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.  

Table of Contents:
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  Primary VLAN 106  Promiscuous VLAN 106  Secondary VLANs 106  Community VLANs 107  Isolated VLAN 108 Distributed Port Groups 108  VMkernel Ports 109  Virtual Machines 110 Traffic Shaping 111  Egress 111 Load Balancing 112  Route Based on Physical NIC Load 112 Network I/O Control 115  Network Resource Pools 116  Shares 117  User-Defined Network Resource Pools 119 Summary 120   Chapter 10 Third Party Switches–1000V 121 Key Concepts 121 Introduction 121 Integration with vSphere 122  Architectural Differences 123 Virtual Supervisor Module 124  Port Profiles 126 Virtual Ethernet Module 128  Layer 2 Mode 129  Nexus 1000V in Layer 3 Mode 130  VEM Maximums 132 Advanced Features 132  A Comment on Nexus OS 132 Licensed Modes of Operation 132  Essential Edition 133  Advanced Edition 133 Summary 134   Chapter 11 Lab Scenario 135 Key Concepts 135 Introduction 135 Building a Virtual Network 135 Architectural Decisions 136  Network Design 136  Host Design 137  Data Traffic Design for Virtual Machines 138 Lab Scenario 139 Summary 143   Chapter 12 Standard vSwitch Design 145 Key Concepts 145 Introduction 145 Standard vSwitch Design 146  Sample Use Case 146  Naming Conventions 147 Ensuring Quality of Service 149 Network Adapters 151 Virtual Machine Traffic 153  Virtual Machine Port Groups 153  Failover Order 156 VMkernel Ports 158  Management 158  vMotion 161  Fault Tolerance 166  NFS Storage 168  VMkernel Failover Overview 170 Final Tuning 172 Confi guring Additional vSphere Hosts 173 Summary 173   Chapter 13 Distributed vSwitch Design 175 Key Concepts 175 Introduction 175 Distributed vSwitch Design 176  Use Case 176  Naming Conventions 177 Ensuring Quality of Service 178  Network IO Control 178  Priority Tagging with 802.1p 180  Differentiated Service Code Point 181 Creating the Distributed vSwitch 182 Network Adapters 185 Distributed Port Groups for Virtual Machines 186  Load Based Teaming 188 Distributed Port Groups for VMkernel Ports 190  Management 191  vMotion 193  Fault Tolerance 194  iSCSI Storage 195  VMkernel Failover Overview 196 Adding vSphere Hosts 198  Creating VMkernel Ports 204  Moving the vCenter Virtual Machine 208 Final Steps 212  Health Check 212  Network Discovery Protocol 214 Other Design Considerations 215  Fully Automated Design 215  Hybrid Automation Design 216  Which Is Right? 216 Summary 216   Part III You Got Your Storage in My Networking: IP Storage   Chapter 14 iSCSI General Use Cases 219 Key Concepts 219 Introduction 219 Understanding iSCSI 220  Lossless Versus Best Effort Protocols 220  Priority-Based Flow Control 220  VLAN Isolation 222  iSCSI with Jumbo Frames 222 iSCSI Components 223  Initiators 224  Targets 224  Naming 225  Security with CHAP 227 iSCSI Adapters 229  Software iSCSI Adapter 230  Dependent Hardware iSCSI Adapters 231  Independent Hardware iSCSI Adapters 232 iSCSI Design 233  NIC Teaming 234  Network Port Binding 236  Multiple vSwitch Design 236  Single vSwitch Design 238 Boot from iSCSI 239 Summary 241   Chapter 15 iSCSI Design and Confi guration 243 Key Concepts 243 Introduction 243 iSCSI Design 244  Use Case 244  Naming Conventions 245  Network Addresses 246 vSwitch Confi guration 247  iSCSI Distributed Port Groups 247  VMkernel Ports 250  Network Port Binding 254  Jumbo Frames 256 Adding iSCSI Devices 258  iSCSI Server and Targets 258  Authentication with CHAP 261  Creating VMFS Datastores 263  Path Selection Policy 265 Summary 267   Chapter 16 NFS General Use Cases 269 Key Concepts 269 Introduction 269 Understanding NFS 269  Lossless Versus Best Effort Protocols 270  VLAN Isolation 271  NFS with Jumbo Frames 271 NFS Components 272  Exports 272  Daemons 272  Mount Points 273  Security with ACLs 275 Network Adapters 276 NFS Design 276  Single Network 277  Multiple Networks 278  Link Aggregation Group 280 Summary 283   Chapter 17 NFS Design and Confi guration 285 Key Concepts 285 Introduction 285 NFS Design 285  Use Case 286  Naming Conventions 286  Network Addresses 287 vSwitch Confi guration 288  NFS vSwitch 288  Network Adapters 290  VMkernel Ports 291 Mounting NFS Storage 294 Summary 296   Part IV Other Design Scenarios   Chapter 18 Additional vSwitch Design Scenarios 297 Key Concepts 297 Introduction 297 Use Case 298  Naming Standards 298 Two Network Adapters 299  With Ethernet-based Storage 299  Without Ethernet-based Storage 300 Four Network Ports 300  With Ethernet-based Storage 300  Without Ethernet-based Storage 301 Six Network Ports 302  With Ethernet-based Storage—Six 1 Gb 303  Without Ethernet-based Storage—Six 1 Gb 304  With Ethernet-based Storage—Four 1 Gb + Two 10 Gb 304  Without Ethernet-based Storage—Four 1 Gb + Two 10 Gb 305 Eight Network Adapters 306  With Ethernet-based Storage—Eight 1 Gb 306  Without Ethernet-based Storage—Eight 1 Gb 307  With Ethernet-based Storage—Four 1 Gb + Four 10 Gb 308  Without Ethernet-based Storage—Four 1 Gb + Four 10 Gb 309 Summary 310   Chapter 19 Multi-NIC vMotion Architecture 311 Key Concepts 311 Introduction 311 Multi-NIC vMotion Use Cases 312 Design 312  Verifying Available Bandwidth 313  Controlling vMotion Traffi c 314  Distributed vSwitch Design 314  Standard vSwitch Design 317  Upstream Physical Switch Design 317 Confi guring Multi-NIC vMotion 318  Distributed Port Groups 318  VMkernel Ports 320  Traffic Shaping 321 Summary 322   Appendix A Networking for VMware Administrators: The VMware User Group 323 The VMware User Group 323   Index 325