This session was a bit more high level and basic than I had hoped for, but here are the highlights:
- Virtual Port ID load balancing is the default option and the least complicated option.
- IP hasing is more advanced and requires Etherchannel to be configured on the switch
- VTS (virtual switch tagging) is the most common vSwitch configuration
- Private VLANs provide for L2 isolation. Really good for DMZs.
- If you use IP hashing on the Cisco switch side you must configure Etherchannel for IP-SRC-DST, which is a global policy on the switch. The default mode on older IOS versions was MAC hashing which is not compatible.
- If you use beacon probing (not recommended) it really needs three or more NICs to work properly.
- Enable portfast on and use BPDUGuard to ensure STP boundaries
- The VMware dVS has smarter load balancing
- General tips:
- How to change the VM MAC: KB 1008473
- Using MS NLB Multicast? KB 1006525
- Enabling CDP KB 1007069
- Beacon probing and IP hashing do not mix KB 1017612 and 1012819
- Check drivers and firmware against the HCL (very important)
- Use VLAN 4095 on the switches for promiscuous mode
- In ESXi you can use tcpdump-uw for packet captures. KB 1031186
Nothing earth shattering, but a few good tidbits of information.
