ESXi 4.1 NIC Teaming's Load-Balancing Algorithm,Nexus 7000 and UCS

[K P SIM]

Hi, Cisco Gurus:

Please help me in answering the following questions (UCSM 1.4(xx), 2 UCS 6140XP, 2 Nexus 7000, M81KR in B200-M2, No Nexus 1000V, using VMware Distributed Switch:

Q1. For me to configure vPC on a pair of Nexus 7000, do I have to connect Ethernet Uplink from each Cisco Fabric Interconnect to the 2 Nexus 7000 in a bow-tie fashion? If I connect, say 2 10G ports from Fabric Interconnect 1 to 1 Nexus 7000 and similar connection from FInterconnect 2 to the other Nexus 7000, in this case can I still configure vPC or is it a validated design? If it is, what is the pro and con versus having 2 connections from each FInterconnect to 2 separate Nexus 7000?

Q2. If vPC is to be configured in Nexus 7000, is it COMPULSORY to configure Port Channel for the 2 Fabric Interconnects using UCSM? I believe it is not. But what is the pro and con of HAVING NO Port Channel within UCS versus HAVING Port Channel when vPC is concerned?

Q3. if vPC is to be configured in Nexus 7000, I understand there is a limitation on confining to ONLY 1 vSphere NIC Teaming's Load-Balancing Algorithm i.e. Route Based on IP Hash. Is it correct?

Again, what is the pro and con here with regard to application behaviours when Layer 2 or 3 is concerned? Or what is the BEST PRACTICES?

I would really appreciate if someone can help me clear these lingering doubts of mine.

God Bless.

SiM

[David.Jarzynka]

Sim,

Here are my thoughts without a 1000v in place,

Q1. For me to configure vPC on a pair of Nexus 7000, do I have to connect Ethernet Uplink from each Cisco Fabric Interconnect to the 2 Nexus 7000 in a bow-tie fashion? If I connect, say 2 10G ports from Fabric Interconnect 1 to 1 Nexus 7000 and similar connection from FInterconnect 2 to the other Nexus 7000, in this case can I still configure vPC or is it a validated design? If it is, what is the pro and con versus having 2 connections from each FInterconnect to 2 separate Nexus 7000?   //Yes, for vPC to UCS the best practice is to bowtie uplink to (2) 7K or 5Ks.

Q2. If vPC is to be configured in Nexus 7000, is it COMPULSORY to configure Port Channel for the 2 Fabric Interconnects using UCSM? I believe it is not. But what is the pro and con of HAVING NO Port Channel within UCS versus HAVING Port Channel when vPC is concerned? //The port channel will be configured on both the UCSM and the 7K. The pro of a port channel would be both bandwidth and redundancy. vPC would be prefered.

Q3. if vPC is to be configured in Nexus 7000, I understand there is a limitation on confining to ONLY 1 vSphere NIC Teaming's Load-Balancing Algorithm i.e. Route Based on IP Hash. Is it correct? //Without the 1000v, I always tend to leave to dvSwitch load balence behavior at the default of "route by portID". 

Again, what is the pro and con here with regard to application behaviours when Layer 2 or 3 is concerned? Or what is the BEST PRACTICES? UCS can perform L2 but Northbound should be performing L3.

Cheers,

David Jarzynka

[K P SIM]

David:

Thank firstly.

So for Q3, you mean I can select the default Load-Balancing algorithm i.e. Route Based On Port ID and it will work with vPC in Nexus 7000. Are you or someone please help to confirm this for me?

Thanks.

SiM