System Management Configuration Guide, Cisco DCNM for LAN, Release 6.x

Domains

A domain is an instance of a Cisco Nexus 1000V device, including dual redundant Virtual Supervisor Modules (VSMs) and managed Virtual Ethernet Modules (VEMs), within a VMware vCenter Server. Each domain needs to be distinguished by a unique integer called the domain identifier.

You can configure Layer 2 or Layer 3 transport control mode for communication between the VSM and VEMs.

This section includes the following topics:

• Layer 2 Control
• Layer 3 Control

Layer 2 Control

Layer 2 is a transport control mode used for communication between the VSM and VEMs. However, you can create and specify the VLAN to be used.

Layer 3 Control

Layer 3 control, or IP connectivity, is supported between the VSM and VEM for control and packet traffic. With Layer 3 control, a VSM can be Layer 3 accessible and control hosts can reside in a separate Layer 2 network. All hosts controlled by a VSM, however, must still reside in the same Layer 2 network. Because a VSM cannot control a host that is outside of the Layer 2 network it controls, the host on which it resides must be controlled by another VSM.

Figure 4-1 shows an example of Layer 3 control where VSM0 controls VEM_0_1. VEM_0_1, in turn, hosts VSM1 and VSM2, and VSM1 and VSM2 control VEMs in other Layer 2 networks.

Figure 4-1 Example of Layer 3 Control IP Connectivity

Server Connections

The Nexus 1000V device requires a connection to a VMware vCenter server for management of its distributed virtual switch (DVS) and host mapping to the Virtual Ethernet Modules (VEMs).

Creating a Domain with Layer 2 Control

You can create a domain name for the Cisco Nexus 1000V Series switch that identifies the Virtual Supervisor Module (VSM) and Virtual Ethernet Modules (VEMs) and then add control and packet VLANs for communication and management. This process is part of the initial installation process. If you need to create a domain after the initial setup, you can do so by using this procedure.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Be aware that if two or more VSMs share the same control and/or packet VLAN, the domain helps identify the VEMs that are managed by each VSM.

You must have a unique domain ID for this instance.

We recommend that you use one VLAN for control traffic and a different VLAN for packet traffic.

We recommend that you use a distinct VLAN for each domain.

For information about changing a domain ID after adding a second VSM, see the documentation for your platform.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 From the Feature Selector pane, choose Inventory > Virtual Switch.

Summary information for each managed virtual switch appears in the Summary pane.

Step 2 From the Summary pane, choose the device for which you want to create a domain.

Step 3 From the Details pane, choose the Details tab.

Step 4 Expand the Domain Settings section.

Step 5 (Optional) From the menu bar, choose Actions > Reset Domain Setting(s).

Step 6 In the Domain ID field, enter an ID number for the domain.

Step 7 In the Control mode drop-down list, choose L2.

Layer 2 control uses VLAN 1 for the control and packet VLANs by default. If desired, you can configure specific control and packet VLANs for the domain. See the “Configuring a Domain with a Control VLAN” section and the “Configuring a Domain with a Packet VLAN” section.

Step 8 From the menu bar, choose File > Deploy to apply your changes to the device.

Creating a Domain with Layer 3 Control

You can create a domain name that identifies the Virtual Supervisor Module (VSM) and Virtual Ethernet Modules (VEMs) for the Cisco Nexus 1000V Series switch. This process is part of the initial setup when installing the software. If you need to create a domain after initial setup, you can do so using this procedure.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Configure the interface that you plan to use (mgmt 0 or control 0) with an IP address. For more information, see the “Configuring a Control Interface” section.

Configure a port profile for Layer 3 control. See the Interfaces Configuration Guide, Cisco DCNM for LAN, Release 5.x.

Create a VMware kernel NIC interface on each host and apply the Layer 3 control port profile to it. For more information, see your VMware documentation.

Ensure that you have a unique domain ID for this instance.

For information about changing a domain ID after adding a second VSM, see the documentation for your platform.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 From the Feature Selector pane, choose Inventory > Virtual Switch.

Summary information for each managed virtual switch appears in the Summary pane.

Step 2 From the Summary pane, choose the device for which you want to create a domain.

Step 3 From the Details pane, choose the Details tab.

Step 4 Expand the Domain Settings section.

Step 5 (Optional) From the menu bar, choose Actions > Reset Domain Setting(s).

Step 6 In the Domain ID field, enter an ID number for the domain.

Step 7 In the Control Interface drop-down list, choose either mgmt0 or control0 as the interface to use.

Step 8 From the menu bar, choose File > Deploy to apply your changes to the device.

Changing a Domain to Layer 3 Control

You can change the control mode from Layer 2 to Layer 3 for the Virtual Supervisor Module (VSM) domain control and packet traffic.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Configure the interface that you plan to use (mgmt 0 or control 0) with an IP address. For more information, see the “Configuring a Control Interface” section.

Note You must perform the steps in this procedure in order. The control and packet VLANs must be disabled before the Layer 3 control can be enabled.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 From the Feature Selector pane, choose Inventory > Virtual Switch.

Summary information for each managed virtual switch appears in the Summary pane.

Step 2 From the Summary pane, choose the device for which you want to create a domain.

Step 3 From the Details pane, choose the Details tab.

Step 4 Expand the Domain Settings section.

Step 5 In the Control VLAN field, delete the number of the VLAN that is used as the control VLAN.

Step 6 In the Packet VLAN field, delete the number of the VLAN that is used as the packet VLAN.

Step 7 From the menu bar, choose File > Deploy to apply your changes to the device.

Step 8 In the Control mode drop-down list, choose L3.

Step 9 In the Control Interface drop-down list, choose either mgmt0 or control0 as the interface to use.

Step 10 From the menu bar, choose File > Deploy to apply your changes to the device.

Changing a Domain to Layer 2 Control

You can change the control mode from Layer 3 to Layer 2 for the VSM domain control and packet traffic.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Create VLANs to be used as the control and packet VLANs. For information, see the Layer 2 Switching Configuration Guide, Cisco DCNM for LAN, Release 5.x.

Note You must perform the steps in this procedure in order. Layer 3 control must be disabled before the control and packet VLANs can be assigned.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 From the Feature Selector pane, choose Inventory > Virtual Switch.

Summary information for each managed virtual switch appears in the Summary pane.

Step 2 From the Summary pane, choose the device for which you want to create a domain.

Step 3 From the Details pane, choose the Details tab.

Step 4 Expand the Domain Settings section.

Step 5 In the Control mode drop-down list, choose L2.

Step 6 In the Control VLAN field, enter the number of the VLAN to be used as the control VLAN.

Step 7 In the Packet VLAN field, enter the number of the VLAN to be used as the packet VLAN.

Step 8 From the menu bar, choose File > Deploy to apply your changes to the device.

Configuring a Domain with a Control VLAN

You can configure the domain with a control VLAN.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Create the VLAN to be used as the control VLAN. For more information, see the Layer 2 Switching Configuration Guide, Cisco DCNM for LAN, Release 5.x.

If Layer 3 control is configured on your Virtual Supervisor Module (VSM), you cannot configure your domain with a control VLAN. You must first disable Layer 3 control.

Configure and enable the required VLAN interface using the Cisco Nexus 1000V Interface Configuration Guide, Release 4.0(4)SV1(2). The VLAN interface provides communication between VLANs.

Understand how VLANs are numbered. For more information, see the Layer 2 Switching Configuration Guide, Cisco DCNM for LAN, Release 5.x.

Be aware that newly created VLANs remain unused until Layer 2 ports are assigned to them.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 From the Feature Selector pane, choose Inventory > Virtual Switch.

Summary information for each managed virtual switch appears in the Summary pane.

Step 2 From the Summary pane, choose the device for which you want to create a domain.

Step 3 From the Details pane, choose the Details tab.

Step 4 Expand the Domain Settings section.

Step 5 In the Control mode drop-down list, choose Layer 2.

Step 6 In the Control VLAN field, enter the number of the VLAN to be used as the control VLAN.

Step 7 From the menu bar, choose File > Deploy to apply your changes to the device.

Configuring a Domain with a Packet VLAN

You can configure the domain with a packet VLAN.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Create the VLAN to be used as the packet VLAN. For more information, see the documentation for your platform.

Configure and enable the required VLAN interface using the Cisco Nexus 1000V Interface Configuration Guide, Release 4.0(4)SV1(2) . The VLAN interface provides communication between VLANs.

Understand how VLANs are numbered. For more information, see the Layer 2 Switching Configuration Guide, Cisco DCNM for LAN, Release 5.x.

Be aware that newly created VLANs remain unused until Layer 2 ports are assigned to them.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 From the Feature Selector pane, choose Inventory > Virtual Switch.

Summary information for each managed virtual switch appears in the Summary pane.

Step 2 From the Summary pane, choose the device for which you want to create a domain.

Step 3 From the Details pane, choose the Details tab.

Step 4 Expand the Domain Settings section.

Step 5 In the Control mode drop-down list, choose L2.

Step 6 In the Packet VLAN field, enter the number of the VLAN to be used as the packet VLAN.

Step 7 From the menu bar, choose File > Deploy to apply your changes to the device.

Configuring a vCenter Server Connection

You can configure parameters for connecting the Cisco Nexus 1000V to the vCenter Server.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Have the following information available:

• Data center name
• vCenter Server IP address or hostname

Ensure that the vCenter Server management station is installed and running.

Ensure that the ESX servers are installed and running.

Ensure that the management port is configured.

Ensure that the vCenter Server is reachable.

Ensure that the appliance is installed.

If you are configuring a connection using a hostname, ensure that the DNS is already configured.

Ensure that you have already registered an extension with the vCenter Server. The extension includes the extension key and public certificate for the Virtual Supervisor Module (VSM). vCenter Server uses the key and certificate to verify the authenticity of the request that it receives from the VSM. For instructions about adding and registering an extension, see the documentation for the platform.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 From the Feature Selector pane, choose Inventory > Virtual Switch.

Summary information for each managed virtual switch appears in the Summary pane.

Step 2 From the Summary pane, choose the device for which you want to configure the vCenter Server connection.

Step 3 From the Details pane, choose the Details tab.

Step 4 Expand the Connection Settings section.

Step 5 In the Connection Name field, enter a name for the connection.

Step 6 In the Server Name/IP Address field, enter either the hostname of the server or its IP address.

Step 7 In the Data Center Name field, enter the data center name in the vCenter Server where the data center is to be created as a Distributed Virtual Switch (DVS).

Step 8 In the Protocol drop-down list, choose VMWARE-VIM.

Step 9 From the menu bar, choose File > Deploy to apply your changes to the device.

Deleting a vCenter Server Connection

You can delete the vCenter Server connection parameters that you have configured.

You can disconnect from the vCenter Server, for example, after correcting a vCenter Server configuration.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 From the Feature Selector pane, choose Inventory > Virtual Switch.

Summary information for each managed virtual switch appears in the Summary pane.

Step 2 From the Summary pane, choose the desired device.

Step 3 From the menu bar, choose Actions > Delete Connection.

Step 4 From the menu bar, choose File > Deploy to apply your changes to the device.

Connecting to a vCenter Server

You can connect to a vCenter Server or an ESX Server.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Create a vCenter Server connection.

DETAILED PROCEDURE

Step 1 From the Feature Selector pane, choose Inventory > Virtual Switch.

Summary information for each managed virtual switch appears in the Summary pane.

Step 2 From the Summary pane, choose the desired device.

Step 3 From the menu bar, choose Actions > Connect to vCenter.

Disconnecting from a vCenter Server

You can disconnect from the vCenter Server, for example, after correcting a vCenter Server configuration.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 From the Feature Selector pane, choose Inventory > Virtual Switch.

Summary information for each managed virtual switch appears in the Summary pane.

Step 2 From the Summary pane, choose the desired device.

Step 3 From the menu bar, choose Actions > Disconnect from vCenter.

Deleting the DVS from a vCenter Server

You can delete the Distributed Virtual Switch (DVS) from a vCenter Server.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Configure a vCenter Server connection.

Connect to the vCenter Server.

Ensure that the Server Administrator has removed from the VI client all of the hosts connected to it. For more information, see the VMware documentation.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 From the Feature Selector pane, choose Inventory > Virtual Switch.

Summary information for each managed virtual switch appears in the Summary pane.

Step 2 From the Summary pane, choose the desired device.

Step 3 From the menu bar, choose Actions > Delete VMware DVS.

Step 4 From the menu bar, choose File > Deploy to apply your changes to the device.

Removing Host Mapping from a Module

You can remove the mapping of a module to a host server.

Note This function can be performed only on disabled modules in the Absent state.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Remove the host from the DVS on a vCenter Server.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 From the Feature Selector pane, choose Inventory.

Summary chassis information for each managed device appears in the Summary pane.

Step 2 Expand the desired Cisco Nexus 1000V device.

All of the modules associated with the device appear.

Step 3 Right-click the module from which you want to remove the host mapping and choose Delete Host Mapping from Module.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 From the Feature Selector pane, choose Inventory > Virtual Switch.

Summary information for each managed virtual switch appears in the Summary pane.

Step 2 From the Summary pane, choose the desired device.

Step 3 Expand the Neighbors section.

The neighboring devices appear.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 From the Feature Selector pane, choose Inventory > Virtual Switch.

Summary information for each managed virtual switch appears in the Summary pane.

Step 2 From the Summary pane, choose the desired device.

Step 3 Expand the Control Interface section.

Step 4 In the IP Address field, enter the IP address of the interface to use for Layer 3 control.

Step 5 In the Wildcard Mask field, enter the wildcard mask.

Step 6 In the Admin Status drop-down list, choose Up to enable the interface.

Step 7 From the menu bar, choose File > Deploy to apply your changes to the device.

Displaying Virtual Switch Summary Information

You can display summary information about the virtual switches in your managed network.

From the Feature Selector pane, choose Inventory > Virtual Switch. Summary information for each managed virtual switch appears in the Summary pane.

Displaying Virtual Switch Details

You can display details about the virtual switches in your managed network. This information includes details about the domain and vCenter connection settings.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 From the Feature Selector pane, choose Inventory > Virtual Switch.

Summary information for each managed virtual switch appears in the Summary pane.

Step 2 From the Summary pane, choose a device to display additional details about the domain, server, neighboring devices, and control interface and to display events.

Inventory: Virtual Switch: Details: Domain Settings Section

Inventory: Virtual Switch: Details: Connection Settings Section

Inventory: Virtual Switch: Details: Neighbors Section

Inventory: Virtual Switch: Details: Control Interface Section

Related Documents

Standards