Emulex ESXi 5.5 native mode NIC driver has limited support for networking options of ESXi 5.5 SR-IOV model
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Emulex ESXi 5.5 native mode NIC driver has limited support for networking options of ESXi 5.5 SR-IOV model

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Article ID: 341360

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Updated On:

Products

VMware vCenter Server VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Emulex ESXi 5.5 native mode NIC driver has limited support for networking options of ESXi 5.5 SR-IOV model.
Supported Networking Options for ESXi 5.1 SR-IOV Model (VM hardware version 8)
The ESXi 5.5 native mode NIC driver of Emulex, elxnet, fully supports the ESXi 5.1 SR-IOV model for configuring networking options of a virtual function (VF) that is assigned to a virtual machine whose compatibility is ESXi 5.0 and later (VM hardware version 8). The following options are supported:
  • Default VLAN Tagging
  • Virtual Guest Tagging
  • Configuring a static MAC address for a VF
Extended Networking Options for ESXi 5.5 (VM hardware version 10)
VMware extends SR-IOV support in ESXi 5.5. VMware supports the extended networking options for a virtual machine adapter using a VF that is assigned to a virtual machine whose compatibility is ESXi 5.5 and later (VM hardware version 10).
The following extended options are available through the assignment of a vSwitch, port group, or a port to a VF, and edited through the vSphere Web Client:
  • Enabling Virtual Guest Tagging (VGT) mode
  • Enabling VLAN Switch Tagging (VST) mode
  • Changing the size of the Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) (for example, to enable jumbo frames)
  • Allowing or enabling MAC address changes from within the guest operating system
  • Enabling promiscuous mode for virtual machine network adapters
When configured for a standard or distributed vSphere switch, the ESXi 5.5 native mode NIC driver of Emulex only supports enabling VGT and enabling VST mode.


Environment

VMware vSphere ESXi 6.0
VMware vCenter Server 6.0.x

Resolution

Configure the Passthrough Device for a Virtual Function in the vSphere Web Client
To configure the supported options, edit the .vmx file from the vSphere Web Client by performing the following steps:
  1. In the vSphere Web Client, navigate to the virtual machine.
  2. Right click the virtual machine and select Power Off from the menu.
  3. Right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.
  4. Click the VM Options tab and expand the Advanced menu.
  5. Click Edit Configuration to modify or add configuration parameters.
  6. To assign a static MAC address, add or edit the following parameters.

    Parameter
    Value
    pciPassthruX.MACAddressType
    static
    pciPassthruX.MACAddress
    MAC_address_of_the_virtual_function
    Xnext topciPassthru stands for the sequence number of the PCI device in the virtual machine. For example, 0 in pciPassthru0 represents the settings of the PCI device added first to the virtual machine.

  7. To assign a default VLAN, add or edit the pciPassthruX.defaultVlan parameter, where . Xnext topciPassthru stands for the sequence number of the PCI device in the virtual machine.

    OptionDescription
    0Allow no VLAN and do NOT allow guest VLAN tagging. In this way, administratively disallow guest VLAN tagging.
    1-4094Allow tagged only and do NOT allow guest VLAN tagging.
    No entryAllow untagged only and allow guest VLAN tagging.

  8. Click OK.
  9. Right click the virtual machine and select Power On from the menu.
Configure the VLAN tagging mode for a port group on a vSphere distributed switch
Set the VLAN policy on a distributed port group to apply VLAN tagging on all distributed ports in the group.
  1. Browse to a distributed switch in the vSphere Web Client navigator.
  2. Right-click the distributed switch in the navigator and select Manage Distributed Portgroups.
  3. Select the VLAN check box and click Next.
  4. Select the port group that you want to edit and click Next.
  5. Select the type of VLAN traffic filtering and marking from the Type drop-down menu and click Next.

    OptionDescription
    None
    Do not use VLAN.
    Use this option in case of External Switch Tagging (EST).
    VLAN
    Tag traffic with the ID from the VLAN ID field.
    Enter a number between 1 and 4094 for Virtual Switch Tagging (VST). Enter 4095 for Virtual Guest Tagging (VGT).
    VLAN Trunking
    Pass VLAN traffic with ID within VLAN trunk range. You can set multiple ranges and individual VLANs by using a comma-separated list.
    Use this option in VGT.
    Private VLANAssociate the traffic with a private VLAN created on the distriuted switch.

  6. Review your settings and click Finish.
Edit a standard switch port group in the vSphere Web Client
Use the vSphere Web Client to edit the name and the VLAN ID of a standard switch port group.
  1. In the vSphere Web Client, navigate to the host.
  2. On the Manage tab, click Networking and select Virtual switches.
  3. Select a standard switch from the list. The topology diagram of the switch appears.
  4. In the topology diagram, click the name of the port group.
  5. Click Edit under the topology diagram title.
  6. Configure VLAN tagging in the VLAN ID drop-down menu.

    VLAN Tagging Mode
    VLAN ID
    Description
    Virtual Switch Tagging (VST)
    From 1 to 4094
    The virtual switch tags traffic with the entered tag.
    Virtual Guest Tagging (VGT)
    4095
    Virtual machines handle VLANs. The virtual switch passes traffic from any VLAN.

  7. Click OK.

Additional Information

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