Creating a static route for the VMware Channel

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

This article provides steps to add a static route for the VMware Channel when deployed in a WAN environment.

Environment

VMware vCenter Server Heartbeat 6.4.x
VMware vCenter Server Heartbeat 5.5.x
VMware vCenter Server Heartbeat 6.3.x

Resolution

When configured for WAN deployment, the VMware Channel IP addresses at the remote (disaster recovery) site are in a different subnet than those in a LAN and therefore require persistent static routes to maintain continuous communications between servers independent from traffic on the Principal (Public) Network.

VMware does not recommend implementing routing that uses Interface IDs (appears as a number starting with 0x on a print route result), because an interface ID is dynamic and can change when a server is restarted or a NIC is disabled and re-enabled.

Note: Microsoft Windows supports only one gateway per server.

It is necessary to create a static route using the destination (channel of other server), a locked down mask of 255.255.255.255 with a default gateway for the channel subnet (this means that only the Channel NIC can contact the other Channel IP and nothing else).

For the static routes to be implemented, perform these steps on both servers:

Note: Before starting this procedure, verify that the Routing and Remote Access service (RRAS) is started and set to Automatic on both servers.

To workaround this issue for Windows 2000 and 2003:

1. From Administrative Tools, click Routing and Remote Access, and select the server name.
2. From the Action menu, click Configure and Enable Routing and Remote Access. The configuration wizard starts.
3. Click Custom Configuration > LAN routing. Verify that the RRAS service is started (in Windows 2000, select Manually Configured Server).
4. Select the server, navigate to IP Routing, and select Static Routes.
5. From the Action menu, click New Static Route.
6. Select the VMware Channel NIC, enter the remote VMware Channel IP, followed by the mask 255.255.255.255 and the local machine gateway.
7. To ensure that all packets are sent through the Channel IP and not the Primary (Public) IP, test the Channel routing with the command:
   
   pathping -n Channel_IP
   
   
8. Repeat steps 1 through 7 to configure a static route from the remote host to the local host.

To workaround this issue for Windows 2008 and 2008 R2:

1. Click Start > Run, type cmd, and click OK. The Command Prompt window opens.
2. Run this command on both the Primary and Secondary servers where you want to add the route:
   
   netsh interface ipv4 add route Subnet_IP/32 "Adapter_Name" Channel_IP
   
   For more information, see Using Netsh.
   
   
3. To ensure that all packets are sent thorough the Channel IP and not the Primary (Public) IP, test the Channel routing using this command:
   
   pathping -n Channel_IP
   
   
4. Repeat these steps on the secondary server if necessary.

Additional Information

vCSHB-Ref-1679