Address Changes 76

Forged Transmits 77

Discovery 78

Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP) 79

Traffic Shaping 80

Traffic Shaping Math 82

NIC Teaming 82

Load Balancing 83

Network Failure Detection 84

Notify Switches 86

Failback 86

Failover Order 87

Hierarchy Overrides 87

VMkernel Ports 88

Port Properties and Services 88

IP Addresses 89

VM Port Groups 90

Summary 91

Chapter 9 vSphere Distributed Switch 93

Key Concepts 93

Introduction to the vSphere Distributed Switch 93

Control Plane 94

Handling vCenter Failure 94

Data Plane 96

Monitoring 96

Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP) 97

Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) 97

NetFlow 98

Port Mirroring 101

Private VLANs 105

…