VMware vSwitch Port Groups and VLAN Configuration
In a VMware vSphere environment, configuration maximums dictate that a standard vSwitch can handle up to 512 port groups. The total number of virtual network switch ports per host is capped at 4096. For network traffic across multiple VLANs, the physical NIC of an ESXi host should connect to the network switch through a trunk port. This allows the trunk port to handle tagged traffic for various VLANs.
Key considerations for enabling VLANs to flow across a virtual network environment on a vSwitch include:
- Each port group on the vSwitch must be configured with the correct VLAN ID, matching the physical network’s VLAN configuration.
- The connected physical switch port should be set as a trunk port and must be capable of passing traffic for those VLANs assigned to the vSwitch port groups.
- The vSwitch manages VLAN tagging based on the VLAN ID specified for each port group, ensuring consistency between virtual and physical network setups.
Such configurations enable seamless VLAN traffic flow between different network components in a VMware environment.