QoS and1000v packet and control traffic

[jamarin]

It is important to reserve bandwidth for 1000v packet and control. However, I know of now way to mark those packets so that they can be given end to end QoS treatment.

The 1000v allows me to match traffic on output queuing using the following.

match protocol n1k_control

match protocol n1k_packet

With that, in conjunction with a policy-map type queuing, I can reserve bandwidth for1000v packet and control traffic leaving the VEM towards the upstream switch. However, once it gets to the upstream switch, the lack of an appropiate CoS value prevents me from properly queuing the traffic as it heads towards the VSM.

I have the following configuration.

A pair of N7Ks.

1000v VSM running on a pair of 1010 Appliance connected to the N7Ks

A pair of UCS 6248UP connected to the N7Ks

B200 M2 Blade Server with M81KR converged Network Adapter in a 5108 Chassis running ESXi with the VEM installed.

2208XP I/O Modules connecting the 5108 to the 6248UP

vCenter running on a separate ESXi host outside the UCS connected to the N7Ks

Once the 1000v packet and control traffic leaves the VEM, it is unmarked. As a result it hits the 2208 and lands in the best effort queue all the way through the 6248 and into the N7K.

Everything I've read suggests 1000v packet and control traffic should be marked with a CoS value of 6 but how do I do that for packets leaving the 1000v?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Jim Marinelli

[sprasath]

Hi Jim,

As you pointed out, the VEM would mark the control/packet traffic with CoS 6. You can set the UCS vNIC policy to accept this tag by setting the 'Host Control' parameter to 'Full':

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/unified_computing/ucs/sw/gui/config/guide/2.1/b_UCSM_GUI_Configuration_Guide_2_1_chapter_010100.html

So this tag would persist till it leaves the UCS Fabric Interconnects.

Thanks,

Shankar

[jamarin]

Thanks Shankar,

Nothing I read suggested that the the VEM marks the control/packet traffic with CoS 6. Only that the packets should be marked as CoS 6. So I assumed it was my responsibility to classify and mark it.

I guess the VSM also marks control/packet traffic with CoS 6.

And all I have to do is queue packets with CoS value 6 appropiately.

Thanks,

Jim