How to Create a VM Network in VMM in System Center 2012 R2
Updated: May 13, 2016
Applies To: System Center 2012 R2 Virtual Machine Manager
With VMM in System Center 2012 R2 and System Center 2012 Service Pack 1 (SP1), you can configure virtual machine networks (VM networks) on top of your logical networks. This topic describes how you can create a VM network in VMM in System Center 2012 R2 only. For information about how to create a VM network in VMM in System Center 2012 SP1, see How to Create a VM Network in VMM in System Center 2012 SP1.
VM networks make use of network virtualization or other network configuration options. Network virtualization extends the concept of server virtualization to allow you to deploy multiple virtual networks (VM networks) on the same physical network. VM networks can also be configured in other ways, as described in Configuring VM Networks and Gateways in VMM.
Important
- For more information about the ways that you can use VM networks and other networking options to support your virtual machine configurations, see Common Scenarios for Networking in System Center 2012 SP1 and System Center 2012 R2.
- For illustrations of VM network configurations, see Configuring VM Networks in VMM Illustrated Overview.
- To understand the configuration of VM networks that use network virtualization, it can be useful to review the illustrations and descriptions (especially the first illustration) of Hyper-V network virtualization in Network Virtualization technical details. Hyper-V network virtualization is found in Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2.
In the following table, identify the VM network option that you want to use, based on the descriptions in Configuring VM Networks and Gateways in VMM. After you identify the VM network option, confirm that your logical network has been configured correctly, and then go to the appropriate procedure within this topic. For more information about configuring logical networks, see How to Create a Logical Network in VMM.
| Intended VM network option | Correct setting for the logical network on which you will add the VM network | Procedure to follow |
|---|---|---|
| Hyper-V network virtualization (that is, using isolation) | Select One connected network, and select the check box to enable network virtualization. | Create a VM network on a logical network where network virtualization is enabled |
| VLAN-based configuration | In most cases, select VLAN-based independent networks. However, if you are using private VLAN technology, select Private VLAN (PVLAN) networks. | Create a VM network on a logical network that uses VLANs for isolation |
| One VM network that gives direct access to a logical network (by using "no isolation") | The VM network might already have been created when the logical network was created, depending on the options that were selected at that time. For more information, see the link in the column to the right. | Create a VM network that gives direct access to a logical network (no isolation) |
| Using external networks that are implemented through a virtual switch extension or network manager (vendor network-management console) | Follow the procedure in the topic listed in the next column. Also be sure to review the capabilities of your virtual switch extension or network manager to determine if you can configure setting information in the virtual switch extension or network manager, or if you have the option to configure it directly in VMM. | How to Add a Virtual Switch Extension or Network Manager in System Center 2012 R2. |
Create a VM network on a logical network where network virtualization is enabled
Important
- For information about prerequisites and options for VM networks and gateways, see Configuring VM Networks and Gateways in VMM.
- If you want to create a VM network and configure it with a gateway at the same time, you must first add the gateway to your VMM configuration. You can also add a gateway later, then open the property sheet of an existing VM network and configure the VM network to use the gateway. For more details, see How to Add a Non-Windows Gateway in VMM in System Center 2012 R2 or How to Add a Windows Server Gateway in VMM in System Center 2012 R2.
To create a VM network on a logical network where network virtualization is enabled
Open the VMs and Services workspace.
On the Home tab, in the Show group, click VM Networks.
In the VMs and Services pane, click VM Networks.
On the Home tab, in the Create group, click Create VM Network.
The Create VM Network Wizard opens.
On the Name page, type a name and an optional description, and then in the Logical network list, select the logical network on which you want to create the VM network. (This must be a logical network on which network virtualization is enabled.) Then click Next.
Note
The wizard pages and VM network properties that you can configure will vary depending on the properties of the logical network that you selected.
On the Isolation page, select Isolate using Hyper-V network virtualization. (If you do not want to use network virtualization, return to the table earlier in this topic and choose a procedure that matches your networking goals.) If needed, change the settings for the IP address protocol for the logical network and the IP address protocol for the VM network. Then click Next.
On the VM Subnets page, click Add, type a name for the IP subnet, and specify the subnet by using CIDR notation. Add more VM subnets as needed, and then click Next.
On the Connectivity page, if you see the message No network service that specifies a gateway has been added to VMM, proceed to the next step. Otherwise, configure connectivity (gateway) properties according to the following guidelines:
No connectivity Leave all check boxes cleared if the virtual machines on this VM network will communicate only with other virtual machines on this VM network. You can also leave the check boxes cleared if you plan to configure the gateway properties of this VM network later.
Connect to another network through a VPN tunnel Select this option if the virtual machines on this VM network will communicate with other networks through a VPN tunnel. If the device will use the Border Gateway Protocol, also select the check box to enable this protocol. In the Gateway device list, select the VPN gateway device that you want to use. Confirm that the capabilities that are listed for the device are as expected.
If you select Connect to another network through a VPN tunnel and select a Gateway device, the VPN Connections page of the wizard appears. If you selected the check box for Border Gateway Protocol, the Border Gateway Protocol page also appears. Fill in these pages based on information that you obtain from the administrator of that VPN gateway, for example, information about the VPN endpoint and the bandwidth. For more details, see Prerequisites for gateways in Configuring VM Networks and Gateways in VMM.
Connect directly to an additional logical network Select this option if the virtual machines on this VM network will communicate with other networks in this data center. Also select either Direct routing or Network address translation (NAT). In the Gateway device list, select the gateway device that you want to use. Confirm that the capabilities that are listed for the device are as expected.
After you complete the options on each page that is related to connectivity, click Next.
On the Summary page, review and confirm the settings, and then click Finish.
Verify that the VM network appears in the VM Networks and IP Pools pane.
Create a VM network on a logical network that uses VLANs for isolation
Important
For information about prerequisites and options for VM networks, see Configuring VM Networks and Gateways in VMM.
To create a VM network on a logical network that uses VLANs for isolation
Open the VMs and Services workspace.
On the Home tab, in the Show group, click VM Networks.
In the VMs and Services pane, click VM Networks.
On the Home tab, in the Create group, click Create VM Network.
The Create VM Network Wizard opens.
On the Name page, type a name and an optional description, and then in the Logical network list, select a logical network. Click Next.
Note
The wizard pages and VM network properties that you can configure will vary depending on the properties of the logical network that you selected.
On the Isolation Options page, select one of the following options, and then click Next. If you do not see these options, confirm that you selected the logical network that you intended, and review the table earlier in this topic.
Automatic Select this option to have VMM automatically configure the isolation of the VM network. VMM will select a network site and subnet VLAN, based on those that are available on the logical network.
Specify a VLAN Select this option to manually configure the isolation of the VM network, and then select the Network site and Subnet VLAN.
Note
This option is available only to Administrators and Fabric Administrators (Delegated Administrators). Tenant Administrators can select only the Automatic option.
On the Summary page, review and confirm the settings, and then click Finish.
Verify that the VM network appears in the VM Networks and IP Pools pane.
Create a VM network that gives direct access to a logical network (no isolation)
In VMM in System Center 2012 R2, when you create a logical network as one connected network, you have the option to create a VM network at the same time. If the logical network was created with the following two options selected, a VM network was also created:
One connected network
Create a virtual network with the same name to allow virtual machines to access this logical network directly
Therefore, before you try to create a VM network that gives direct access to a logical network, check for a VM network with the same name as the logical network. If you are viewing the logical network in VMM, you can perform this check by right-clicking the logical network and then clicking View Dependent Resources. Another way to check for a VM network and view details about that network is described in the following procedure.
Important
For information about prerequisites and options for VM networks, see Configuring VM Networks and Gateways in VMM.
To create a VM network that gives direct access to a logical network (no isolation)
Open the VMs and Services workspace.
On the Home tab, in the Show group, click VM Networks.
In the VMs and Services pane, click VM Networks.
In the VM Networks and IP Pools pane, check for a VM network that has the same name as the logical network that you want to give direct access to. If one exists, it is likely that the VM network was created at the same time as the logical network and gives direct access to the logical network. To determine whether a VM network provides direct access, right-click it, click Properties, and look at the tabs that are visible in the property sheet. If Name and Access are the only tabs, then the VM network provides direct access to the logical network listed on the Name tab.
If there is already a VM network that provides direct access to the logical network, skip the rest of this procedure.
On the Home tab, in the Create group, click Create VM Network.
The Create VM Network Wizard opens.
On the Name page, type a name and an optional description, and then in the Logical network list, select a logical network. Click Next.
Note
The wizard pages and VM network properties that you can configure will vary depending on the properties of the logical network that you selected.
Review the page or pages that appear. If the pages that you see are not as expected, confirm that you selected the logical network that you intended, and review the table earlier in this topic. Proceed through the wizard as follows:
If the logical network that you selected is configured as One connected network without network virtualization, the Summary page appears. Proceed to the last step of this procedure.
If the logical network that you selected is configured with network virtualization enabled, the Isolation page appears. Select No isolation, and then click Next.
Note
Only one VM network with No isolation can be created per logical network.
On the Summary page, review and confirm the settings, and then click Finish. Verify that the VM network appears in the VM Networks and IP Pools pane.
See Also
How to Create a Logical Network in VMM
Common Scenarios for Networking in System Center 2012 SP1 and System Center 2012 R2
Configuring VM Networks in VMM Illustrated Overview
Configuring VM Networks and Gateways in VMM
How to Create a VM Network in VMM in System Center 2012 SP1
Configuring Networking in VMM