how to configure VM-FEX for VMware without UCSM?

[Albert Liu]

Hi,

From Cisco website, i just found lots of documents that tell us how to configure  with UCSM.

However, in our vSphere virtualization environment, we only have UCS c240M3 and Nexus 2232PP,5548UP. We don't have Blade Chassis and blade servers, so we don't have UCSM.

If we want to implement VM-FEX, is it possible?

if yes, is there any configuration guide?

[padramas]

Hello Albert,

It is called as Adapter FEX when you deploy with Cisco VIC card and Nexus 5000 switch.

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/netsol/ns1118/

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/switches/datacenter/nexus5000/sw/adapter-fex/521n11/b_5k_Adapter_FEX_Config_521N11_preface_00.html

NOTE :- The above link is from my search. Please refer to apporpriate version of Nexus 5K config guide.

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps9670/products_installation_and_configuration_guides_list.html

HTH

Padma

[Albert Liu]

Hello Padma,

I knew Adapter FEX, but what i want to know is VM-FEX model.

Since VM-FEX is bypass hypervisor mode and support VMotion,HA, etc., in this mode vNIC will improve performance about 30% according to Cisco document.

Albert

[padramas]

Hello Albert,

If you are specifically looking high performance mode ( DirectPath IO ) , then you need to configure the veth or port-profile with " high-performance host-netio " command

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/switches/datacenter/nexus5500/sw/command/reference/interfaces/n5500_if_cmds_h.html#wp2236172

Padma

[sprasath]

Hi Albert,

You could do VM-FEX with the N5k/N2k and a Cisco UCS C series server (apart from being able to adapter-fex as well).

Some pointers:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/switches/datacenter/nexus5500/sw/layer2/6x/b_5500_Layer2_Config_602N12_chapter_010000.html

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/switches/datacenter/nexus5000/sw/mkt_ops_guides/513_n1_1/n5k_ops_vmfex.html

The second one is a slightly outdated document - so some of the things on the GUI may have changed.

Thanks,

Shankar