Distributed Virtual
Switch Configuration
To use a distributed virtual switch, you
create a switch and portgroups on a vCenter Server, and add hosts as members of
the switch.
- Use theFolder.CreateDVS_Taskmethod to create a distributed virtual switch. Use aDVSConfigSpecto create a switch for a third-party implementation. Use aVMwareDVSConfigSpecto create a VMware distributed virtual switch.
- Use theCreateDVPortgroup_Taskmethod to create portgroups for host and virtual machine network connections and for the connection between proxy switches and physical NICs. ADistributedVirtualPortgroupspecifies how virtual ports (DistributedVirtualPort) will be used. When you create a distributed virtual switch, the vCenter Server automatically creates one uplink portgroup (config.uplinkPortgroup). Uplink portgroups are distributed virtual portgroups that support the connection between proxy switches and physical NICs.Port creation on a distributed switch is determined by the portgroup type (DVPortgroupConfigSpec.type):
- If a portgroup is early binding (static), thenDVPortgroupConfigSpec.numPortsdetermines the number of ports that get created when the portgroup is created. This number can be increased ifDVPortgroupConfigSpec.autoExpandis true.
- If a portgroup is ephemeral (dynamic), thennumPortsis ignored and ports are created as needed.You can also specify standalone ports that are not associated with a port group and uplink ports that are created on ESXi hosts (DVSConfigSpec.numStandalonePorts).TheDVPortgroupConfigInfo.numPortsproperty is the total number of ports for a distributed virtual switch. This total includes the ports generated by the static and dynamic portgroups and the standalone ports.
- If you have created additional uplink portgroups, use theReconfigureDvs_Taskmethod to add the portgroup(s) to theDVSConfigSpec.uplinkPortgrouparray.
- Retrieve physical NIC device names from the host (HostSystem.config.network.pnic[].device).
- Add host member(s) to the distributed virtual switch. To configure host members:
- Specify hosts (DVSConfigSpec.host[]).
- For each host, specify one or more physical NIC device names to identify the pNIC(s) for the host proxy connection to the network (DistributedVirtualSwitchHostMemberConfigSpec.backing.pnicSpec[].pnicDevice)
- Use theDistributedVirtualSwitch.ReconfigureDvs_Taskmethod to update the switch configuration.When you add a host to a distributed virtual switch (DistributedVirtualSwitch.config.host), the host automatically creates a proxy switch. The proxy switch is removed automatically when the host is removed from the distributed virtual switch.
- Connect hosts and virtual machines to the distributed virtual switch.Host connectionSpecify port or portgroup connections in the host virtual NIC spec (HostVirtualNicSpec.distributedVirtualPortorHostVirtualNicSpec.portgroup).Virtual machine connectionSpecify port or portgroup connections in the distributed virtual port backing (VirtualEthernetCardDistributedVirtualPortBackingInfo) for the virtual Ethernet cards on the virtual machine (VirtualEthernetCard.backing).