Nexus 1000v Implemention during Production?

[mcarter]

So I've read all the articles on Cisco.com to the best of my ability and wondered if this is at all possible?

I would like to install the VSM, attached it to the vSwitch (per the documentation).

Currently all Guest VM's connect to the vSwitch.

Install the VEM on the same ESX host as the VSM. So i have two independant switches (is this part even possible?!?!?).

Connect an uplink connection from the Physical switch environment upstream and connect to the VEM.

On our ESX host we have 4 Physical NIC's connected to the vSwitch. I would like to steal 1 and use it to connect to the VEM.

Then after i have configured the VSM with portgroups etc, id like to move each VM from the vSwitch to the VEM, by changing the portgroups that got pushed from the VSM into vCenter. Now i probably undestand that there maybe downtime while this happens.

Basically im trying to come up with a plan to minimize downtime as much as possible. I have yet to find any documentation out there talks about how to implement when you have a fully running production environment and what impact it will have on an outage.

thanks,

Attached is a diagram from shouldhavegonewithcisco.com (great blog on installing the 1000v btw). This diagram will help with my explanation above.

[Robert Burns]

There's no problem migrating your VSM from the vSwitch to DVS.  Please see this post for details.

https://communities.cisco.com/message/15194#15194

FYI - Run on quick search on this community board for any questions you have.  There are many posts on this any many other procedures in simple detail on this board you may not find in the documentation.

Cheers,

Robert

[nsundar]

Hello,

   It is possible to have any number of vswitches coexist with the Nexus 1000V DVS on an ESX host.

When you add the host to the DVS, you will be prompted to choose the uplinks for the DVS. You can choose one of the vswitch uplinks at that time.

You can move a VM from the vswitch to the N1k by clicking "Edit VM Settings" and choosing the right DVS port group for each "network adapter" in the VM.

Yes, there will be some downtime because the VM vnic will be administratively down on the DVS until the VSM programs it. This may potentially take a few seconds depending on your config, so TCP connections may time out.

It is important to ensure that the uplink profile you apply to the DVS uplink allow the VM data VLAN(s). Also, the uplink profile must have the Control and Packet VLANs as system VLANs. If you intend to migrate the host management port (vswif0 or vmk0 usually), or the storage vmknic, to the DVS, their profiles must be system profiles, and the uplink must also carry these VLANs as system VLANs. These will help minimize downtime.

More info at:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/switches/datacenter/nexus1000/sw/4_0_4_s_v_1_2/getting_started/guide/n1000v_gsg.html

HTH!

Cheers & Regards,

Sundar.