How to Create a Logical Switch in VMM

Updated: May 13, 2016

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

In Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) in System Center 2012 Service Pack 1 (SP1) or System Center 2012 R2, you can consistently configure identical capabilities for network adapters across multiple hosts by using port profiles and logical switches. Port profiles and logical switches act as containers for the properties or capabilities that you want your network adapters to have. Instead of configuring individual properties or capabilities for each network adapter, you can specify the capabilities in port profiles and logical switches, which you can then apply to the appropriate adapters.

The recommended order for creating port profiles and logical switches is to create the port profiles first. You will need at least one native port profile for uplinks before you can create a logical switch.

Account requirements To complete this procedure, you must be a member of the Administrator or the Delegated Administrator user role. When configuring the switch, delegated administrators can select only uplink port profiles that contain network sites that are in the administrative scope of the delegated administrator.

To create a logical switch

1. Open the Fabric workspace.

2. On the Home tab, in the Show group, click Fabric Resources.

3. In the Fabric pane, expand Networking, and then click Logical Switches.

4. On the Home tab, in the Create group, click Create Logical Switch.

   The Create Logical Switch Wizard opens.

5. On the Getting Started page, review the information about logical switches, and then click Next.

6. On the General page, enter a name and optional description for the logical switch. If you want to enable single root I/O virtualization (SR-IOV), select the Enable single root I/O virtualization (SR-IOV) check box. Then click Next.

   Important

   SR-IOV enables virtual machines to bypass the switch and directly address the physical network adapter. To fully enable SR-IOV, you must also do the following:

   • Make sure that you have SR-IOV support in the host hardware and firmware, the physical network adapter, and drivers in the management operating system and in the guest operating system.
   • Create a native port profile for virtual network adapters that is also SR-IOV enabled.
   • When you configure networking settings on the host (in the host property called Virtual switches), attach the native port profile for virtual network adapters to the virtual switch by using a port classification. You can use the SR-IOV port classification that is provided in VMM, or create your own port classification.

7. If you are using (optional) virtual switch extensions, on the Extensions page, select the boxes for one or more extensions, and then arrange the order in which the extensions should be processed by clicking Move Up and Move Down. Then click Next.

   If an extension that you expected does not appear in the list, it is likely that the provider software has not been installed on the VMM management server. For more information about how to install a provider, refer to the documentation from the vendor.

   Important

   To avoid conflicts between extensions, only one forwarding extension can be selected at a time.

   Extensions process network traffic through the switch in the order that they are listed.

8. On the Uplink page, do the following:

   • To configure teaming for multiple network adapters by applying this logical switch to multiple adapters, for Uplink mode, select Team. Otherwise, leave the selection as No Uplink Team.

     If you select Team, when you apply this logical switch with an uplink port profile, you will also apply two settings that are specified in the uplink port profile: the load-balancing algorithm and teaming mode settings.

   • To add an uplink port profile, click Add and in the Add Uplink Port Profile dialog box, select a port profile. Then click OK. Repeat this process until you have added all of the uplink port profiles that you want to add.

     When you add an uplink port profile, it is placed in a list of profiles that are available through that logical switch. However, when you apply the logical switch to a network adapter in a host, the uplink port profile is applied to that network adapter only if you select it from the list of available profiles.

   • To remove an uplink port profile, select the profile and then click Remove.

   After you have completed all settings, click Next.

9. On the Virtual Port page, add one or more port classifications (which make it easy to see the intended uses for a switch), with or without the associated virtual network adapter port profiles (which add capabilities to the logical switch). Optionally, you can skip this step and then add these items later.

   To add a port classification, click Add, and then, in the Add Virtual Port dialog box, do the following:

   1. Click Browse.

   2. Either select a port classification or click Create Port Classification and specify a name and optional description for the port classification. Click OK until you have returned to the Add Virtual Port dialog box.

   3. While you are still in the Add Virtual Port dialog box, to include a virtual network adapter port profile, select the check box, and then in the Native virtual network adapter port profile list, select the port profile that you want to include.

   4. To close the dialog box and return to the Virtual Port page, click OK.

   As needed, repeat the process of adding port classifications.

10. Still on the Virtual Port page, to set one port classification as the default, select that classification and then click Set Default. To clear a default setting from the list of port classifications, click Clear Default.

    After you have completed all settings on the page, click Next.

11. On the Summary page, review and 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.

12. Verify that the logical switch appears in the Logical Switches pane.

How to Configure Network Settings on a Host by Applying a Logical Switch in VMM
Common Scenarios for Networking in System Center 2012 SP1 and System Center 2012 R2
Configuring Ports and Switches in VMM Illustrated Overview
Configuring Ports and Switches for VM Networks in VMM
Configuring Networking in VMM