VMready

BLADEOS 6.3 Application Guide

The switch’s VMready software makes it virtualization aware. Servers that run hypervisor software with multiple instances of one or more operating systems can present each as an independent virtual machine (VM) with its own applications. With VMready, the GbESM automatically discovers virtual machines (VMs), virtual switches, and VM NICs (collectively known as virtual entities or VEs), and can distinguish between regular VMs, Service Console Interfaces, and Management Interfaces. BLADEOS 6.3 supports up to 1024 VEs.

VEs may be placed into VM groups on the switch to define communication boundaries: VEs in a given VM group are permitted to communicate with each other, while VEs in different groups are not. VM groups also allow the configuration of group-level settings, such as virtualization policies and ACLs.

The administrator can pre-provision VEs by adding the MAC addresses of potential VEs to a VM group. When a VE with a pre-provisioned MAC address becomes connected to the switch, the switch will automatically apply the appropriate group membership configuration.

The GbESM with VMready detects the migration of VEs across different hypervisors. As VEs move, the GbESM NMotion™ feature automatically moves the appropriate network configuration as well. NMotion gives the switch the ability to maintain assigned group membership and associated policies (such as VLAN Maps and VM policy bandwidth control) when a VE moves to a different port on the switch.

VMready also works with VMware’s Virtual Center (vCenter) for advanced VE management. By connecting with the vCenter, the switch can obtain information about distant VEs, push VM configuration profiles to the VEs in distributed VM groups, and enhance VE migration.

VMready is configured from the Virtualization menu, available with the following CLI command:

#/cfg/virt

BMD00178, April 2010