How to Create IP Address Pools for VM Networks in VMM

Updated: May 13, 2016

Applies To: System Center 2012 SP1 - Virtual Machine Manager, System Center 2012 R2 Virtual Machine Manager

You can use the following procedure to create a static IP address pool for a VM network in VMM in System Center 2012 Service Pack 1 (SP1) or System Center 2012 R2. When you create a static IP address pool for a VM network, VMM can assign static IP addresses to Windows-based virtual machines (running on any supported hypervisor platform) that use the VM network. By using static IP address pools, IP address management for the virtual environment is brought within the scope of the VMM administrator.

Account requirements To complete this procedure, you must be a member of the Administrator or Delegated Administrator user role.

Perform this procedure only after all the other networking elements have been configured for your virtual machines, including the logical network (which is used as a foundation for VM networks), the network sites for the logical network, and the VM network for which you want to create IP address pools. For more information, see Configuring VM Networks and Gateways in VMM.

To create static IP address pools for VM networks in VMM

1. Open the VMs and Services workspace.

   Note

   Because this IP address pool is for virtual machines, it is created in the VMs and services workspace, not in the Fabric workspace.

2. In the VMs and Services pane, click VM Networks.

3. On the Home tab, in the Show group, click VM Networks.

   The VM Network tab appears.

4. Click the VM Network tab.

5. In the VM Networks and IP Pools pane, click the VM network where you want to create the IP pool.

6. On the VM Network tab, in the Create group, click Create IP Pool.

   The Create Static IP Address Pool Wizard opens.

7. On the Name page, do the following, and then click Next.

   1. Enter a name and optional description for the IP address pool.

   2. In the VM network list, make sure that the correct VM network is selected.

   3. In the VM subnet list, make sure that the correct VM subnet is selected.

8. On the IP address range page, do the following, and then click Next:

   1. Under IP address range, enter the starting and ending IP addresses from the subnet that will make up the managed IP address pool. The starting and ending IP addresses must be contained within the subnet.

      Note

      Be aware that you can create multiple IP address pools within a subnet. If you create multiple IP address pools within a subnet, the ranges cannot overlap.

      Tip

      The Total addresses field displays the total number of IP addresses in the specified IP address range.

   2. Under Reserved IP addresses, specify the IP address ranges that you want to reserve for other purposes. The IP addresses that you want to reserve must fall within the IP address range that you specified in step 8a.

9. Optionally, on the Gateway page, click Insert, and then specify one or more default gateway addresses and the metric. The default gateway address must fall within the same subnet range as the IP address pool. It does not have to be part of the IP address pool range.

   Note

   The metric is a value that is assigned to an IP route for a particular network interface that identifies the cost that is associated with using that route. If you use the automatic metric, the metric is automatically configured for local routes based on the link speed.

10. Optionally, on the DNS page, specify Domain Name System (DNS)-related information, such as the list of DNS servers and their order, the default DNS suffix for the connection, and the list of DNS search suffixes.

    Important

    For virtual machines that will join an Active Directory domain, we recommend that you use Group Policy to set the primary DNS suffix. This will ensure that when a Windows-based virtual machine is set to register its IP addresses with the primary DNS suffix, a Windows-based DNS server will register the IP address dynamically. Additionally, the use of Group Policy enables you to have an IP address pool that spans multiple domains. In this case, you would not want to specify a single primary DNS suffix.

11. Optionally, on the WINS page, click Insert, and then enter the IP address of a Windows Internet Name Service (WINS) server. You can also select the check box that indicates whether to enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP. Be aware that enabling NetBIOS over TCP/IP is not recommended if the address range consists of public IP addresses.

12. On the Summary page, confirm the settings, and then click Finish.

    The Jobs dialog box appears. Make sure that the job has a status of Completed, and then close the dialog box.

13. To verify that the IP address pool was created, in the VM Networks and IP Pools pane, expand the VM network where you created the pool.

    The IP address pool appears under the VM network.

14. Optionally, repeat this procedure to create additional IP address pools for VM networks.

From time to time, you might need to release IP addresses that are in the pool but that are marked by VMM as “inactive.” Releasing them makes them available for reassignment. For more information, see How to Release Inactive IP Addresses for VM Networks in VMM.

As of System Center 2012 R2, after a virtual machine has been deployed in VMM, you can view the IP address or addresses assigned to that virtual machine. To do this, right-click the listing for the virtual machine, click Properties, click the Hardware Configuration tab, click the network adapter, and in the results pane, click the Connection details button.

How to Release Inactive IP Addresses for VM Networks in VMM
Configuring VM Networks and Gateways in VMM
How to Create a VM Network in VMM in System Center 2012 SP1
How to Create a VM Network in VMM in System Center 2012 R2
Configuring Logical Networking in VMM Overview
How to Create IP Address Pools for Logical Networks in VMM