ACI connection to ESXi host

[Donato De Laureto]

Dear all, I am struggling in the configuration of a leaf port to which there is connected an ESXi host. There is no vCenter configured as I cannot access to the host to create it. I just want to access to the management IP of the ESXi host and nothing more at the moment. I have tried to configure the interface following the procedure I found here (I used the same procedure to configure a L2 extension to a Catalyst 3750, via vpc, which is working really fine) http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/datacenter/aci/apic/sw/1-x/basic-config/b_ACI_Config_Guide/b_ACI_Config_Guide_chapter_0101.html. The ESxi host is attached with two physical NIC, I tried either to configure a vpc or a single interface (disabling one port on the server and on the leaf) but I couldn't get the ports fully up (it remains in the out-of-service state). Is there anybody who faced the same problem? Many thanks for your help. Best regards, Donato

[Claudia de Luna · Accepted solution]

Hi Donato,  

That is a classic ESX issue I've run into in almost every ACI deployment.    

Typically I will start off with one interface connected to the fabric and configured as an Access 802.1P on a given vlan in a Static Path Binding to the relevant EPG.  I some cases I actually have an "ESX_Provisioning" EPG.  That gets you access to the host via one interface on one vlan.  I suggest the vlan approach because typically you will be trunking many vlans to your host and that just gets things started.  If you will ultimately need a port channel to the host that lets you get to the host, allow vCenter access, build a vDS if that is what your design calls for and then you can bring up the other interface in the port channel, make sure that works and you still have access, and then reconfigure the first interface as part of the port channel.   I believe there is a procedure put together by Tomas or Robert in this community that is quite good (as are all their procedures!) and has some clear examples.  I'll see if I can dig it up.

Claudia

[Donato De Laureto]

Hello Luna,

thanks for your answer. I have just resolved the issue thanks to your help. I forgot to put the Static Path Binding and the domain association to the EPG. 

Thanks a lot.

Donato

[Siemmina]

Hi Claudia, thank you for your clarifications.

Could you please share with us the procedure for connecting the first ESXI host to the ACI.

a question, In this case, the host will be connected as a Bare metal if the vCenter isn't installed in the Esxi Host?

Thank you!

[chathurangaj@kbsl.lk]

Hi,

As per my knowledge you can connect that port using vpc as static
integration. According to your information you don't have vCenter at the
moment and you can't do the VMM integration.

This will may help for you.
https://youtu.be/R7kgyd7Hzv8


Thanks,