Networking Avaya applications on VMware ESXi – Example 1

This configuration describes a simple version of networking Avaya applications within the same ESXi host. Highlights to note:

• Separation of networks: VMware Management, VMware vMotion, iSCSI (SAN traffic), and virtual machine networks are segregated to separate physical NICs.

• Teamed network interfaces: vSwitch 3 in Example 1 displays use of a load-balanced NIC team for the Virtual Machines Network. Load balancing provides additional bandwidth for the Virtual Machines Network, while also providing network connectivity for the virtual machines in the case of a single NIC failure.

• Virtual networking: The network connectivity between virtual machines that connect to the same vSwitch is entirely virtual. In example 2, the virtual machine network of vSwitch3 can communicate without entering the physical network. Virtual networks benefit from faster communication speeds and lower management overhead.

Networking Avaya applications on VMware ESXi – Example 2

This configuration shows a complex situation using multiple physical network interface cards. The key differences between example 1 and example 2 are:

• VMware Management Network redundancy: Example 2 includes a second VMkernel Port at vSwitch2 to handle VMware Management Network traffic. In the event of a failure of vmnic0, VMware Management Network operations can continue on this redundant management network.

• Removal of Teaming for Virtual Machines Network: Example 2 removes the teamed physical NICs on vSwitch3. vSwitch3 was providing more bandwidth and tolerance of a single NIC failure instead of reallocating this NIC to other workloads.

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