Introduction

The networking workshop is a chance for VCPs to explain virtual networking and the Network team to explain the organization's network setup.

The goal is to bring the two together and produce an outline of a possible design, and a list of actions to complete the design and input to the Technical Design document.

Intended Audience

VMware Certified Professionals (VCP) and Network experts (CCNA, CCIE)

Outline

1. Reference to VI3 Requirements Specifications

2. VMware Networking

3. Organization Network

4. Integration Points

5. Design Actions

On a large piece of paper on the wall, the key networking requirements from VI3.Blueprint Requirements Specification.

In this VI3.Blueprint, the requirements are as follows:

{extract table rows from requirements doc}

The first key part of this workshop is to explain VMware Networking. The following topics should be either whiteboarded or using Powerpoint slides, with a top-down (app down thru infra) explanation.

This is a logical/high-level discussion that doesn't show physical ports, but may show network addresses such as 192.168.1.0/24 and even protocols and port numbers (although these work best in the Integration discussion later).

The VCP should lead this discussion and keep the diagrams for later discussions.

1. How an application sees a NIC in the OS.

2. How an OS sees a virtual NIC in a VM.

3. How a vNIC is attached to a vSwitch

4. How vSwitches are attached to pNICs

5. How pNICs are attached to external physical switches

There are also some key topics to cover once the above has been mapped out:

1. pNIC teaming

2. Trunk ports to ESX Server hosts

3. COS, vMotion and VM networks

4. Network Configuration Items

5. Integration with IDS/IPS systems

6. Isolation/seperation of COS, vMotion and VM networks. Common ports for firewall rules.

7. Common practices for VMware Networking

1. pNIC / vSwitch configurations

2. Mixing DMZ and production on the same ESX host? DMZ seperation pNIC/vSwitch or VLAN/Portgroup?

3. More TBD

The goal of this first session is a basic understanding of VMware networking components and how they interact with other network devices.

All of the above need to be expanded for this VI3.Blueprint

The second key part of this workshop is to explain the organization's network. This should be a diagram and discussion of the immediate networking components around the proposed solution, as well as any standards and constraints such as redundancy requirements, routing or protocols.

The Network expert should lead this discussion and keep the diagrams for later discussions.

1. Logical network topology, showing internet -> datacenter, core/distribution/access layers, DMZ, internal networks

2. What is the network design for Windows and Linux servers?

All of the above need to be expanded for this VI3.Blueprint

This part of the workshop can only be undertaken once the first two "awareness" pieces have been completed.

Now it is possible to draw up the VI3 components and the organization network and visualize how they will be connected. Whereas previous discussion have been logical/high level, this discussion is physical/low level, showing the actual connections between VC, VMs, Hosts and network devices.

Optional, if you have time, is to mark the protocols between each component.

See (TBD: network protocols)

1. Draw VC connection to management network

2. Draw ESX connection to management, vMotion and internal network

3. Draw network device connections to management, vMotion and internal networks

NOTE: work out now if there is capacity on the existing physical network access switches so that there are enough ports for VC and the ESX servers.

All of the above need to be expanded for this VI3.Blueprint

This final part of the workshop identified the next steps, which are:

1. Summary of design decisions from this workshop, if any.

2. Further research required, such as clarifying any VMware or Organization awareness items.

3. Sketch out the requirements for input to the VI3.Blueprint Technical Design Document.