1000v and Wake on LAN

[stevewenban]

Hi All,

Hopefully an easy question (and the right forum for it to be posted in), but I can't seem to find an answer either way in any documentation.

Does the 1000v support wake on LAN?

I'd like to propose the use of distributed power management (DPM) so we can reduce power usage from idle hosts, but the only way this is possible is to use WoL as IBM BladeCenter can't support a direct IPMI power on command to the a blade server (as I understand it the IPMI power on would need to 'proxy' via the IMM, which DPM doesn't support).

Any one know the answer, or have a link to a document that would clarify?

For backfround info, I'm looking at a deployment based on IBM HS23 blades, each with a single dual port 10Gb Emulex oneconnect CNA BE3 adapter that would be configured in pNIC mode. Both 10Gb ports would be attached to 1000v using MAC pinning. ESXi 5 update 1 will be used. Upstream connection with be Cisco 4001 in the blade chassis, which will uplink to 2 x Nexus 5000 in vPC.  (To give some extra info, the pNIC mode on the Emulex CNA will be licensed to carry FCoE traffic, but I don't think that is a factor - ESXi will still see 2 x 10Gb Ethernet ports)

Thanks in advance for any help!

Steve

[Robert Burns]

I'm not sure I follow.  WoL is a NIC hardware feature.  The 1000v is a virtual switch.  The fact of a NIC responding to WoL/IPMI calls are handled by the hardware, not hypervisor.

This really isn't a question if the 1000v supports it but rather your Blade Center host HW..  If they can respond to WoL or IPMI power management, you should be all set.

Regards,

Robert

[stevewenban]

Thanks for the quick reply. You're answer matches what I would guessed as being correct.

I missed one other bit of info from the first post that gives more info (sorry)

On this PDF from vSphere 4 http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/partners/cisco/Cisco-vSphere-vNetwork-Implementation-Guidelines-V5.1.pdf, under the DPM section, bottom of page 3

"The vSphere hosts with Cisco Nexus 1000V installed cannot participate in DPM since these hosts are not recognized as being capable of “wake on LAN”. However, if the hosts have an Integrated Lights Out (ILO) or Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) capability, then DPM can be configured to work with vSphere 4 and the Nexus 1000V."

Do you know if this has changed, or the reason it wasn't supported back then?

Thanks

[Robert Burns]

What this refers to is the Interface used for IPMI/WoL needs to be out of band management. 

For Cisco - CIMC (Cisco Integrated Management Controller)

For HP - iLO (Integrated Lights Out)

For Dell - DRAC (Dell Remote Access Card)

For IBM - RSA (Remote Supervisor Adapter)

Since you're running IBM, RSA is what you're looking for.

Regards,

Robert

[stevewenban]

Thanks. Not sure I follow 100% though (maybe I am in the wrong forum!).

I would have thought that

• IPMI/DRAC/iLO/CIMC commands would generally be sent to a dedicated management NIC on the server, so connected to an upstream physical switch, not the 1000V

• WoL would be on the 10Gb Ethernet adapter(s), which are on the 1000V, which the PDF seems to say wouldn't work?

My initial thoughts were as your first reply - that if the NICs on the server support WoL then the 1000V/40001/5000 setup should work, but I'm stilll a bit confused by that statement in the PDF that says it didn't back with v4.

I don't have access to hardware to test this on at the moment and might not have for a while, but if I get a chance to set it up I'll report back with an answer.

Cheers

[Robert Burns]

Looks like this was an early issue prior to vSphere 4 Update 1 and it was a gereral problem with any dsitributed switch, not a 1000v-specific issue..  It shows as resolved in the Release notes:

http://www.vmware.com/support/vsphere4/doc/vsp_esxi40_u1_rel_notes.html#knownnetworkingissues

Long of the short, if your Management Controller supports IPMI or iLO - Use it.  WoL is an old protocol and slowly being replaced with IPMI.

Robert