Implementing SR-IOV on HP ProLiant Servers with VMware vSphere 5.1

Technical white paper | Implementing SR-IOV on HP ProLiant Servers with VMware vSphere 5.1
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9. If unique virtual LAN (VLAN) settings are required on a per-VF basis, then the VMs configuration (.vmx) file must be
modified manually. Make sure the VM is shutdown prior to editing the file.
To edit the vmx file, connect to the host using SSH or directly access the host using the ESXi shell. If you are unsure of
the vmx file location, check the VM properties using vSphere Client (see Figure 8).
Figure 8: VMX file location
Use the text editor “vi” to edit the vmx file. Add in the following line:
pciPassthru<x>.defaultVlan = “<y>”
The value for <x> is a unique number that starts with the value zero (0), and increments for each VF assigned to a VM.
The value used for <y> should be one of the following:
• 0 – Explicitly deny VLAN tagged traffic
• 1 through 4095 – Enable tagged traffic with specified VLAN value
Figure 9 depicts the required configuration change for a VM with a single VF assigned which is using a VLAN ID of 100.
Figure 9: VMX file modification
10. Verify network connectivity within the Guest OS by accessing a remote network location or by performing a ping to an
external IP address.
Deploying across multiple systems
The configuration process can be time consuming and prone to human error. To reduce time and potential errors, the
following methods are recommended:
• Create VM template and clone VMs – Using vCenter Server, create a VM template from the previously created VM. Cloning
the VM will remove the requirement to manually add VF device drivers each time and will automate the Guest OS
installation procedure. Prior to creation of the VM template, be sure to remove any VFs that are assigned to the VM. If this
step is not performed, the cloned VM will be configured with the same VF as the template.
• Utilize ESXi Host Profiles – Using host profiles will enable you to capture the ESXi host configuration and apply it to
additional ESXi hosts. For additional ESXi hosts, this will remove the requirement to manually configure network device
driver settings to enable SR-IOV and apply virtual switch and storage configurations to mirror the original ESXi host.