Table of Contents
Cisco Nexus 1000V for Microsoft Hyper-V Release Notes, Release 5.2(1)SM1(5.1)
Software Compatibility with Microsoft
Software Compatibility with Cisco Nexus 1000
Multiple User Constructs with SCVMM Networking Model
Obtaining Documentation and Submitting a Service Request
Cisco Nexus 1000V for Microsoft Hyper-V Release Notes, Release 5.2(1)SM1(5.1)
First Published: September 13, 2013
Last Updated: October 16, 2014
This document describes the features, limitations, and caveats for the Cisco Nexus 1000V for Microsoft Hyper-V Release 5.2(1)SM1(5.1) software.
Introduction
The Cisco Nexus 1000V provides a distributed, Layer 2 virtual switch that extends across many virtualized hosts. The Cisco Nexus 1000V manages a data center. Each server in the data center is represented as a line card in the Cisco Nexus 1000V and can be managed as if it were a line card in a physical Cisco switch.
When server virtualization is implemented, the edge of the network is pushed from the traditional network access layer, which is implemented in physical switches, to the virtual network access layer that is implemented through the software in the Server Hypervisor. The Cisco Nexus 1000V is an intelligent virtual network access layer switch that runs Cisco NX-OS, which is Cisco’s data center operating system common to all of Cisco’s data center products.
Operating inside the Microsoft Hyper-V Hypervisor, the Cisco Nexus 1000V supports the Cisco Virtual Network-Link (VN-Link) server virtualization technology to provide to following:
- Policy-based Virtual Machine (VM) connectivity
- Mobile VM security and network policy
- Nondisruptive operational model for your server virtualization and networking teams.
Data center virtualization servers and VMs are not managed the same way as physical servers. Server virtualization is treated as a special deployment, leading to longer deployment time, with a greater degree of coordination among server, network, storage, and security administrators. With the Cisco Nexus 1000V, you have a consistent networking feature set and a configuration and provisioning model for both the physical and the virtual networks.
VM networks can use the same network configuration, security policy, diagnostic tools, and operational models as physical server deployments that are connected to physical switches. This unified approach to quicker deployment and troubleshooting makes virtualization environments no different from non virtualized deployments.
Developed with Microsoft, the Cisco Nexus 1000V is Microsoft certified and integrates with the Windows Server and Systems Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM).
The Cisco Nexus 1000V consists of two basic components:
- Virtual Supervisor Module (VSM), also known as the Control Plane (CP). The VSM acts as the supervisor and contains the Cisco command-line interface (CLI), configuration, and high-level features.
- Virtual Ethernet Module (VEM), also known as the Data Plane (DP). The VEM acts as a line card and runs in each Hyper-V virtual switch to handle packet forwarding and other localized functions.
Hyper-V Webinar
Cisco offers a Cisco Nexus 1000V for Microsoft Hyper-V webinar as either a video demonstration or a PDF download. In the webinar, you can learn how the Cisco Nexus 1000V virtual access/distributed switch can simplify your Hyper-V virtual environment through a nondisruptive operational model, policy based provisioning, and a strong services ecosystem. You can also learn about the Cisco Nexus 1000V architecture, how it integrates with Microsoft SCVMM, and the networking capabilities it brings to Hyper-V environments.
Administrative Model
There are now two distinct administrative entities that manage the environment on the same set of hardware. Each has its own separate goals, abilities, and responsibilities. Server and VM policies can be set only by the server administrator through SCVMM or its management tools. Network policies can be set only by network administrator through the VSM or its management tools.
- Network and server administrators cannot make administrative changes to the system at the same time. Operations like deployment, upgrade, configuration, and troubleshooting can be carried out in an asynchronous fashion by respective administrators.
- If the network administrator has set up appropriate policies, the server administrator can add, remove, and move both physical hosts and VMs, as well as install physical interfaces in hosts and add virtual interfaces to VMs.
Software Compatibility with Microsoft
Ensure that the servers that run the Cisco Nexus 1000 VSM and VEM are in the Hardware Compatibility list. This release of the Cisco Nexus 1000V supports the Microsoft SCVMM server. For additional compatibility information, see the Cisco Nexus 1000V Compatibility Information, Release 5.2(1)SM1(5.1) .
Software Compatibility with Cisco Nexus 1000
This release supports Cisco Nexus 1000V for Microsoft Hyper-V Release 5.2(1)SM1(5.1). For additional information, see the Cisco Nexus 1000V for Microsoft Hyper-V Installation and Upgrade Guide, Release 5.2(1)SM1(5.1) .
New and Changed Information
This section provides the following information about Cisco Nexus 1000V Release 5.2(1)SM1(5.1):
Configuration Limits
New Software Features
The following software features were added in the Cisco Nexus 1000V Release 5.2(1)SM1(5.1):
Installer
The Cisco Nexus 1000V Installer App is now a standalone C# application that can you can use to install the Cisco Nexus 1000V Logical Switch (VSM).
Release Support
This release supports Cisco Nexus 1000V for Microsoft Hyper-V Release 5.2(1)SM1(5.1).
VEM as a Forwarding Extension
The Cisco Nexus 1000V VEM is a forwarding extension in the Microsoft Hyper-V extensible switch framework, and it is deployed on each Microsoft Hyper-V host managed by the Cisco Nexus 1000V.
The VSM communicates with VEMs and with SCVMM. All configuration policies defined on the VSM are automatically propagated to SCVMM, so the SCVMM administrator can use these policies when creating Virtual Machines (VMs).
The VSM and VEM communicate using the following interfaces:
- SCVMM provider DLL—Interface provided by Microsoft that the VSM uses to talk to SCVMM and set or retrieve configuration information.
- Layer 3 asynchronous inter-process communication (AIPC)—Cisco proprietary packet-based protocol used by one Cisco NX-OS component to talk other NX-OS component. The Cisco Nexus 1000V extends this AIPC packet format to operate over a Layer 3 network. It is used by the VSM to control and manage the VEMs. All VEM configuration is handled through Layer 3-AIPC messages by the data path agent (DPA). Notifications from the VEM to the VSM also make use of AIPC.
- Input/Output Control (IOCTL)—Mechanism that is used between the Cisco Nexus 1000V forwarding extension and DPA in the Hyper-V host.
- Packet interface—Interface used to send protocol packets, such as the Cisco Discovery Protocol, between the VSM and the VEMs. It is also known as an inband channel. Both AIPC and the inband channel go over the same Layer 3 channel between the VSM and VEM.
Multiple User Constructs with SCVMM Networking Model
The Microsoft SCVMM networking model introduces multiple user-defined constructs including logical networks, network sites, and VM networks to abstract the underlying physical network. New commands have been added to the Cisco Nexus 1000V to define these constructs in the VSM.
Open Caveats
The following are descriptions of the caveats in Cisco Nexus 1000V Release 5.2(1)SM1(5.1). The ID links you to the Cisco Bug Search tool.
Table 1 Open Caveats in Cisco Nexus 1000V Release 5.2(1)SM1(5.1)
MIB Support
The Cisco Management Information Base (MIB) list includes Cisco proprietary MIBs and many other Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) standard MIBs. These standard MIBs are defined in Requests for Comments (RFCs). To find specific MIB information, you must examine the Cisco proprietary MIB structure and related IETF-standard MIBs supported by the Cisco Nexus 1000V.
The MIB Support List is available at the following FTP site:
ftp://ftp.cisco.com/pub/mibs/supportlists/nexus1000v/Nexus1000VMIBSupportList.html
Related Documentation
This section lists the documents used with the Cisco Nexus 1000V for Microsoft Hyper-V.
Configuration Guides
Cisco Nexus 1000V for Microsoft Hyper-V High Availability and Redundancy Configuration Guide
Cisco Nexus 1000V for Microsoft Hyper-V Interface Configuration Guide
Cisco Nexus 1000V for Microsoft Hyper-V Layer 2 Switching Configuration Guide
Cisco Nexus 1000V for Microsoft Hyper-V License Configuration Guide
Cisco Nexus 1000V for Microsoft Hyper-V Network Segmentation Manager Configuration Guide
Cisco Nexus 1000V for Microsoft Hyper-V Port Profile Configuration Guide
Cisco Nexus 1000V for Microsoft Hyper-V Quality of Service Configuration Guide
Cisco Nexus 1000V for Microsoft Hyper-V Security Configuration Guide
Cisco Nexus 1000V for Microsoft Hyper-V System Management Configuration Guide
Reference and Troubleshooting Guides
Cisco Nexus 1000V for Microsoft Hyper-V Command Reference
Cisco Nexus 1000V for Microsoft Hyper-V Troubleshooting Guide
Virtual Services Appliance Documentation
The Cisco Nexus Virtual Services Appliance (VSA) documentation is available at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps9902/tsd_products_support_series_home.html
Virtual Security Gateway Documentation
The Cisco Virtual Security Gateway documentation is available at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps11208/tsd_products_support_model_home.html
Virtual Network Management Center
The Cisco Virtual Network Management Center documentation is available at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps11213/tsd_products_support_series_home.html
Obtaining Documentation and Submitting a Service Request
For information on obtaining documentation, using the Cisco Bug Search Tool (BST), submitting a service request, and gathering additional information, see What’s New in Cisco Product Documentation at: http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/general/whatsnew/whatsnew.html .
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