Manage Switch Embedded Teaming from VMM 2016

Since System Virtual Machine Manager 2016 Technical Preview 5 with cumulative update 2, it is possible to manage Switch Embedded Teaming (SET) for non-Network Controller managed host. Before cumulative update 2, the only way to deploy teaming from VMM was to use the classical network teaming. SET brings a lot of advantages compared to classical network teaming as RDMA or RSS for vNIC in parent partition (for further information about SET, you can read this topic).

In this topic, I will migrate SETs created from hosts (standard switch) to SETs managed by VMM (logical switch). I will not use the new feature of VMM that enables to migrate from a standard switch to a logical switch automatically.

Lab overview

To write this topic, I have deployed a Three-Nodes Hyper-V cluster (this is a hyperconverged cluster because I use also Storage Spaces Direct on these nodes). On each node I have deployed a Switch Embedded Teaming called SW-1G. Two NICs called LAN01 and LAN02, are members of this SET. This SET manages the following networks:

• Management-0: 10.10.0.0/24, VID 10 (Native VLAN)
• DMZ-20: 10.10.1.0/24, VID: 20
• Cluster-100: 10.10.100.0/24, VID 100

Logical switch creation

Since VMM 2016 TP5 Cumulative Update 2, you can select Embedded Teaming in Uplink mode when you create a logical switch. Before creating the logical switch, you have to create the logical network, port profile, IP Address Pool and so on. For further information about the network management in VMM, you can read this topic.

Then add the classifications and the virtual ports that part to the logical switch.

In Virtual Machine Manager TP5, you can now specify the vNICs that will be created on the hosts in the logical switch wizard. In this way, you have not to specify anymore the vNIC to create in each host properties. When you will apply the virtual switch to the host, the vNIC will be automatically created regarding this configuration.

Add nodes to Virtual Machine Manager

Once the virtual switch is created, you can add the Hyper-v hosts to VMM. Select a host group, and select Add Hyper-V Hosts and Cluster.

Then specify the name of each Hyper-V host and click on next. Don’t forget to add the run as service acount to local administrator of each node.

Once the nodes are added, the virtual machines are in Unsupported Cluster configuration due to network configuration.

Manage Switch Embedded Teaming from VMM

Before managing SET from VMM, I remove a NIC from the SET. Then I rename it to Old_SW-1G to avoid conflict with the logical switch name.

Then I come back to VMM and I edit the properties of a Hyper-V host. I add the logical switch called SW-1G. I specify the physical adapters that I have removed from Old_Sw-1G. As you can see below, the vNIC will be created automatically.

Once the logical switch is created, I come back to the PowerShell session of the Hyper-V host to check the VMSwitch configuration. As you can see below, the EmbeddedTeaming property is set to True.

You can repeat these steps in each Hyper-V host properties.

Change the VM’s virtual switch

Before removing the old VMSwitch, we have to change the virtual switch in each VM. Because the VMs are still in unsupported configuration in the cluster, I change the setting from the failover cluster console. For each VM and each network adapter, I change the virtual switch to SW-1G.

Next I refresh each VM in VMM console. Then the VMs are not anymore in an unsupported configuration.

Then I edit again the network adapters properties of each VM from VMM to set the right classification.

Delete the standard switch

Once the VMs are well configured, I edit the Hyper-V host properties from VMM console. Then I remove the Old_SW-1G standard switch.

Once the Old_SW-1G is removed, I edit again the Hyper-V host properties to add the second physical adapter to SW-1G logical switch.

In the same time, I verify the IP address of each vNIC and I associate the wanted IP address.

As you can see below, the vNIC IP addresses are well configured and the VMSwitch is composed of the two physical network adapters.

You can repeat these steps for each Hyper-V host.

Conclusion

Since VMM TP5, we are able to manage from VMM the Switch Embedded Teaming (SET). SET brings the support of features as RDMA or RSS on vNIC in the parent partition. So I recommend in Windows Server 2016 to use SET instead of classical network teaming. Now that it is supported in VMM, there is no reason to not use SET J