Installing the Cisco Application Virtual Switch (AVS) consists of two separate sets of tasks: configuring the Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC) and then install Cisco AVS using the Cisco Virtual Switch Update Manager (VSUM), the ESXi CLI, or the VMware Virtual Update Manager (VUM). You also must verify the installation.
This section provides the instructions for each set of tasks that you need to perform to install Cisco AVS to use within the Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) fabric.
You need to perform the following tasks before installing the Cisco AVS.
You must set up the Cisco APIC before you can set up the Cisco AVS. See the Cisco APIC Getting Started Guide for instructions on how to configure the Cisco APIC for the first time.
You must make sure that all switches are registered and that the Cisco ACI fabric is up to date. See Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure Fundamentals and the Cisco APIC Getting Started Guide.
You must install Cisco VSUM if you plan to use it to install or update the Cisco AVS.
When connecting the Cisco AVS using VXLAN encapsulation, set the maximum transmission unit (MTU) value equal to or greater than 1600 on all intermediate devices on the path between the Cisco ACI fabric and the Cisco AVS. These include FI switches and UCS-B. However, to optimize performance, the MTU should be set to the maximum supported size that all intermediate devices on the path between the Cisco ACI fabric and the Cisco AVS support. The maximum configurable MTU on AVS is 8950.
When adding additional VMware ESXi hosts to the VMM domain with the Cisco AVS, ensure that the version of the ESXi host is compatible with the Distributed Virtual Switch (DVS) version already deployed in the vCenter. For more information about Cisco AVS compatibility for ESXi hosts, see the Cisco AVS Release Notes for your Cisco AVS release.
If the ESXi host version is not compatible with the existing DVS version, vCenter will not be able to add the ESXi host to the DVS, and an incompatibility error will occur. Modification of the existing DVS Version setting from the Cisco APIC is not possible. To lower the DVS Version in the vCenter, you need to remove and reapply the VMM domain configuration with a lower setting.
This section provides a high-level description of the tasks that you need to perform in order to install the Cisco AVS.
Configure Cisco APIC settings. These include registering nonconnected switches, and creating interfaces, switch, and VMware vCenter domain profiles.
An interface policy configures the type of interface—port channel (PC) or virtual PC (VPC)—for the vSphere hosts and a link aggregation control protocol (LACP), or MAC pinning. See the appendix "Recommended Topologies" in this guide for supported topologies.
A switch policy configures the connection between the Cisco AVS (the vLeaf) and the ESXi hypervisor by specifying a physical port on the leaf switch and by specifying Cisco AVS trunk settings. These include VLANs or VXLANs.
A VMware vCenter domain groups virtual machine (VM) controllers with similar networking policy requirements. For example, VM controllers can share VLAN or Virtual Extensible Local Area Network (VXLAN) space and application endpoint groups (EPGs). The Cisco APIC communicates with the controller to publish network configurations such as port groups that are then applied to the virtual workloads.
See the section "Creating Interface and Switch Policies and a vCenter Domain Profile Using the GUI" in this guide for instructions.Install the Cisco AVS and add the ESXi host to the Cisco AVS.
Using Cisco VSUM is the recommended method for installing the Cisco AVS. Using Cisco VSUM validates the version and compatibility for the ESXi host, and in one procedure enables you to install the Cisco AVS onto the ESXi host and add the ESXi host to the Cisco AVS distributed virtual switch (DVS).
See the section "Installing Cisco VSUM" in this guide for instructions for installing the Cisco AVS.
However, you can install Cisco AVS using ESXi CLI or VMware Virtual Update Manager (VUM). See the appendix "Installing Cisco AVS Using the ESXi CLI or VMware VUM" in this guide.
Verify the Cisco AVS Installation.
You need to verify that the Cisco AVS has been installed on the VMware ESXi hypervisor by verifying the virtual switch status and the virtual NIC status. You also need to verify that the vmknic is created, that OpFlex is online, and that the ports are in a forwarding state.
See the section Verifying the Cisco AVS Installation in this guide for instructions.
The following sections describe how to configure the Cisco AVS and the VMware ESXi hypervisor with the Cisco APIC:
The Cisco APIC automatically discovers leaf and spine switches. However, if your Cisco AVS host is behind leaf and spine switches, you must register them.
Register the switches by following the instructions in the Cisco APIC Getting Started Guide.
Before you can install the Cisco AVS, you need to create interface, switch, and vCenter domain profiles. As of Cisco APIC 1.1.x, we recommend that you perform these tasks in the united configuration wizard in the Cisco APIC. This is the procedure "Creating Interface and Switch Profiles and a vCenter Domain Profile Using the Advanced GUI" in this guide.
You should understand and follow the guidelines in this section before proceeding with the tasks.
If you need to configure a FEX profile or detailed interface, switch, or vCenter domain profiles, you can find instructions in Appendix C, "Procedures for Creating Interface, Switch, and vCenter Domain Profiles" in this guide.
If you use the recommended united configuration wizard, the Cisco APIC automatically creates a firewall policy, which can be modified later. If you instead use the alternate procedures to create interface, switch, or vCenter domain profiles, you will need to create a firewall policy manually. Follow the instructions in the "Distributed Firewall" section of the ACI Virtualization Guide.
Follow these guidelines and fulfil the prerequisites when creating interface and switch profiles for your Cisco AVS.
The Cisco AVS supports PC, VPC, MAC Pinning, and FEX interface policies. It does not support individual interface policies. See the Cisco Application Virtual Switch Installation Guide for information about FEX policies.
If there is a Layer 2 network between the leaf switch and the Cisco AVS vSphere host, configure the interface policy on the interfaces that are connected to the Layer 2 network.
The number of links and leafs that you use determine whether you need to configure a PC or a VPC policy for the Cisco AVS:
If you are using a single link between a leaf and an ESXi host, you need to configure a PC policy.
If you are using multiple links between one leaf and an ESXi host, you must configure a PC policy.
If you are using multiple links between multiple leafs and an ESXi host, you must configure a VPC policy.
Follow these guidelines for choosing a LACP policy:
Choose LACP (Active or Passive) if the uplinks from the Cisco AVS (vSphere host) are directly connected to the leaf switches and you want to use or turn on the LACP channeling protocol.
Choose Static Channel - Mode On if the uplinks form the Cisco AVS are directly connected to the leaf switches but you do not want to use the LACP channeling protocol, for example, static port channel.
Choose MAC Pinning if the uplinks from the Cisco AVS should not be channeled together and will operate as separate links.
You should verify that the leaf switch interfaces are physically connected to the ESXi hypervisor or, if you are using a Layer 2 device, verify that the leaf is physically connected to the Layer 2 device.
You must create a new vCenter domain profile; you cannot convert an existing one. For information about deleting an existing VMware vCenter domain profile, see the section "Guidelines for Deleting VMM Domains" in Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure Fundamentals.
You can create multiple data centers and DVS entries under a single domain. However, you can have only one Cisco AVS assigned to each data center.
![]() Note | If VXLAN load balancing is enabled in the VMware vCenter domain profile, Microsegmentation with Cisco AVS cannot be enabled on the domain. |
Beginning with Cisco AVS Release 5.2(1)SV3(1.15), you can use IPv6 when creating a VMM domain, provided that the vCenter and ESXi host management are IPv6-enabled.
Make sure that the multicast IP address pool has enough multicast IP addresses to accommodate the number of EPGs that will be published to the VMware vCenter domain. You can add more IP addresses to a multicast address pool that is already associated with a VMware vCenter domain at any time.
Make sure that you have a sufficient number of VLAN IDs. If you do not, ports on endpoint groups (EPGs) might report that no encapsulation is available.
If you want to change the switch mode on a Cisco AVS, you first must remove the existing DVS and then add the VMware vCenter domain with the desired switching mode. For instructions on removing the existing DVS, see Cisco Application Virtual Switch Configuration Guide.
vCenter must be installed, configured, and reachable through the in-band/out-of-band management network.
![]() Note | If you prefer not to use the vCenter administrator/root credentials, you can create a custom user account with minimum required permissions. See the section Creating a VMware vCenter Domain Profile in Appendix C in this doc for a list of the required user privileges. |
Caution: Cisco recommends that you do not mix configuration modes (Advanced or Basic). When you make a configuration in either mode and change the configuration using the other mode, unintended changes can occur. For example, if you apply an interface policy to two ports using Advanced mode and then change the settings of one port using Basic mode, your changes might be applied to both ports.
For information about using Advanced and Basic modes, see the Cisco APIC Getting Started Guide.
Before you create a vCenter domain profile, you must establish connectivity to external network using in-band management network on the Cisco APIC.
Caution: Cisco recommends that you do not mix configuration modes (Advanced or Basic). When you make a configuration in either mode and change the configuration using the other mode, unintended changes can occur. For example, if you apply an interface policy to two ports using Advanced mode and then change the settings of one port using Basic mode, your changes might be applied to both ports.
For information about using Advanced and Basic modes, see the Cisco APIC Getting Started Guide.
Before installing Cisco AVS, you can use the configuration wizard to create a VMware vCenter profile and create interface policy group policies for Cisco AVS. You also can create vSwitch policies that override the interface policy group policies and apply a different policy for the leaf.
However, if you did not use the configuration wizard—or if you used the configuration wizard but did not configure a vSwitch override policy—you can configure a vSwitch override policy by using one of the procedures in this section. You can perform the override in Cisco APIC through the Fabric tab or the VM Networking tab.
![]() Note | In Cisco AVS 5.2(1)SV3(1.10), you cannot create a Distributed Firewall policy on the vSwitch using the configuration wizard. See the section "Configuring Distributed Firewall" in the Cisco ACI Virtualization Guide for instructions for configuring a Distributed Firewall policy and associating it to the VMM domain. |
We recommend that you already have created access policies and an attachable access entity profile for Cisco AVS.
Step 1 | Log in to the Cisco APIC, choosing Advanced mode. | ||||||||
Step 2 | Perform one of
the following sets of actions:
|
Verify that the policies are in effect on Cisco AVS.
You can perform some pre-Cisco AVS installation configuration tasks using the NX-OS style CLI.
Example: Configuring a VLAN domain with static allocation: apic1# configure apic1(config)# vlan-domain cli-vdom1 apic1(config-vlan)# vlan 101-200 apic1(config-vlan)# show running-config # Command: show running-config vlan-domain cli-vdom1 # Time: Thu Oct 1 10:12:21 2015 vlan-domain cli-vdom1 vlan 101-200 exit Example:Configuring a VLAN domain with dynamic allocation: apic1# configure apic1(config)# vlan-domain cli-vdom1 dynamic apic1(config-vlan)# vlan 101-200 dynamic apic1(config-vlan)# show running-config # Command: show running-config vlan-domain cli-vdom1 dynamic # Time: Thu Oct 1 10:12:21 2015 vlan-domain cli-vdom1 dynamic vlan 101-200 dynamic exit |
Example: apic1# config apic1(config)# template port-channel cli-pc1 apic1(config-if)# channel-mode active apic1(config-if)# vlan-domain member cli-vdom1 apic1(config-if)# show running-config # Command: show running-config interface port-channel cli-pc1 # Time: Thu Oct 1 10:38:30 2015 interface port-channel cli-pc1 vlan-domain member cli-vdom1 channel-mode active exit
|
Example: apic1# config apic1(config)# vpc domain explicit 10 leaf 101 102 apic1(config-vpc)# show running-config # Command: show running-config vpc domain explicit 10 leaf 101 102 # Time: Thu Oct 1 10:39:26 2015 vpc domain explicit 10 leaf 101 102 exit |
Example: apic1# config apic1(config)# leaf 101 – 102 apic1(config-leaf)# interface ethernet 1/3 apic1(config-leaf-if)# channel-group cli-pc1 vpc apic1(config-leaf-if)# show running-config # Command: show running-config leaf 101 - 102 interface ethernet 1/3 # Time: Thu Oct 1 10:41:15 2015 leaf 101 interface ethernet 1/3 channel-group cli-pc1 vpc exit exit leaf 102 interface ethernet 1/3 channel-group cli-pc1 vpc exit exit |
Example: apic1(config)# vmware-domain cli-vmm1 apic1(config-vmware)# vlan-domain member cli-vdom1 apic1(config-vmware)# vcenter 10.193.218.223 datacenter dc1 dvs-version 5.1 apic1(config-vmware-vc)# username root Password: Retype password: apic1(config-vmware-vc)# apic1(config-vmware)# configure-avs apic1(config-vmware-avs)# switching mode vlan <or> apic1(config-vmware-avs)# switching mode vxlan-ns apic1(config-vmware-avs)# multicast-address 226.0.0.1 apic1(config-vmware-avs)# vxlan multicast-pool 226.0.0.11-226.0.0.20 apic1(config-vmware-vc)# show running-config # Command: show running-config vmware-domain cli-vmm1 vcenter 10.193.218.223 datacenter dc1 dvs-version 5.1 # Time: Thu Oct 1 10:51:45 2015 vmware-domain cli-vmm1 vcenter 10.193.218.223 datacenter dc1 dvs-version 5.1 username root exit exit apic1(config-vmware-avs)# show running-config # Command: show running-config vmware-domain cli-vmm1 configure-avs # Time: Thu Oct 1 10:53:28 2015 vmware-domain cli-vmm1 configure-avs switching mode vlan exit exit |
For detailed information, see the Cisco Nexus 1000V and Cisco APIC documentation.
Step 1 | Make sure that
the Cisco Nexus 1000V host has the VIB file that supports Cisco AVS.
You need to have SV2(2.3) or later. |
Step 2 | Move the VMs out of the Cisco Nexus 1000V host. |
Step 3 | Remove the host from the Cisco Nexus 1000V DVS. |
Step 4 | Reboot the host. |
Step 5 | Create an APIC DVS in any switching mode. |
Step 6 | Add the host to the APIC DVS. |
Step 7 | Verify that OpenFlex status is active, that ports are in FWD state, and that the VTEP has a valid IP address. |
You can use one of three methods to install Cisco AVS:
Cisco VSUM—This is the recommended method for installing Cisco AVS.
For information about installing Cisco AVS with Cisco VSUM, see the section "About Installing Cisco AVS Using VSUM" in this guide for information Installing Cisco AVS Using VSUM.
VMware VUM—For information about installing Cisco AVS with VMware VUM, see the Appendix "Installing Cisco AVS Using the ESXi CLI or VMware VUM" in this guide.
ESXi CLI—For information about installing Cisco AVS with the ESXi CLI, see the Appendix "Installing Cisco AVS Using the ESXi CLI or VMware VUM" in this guide.
![]() Note | If you are not using VMware vSphere Web Client, you cannot use Cisco VSUM or the VMware VUM and must use the ESXi CLI to install Cisco AVS. |
![]() Note | When you choose a Cisco AVS VIB, you need to choose the one compatible with the version of VMware ESXi hypervisor that you use. ESXi 5.1 uses xxxx.3.1.1.vib, ESXi 5.5 uses xxxx.3.2.1.vib, and ESXi 6.0 uses xxxx.6.0.1.vib. |
Using Cisco VSUM is the recommended method for installing Cisco AVS. Using Cisco VSUM validates the version and compatibility for the ESXi host, and in one procedure enables you to install the Cisco AVS onto the ESXi host and add the ESXi host to the Cisco AVS DVS.
![]() Note | In Cisco VSUM Release 2.0, image files for Cisco AVS are uploaded separately from the Cisco VSUM software. The new Virtual Switch File Upload Utility enables you to dynamically upload the switch image files before installation. You download the switch image files from Cisco.com to your local system before uploaded them to the Cisco VSUM repository. |
One you have read the sections and fulfilled the system requirements and prerequisites in the Cisco Virtual Switch Update Manager Getting Started Guide for Cisco Application Virtual Switch, you can then install Cisco VSUM following the instructions in the section "Installing Cisco VSUM" in this guide.
Once you have installed Cisco VSUM, see the following sections in this guide:
Once you have read the sections and fulfilled the prerequisites, you can install Cisco AVS with Cisco VSUM following the instructions in the section "Installing Cisco AVS Using VSUM" in this guide.
You can install the Cisco VSUM OVA using the following steps.
![]() Note | When you install Cisco VSUM, you must use the same credentials that you use to install the thick client. |
Step 1 | Log in to the
VMware vSphere Web Client.
![]() | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Step 2 | Choose
Hosts
and Clusters.
![]() | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Step 3 | Choose the host
on which to deploy the Cisco VSUM OVA.
![]() | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Step 4 | From the
Actions menu, choose
Deploy
OVF Template.
![]() | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Step 5 | In the
Deploy
OVF Template wizard, complete the information as described in the
following table.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
Step 6 | Click Finish. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Step 7 | After Cisco VSUM deploys successfully, click Close. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Step 8 | Power on the
Cisco VSUM VM.
It might take
5 minutes for Cisco VSUM to be installed and registered as a vSphere Web Client
plug-in.
![]() If the Web Client session was open during the installation, you must log out and log in again to view the Cisco VSUM plug-in. |
The Virtual Switch Image File Upload utility is a GUI that enables you to dynamically upload the Cisco AVS image files before you install Cisco AVS. You must download the Cisco AVS image files from Cisco.com on your local system before you upload them to the Cisco VSUM repository.
Before you install Cisco AVS using Cisco VSUM, you must upload the corresponding Cisco AVS image file to Cisco VSUM.
Download the Cisco AVS .zip image folder from https://software.cisco.com/download.
You must download the Cisco AVS .zip image folder before starting the upload operation.
Step 1 | Log in to the VMware vSphere Web Client. |
Step 2 | Choose
Home >
Cisco
Virtual Switch Update Manager.
![]() |
Step 3 | In the
Cisco
Virtual Switch Update Manager pane, choose
AVS >
Upload.
![]() |
Step 4 | In the
Upload
Switch Image pane, click
Upload.
![]() |
Step 5 | In the
Virtual
Switch Image File Uploader window, click
Browse, choose the appropriate image folder
available on your local machine, and then click
Upload.![]() The upload might take a few minutes. |
Step 6 | In the dialog box telling you that the .zip
image folder was successfully uploaded, click OK. ![]() |
Step 7 | You can
confirm the upload in the
Manage
Uploaded switch Images pane.![]() |
Install Cisco AVS as described in the remaining procedures in this chapter.
Installing Cisco AVS has the following prerequisites:
You must set up the Cisco APIC before you can set up the Cisco AVS. See the Cisco APIC Getting Started Guide for instructions on how to configure the Cisco APIC for the first time.
You must make sure that all switches are registered and that the Cisco ACI fabric is up to date. See Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure Fundamentals and the Cisco APIC Getting Started Guide.
The Cisco AVS configuration in the Cisco APIC must be completed manually. See the section Configuring Cisco APIC Settings in this guide for detailed information about configuring the Cisco APIC before Cisco AVS installation.
You must install Cisco VSUM if you plan to use it to install the Cisco AVS. See the section "Installing Cisco VSUM" in this guide.
You have downloaded the appropriate Cisco AVS image file from Cisco.com and uploaded it in the Cisco VSUM repository. See the section "About the Virtual Switch Image File Upload Utility" and "Uploading the Cisco AVS Image File" in this guide.
You have created a tenant configuration that contains the required bridge domain, application profile, endpoint groups, and contracts. See the Cisco APIC Getting Started Guide for more information.
The host has one or more unclaimed physical NICs.
You have administrative privileges for the vCenter Server.
When connecting the Cisco AVS using VXLAN encapsulation, set the maximum transmission unit (MTU) value equal to or greater than 1600 on all intermediate devices on the path between the Cisco ACI fabric and the Cisco AVS. These include FI switches and UCS-B. However, to optimize performance, the MTU should be set to the maximum supported size that all intermediate devices on the path between the Cisco ACI fabric and the Cisco AVS support. The maximum configurable MTU on AVS is 8950.
When adding additional VMware ESXi hosts to the VMM domain for the Cisco AVS, ensure that the version of the ESXi host is compatible with the Distributed Virtual Switch (DVS) version already deployed in the vCenter. For more information about Cisco AVS compatibility for ESXi hosts, see the Cisco AVS Release Notes for your Cisco AVS release.
If the ESXi host version is not compatible with the existing DVS version, vCenter will not be able to add the ESXi host to the DVS, and an incompatibility error will occur. Modification of the existing DVS Version setting from the Cisco APIC is not possible. To lower the DVS Version in the vCenter, you need to remove and reapply the VMM domain configuration with a lower setting.
The following procedure—using the feature labeled Add Host-AVS in Cisco VSUM—puts the hosts into maintenance mode, installs the Cisco AVS, and adds an ESXi host or multiple hosts to the Cisco AVS.
You must obtain the following information for the Cisco AVS:
Step 1 | Log in to the VMware vSphere Web Client. |
Step 2 | Choose
![]() . |
Step 3 | In the
Cisco
Virtual Switch Update Manager pane, choose
, choose a data center,
choose the Cisco AVS, and then click
Manage.
You choose the Cisco AVS from the Choose an associated Distributed Virtual Switch area. ![]() |
Step 4 | In the switch
pane, choose
![]() . |
Step 5 | In the
Add
Host-AVS tab, complete the following actions:
|
Step 6 | Check the
status of adding the host by completing the following steps:
If you close the browser and later want to view the task's history, log in to the VMware vSphere Web Client, and click Tasks in the navigation pane to display the lists of tasks in the work pane. |
Verify the Cisco AVS installation. See Verifying the Cisco AVS Installation in this guide for instructions.
The following sections describe how to verify that the Cisco Application Virtual Switch (AVS) has been installed on the VMware ESXi hypervisor.
Step 1 | Log in to the VMware vSphere Client. |
Step 2 | Choose Networking. |
Step 3 | Open the folder for the data center and click the virtual switch. |
Step 4 | Click the
Hosts tab.
![]() The VDS Status and Status fields display the virtual switch status. The VDS status should be Up to indicate that OpFlex communication has been established. |
Step 1 | In VMware vSphere Client, click the Home tab. | ||
Step 2 | Choose Hosts and Clusters. | ||
Step 3 | Click the host. | ||
Step 4 | Click the Configuration tab. | ||
Step 5 | In the Hardware panel, choose Networking. | ||
Step 6 | In the View field, click the vSphere Distributed Switch button. | ||
Step 7 | Click Manage Virtual Adapters. The vmk1 displays as a virtual adapter and lists an IP address. | ||
Step 8 | Click the newly
created vmk interface to display the vmknic status.
|
After you install the Cisco AVS, you need to perform several configuration tasks.
You need to deploy an application profile, which includes creating a tenant, application profile, EPGs, filters, and contracts, and assigning port groups to VMs. You then need to verify the application profile.
See the Cisco AVS chapter in the Cisco ACI Virtualization Guide for instructions.
If you want to use Distributed Firewall available in Cisco AVS Release 5.2(1)SV3(1.5) and later releases, you need to enable it after installation. See the section "Enabling Distributed Firewall" in the Cisco ACI Virtualization Guide for instructions.
You might need to remove Cisco AVS for testing or if you need to remove all configuration from the Cisco ACI fabric, resetting the fabric to its initial state. Follow the high-level steps in this procedure to remove the Cisco AVS.
Step 1 | Complete the
following steps in the VMware vSphere Client:
See the VMware documentation for instructions. |
Step 2 | Complete the
following steps in the Cisco APIC:
|
If you are uninstalling the Cisco AVS but not removing all configuration from the Cisco ACI fabric, you can remove the VIB software from each host where it was installed. You can use the following vSphere CLI command to remove the VIB software from a host:
esxcli software vib remove -n installed_vem_version