Is VM-FEX being deprecated?

[Carlos Velasco Cebrian]

Hi,

One of the commercial advantages of choosing Cisco UCS is the performance improvement of VM-FEX. This is sold by Cisco in all Datasheet, Whitepaper and any commercial information available.

However, when one has to install it and configure it, I find myself with:

1. The installation documentation dates back several years. In VMware they only refer to versions 5.x

2. Compatibility Matrix is years behind, and well hidden:

https://ucshcltool.cloudapps.cisco.com/public/

Choose Products

Product Type – Software

Product Model – Cisco VM-FEX

They only support VMware ESXi 6.0 update 2 !

ESXi update 3 was released on 25 feb. 2017, more than 1 year ago!

3. Known by all is that VMware is deprecating API for 3rd party switching (VM-FEX)

I have just installed a new chassis with 6x B200 M4 servers for VMware. After installing ESXi 6.0u2 none of them are working with VM-FEX, neither in emulated mode nor in diretpath mode!

So I have opened a TAC case, and still waiting any response...

So, my questions are:

Is Cisco deprecating VM-FEX??

Is worth the effort to use this feature??

Regards,
Carlos Velasco

[Kirk J]

Hi Carlos.

I don't have direct knowledge of specific plans for this.

My guess would be, that since Vmware effectively scuttled support for this in a 6.5 version, it probably wouldn't make much sense to keep a lot of development effort into the VMware implementation that VMware has pulled the rug out from beneath.

If support is listed on the HCL for a specific version of Vmware, and it is not working, then I would expect that do be resolved at some point.

If I find additional information that is public facing, I will update this post.

Thanks,

Kirk...

[Carlos Velasco Cebrian]

Hi Kirk,

Oh, yes, let's blame VMware for this and switch to another hypevisor to continue using VM-FEX, so let's install Hyper-V 2016 and let's rock.

Ops... but Hyper-V 2016 isn't supported at all in VM-FEX, it only works with Hyper-V 2012, OS from 6 years ago...

Well, no problem, I am going to install Hyper-V 2012 and let's rock with VM-FEX...

OUGH... but you are using Fabric Interconnects 6300 and they are not supported at all for Hyper-V:

"50 : Not supported on UCS the 6300 Series Fabric Interconnects"

Well, no problem, we return these devices and purchase older 6200... but now sure we can use VM-FEX with our brand new Cisco M5 servers...

NO.... you can't. because M5 servers aren't supported at all for VM-FEX !!

"66 : M5 Servers are not supported"

Come on, Cisco, you're selling smoke with this.

Anyone is using VM-FEX really in production NOW?

Why do we buy expensive network cards with dynamic interfaces that we CAN'T use??

Regards,

Carlos Velasco

[AbteenZ]

Wow.

Glad that I stumbled upon this post.

I was about to implement VM-FEX direct access for our VDi hosts in hope of increasing the performance.

Seems I have to wait for a clear design scenario.

[LinuxOutside]

So, what is the status of this? Is this supported or not?