Re: VM - Network best practices

2008-05-19 Thread David Boyes
> We need to put together something approaching a production network
> environment for Windows(r) under z/VM testing.
> We don't believe a 500 seat environment would generate any more
network
> traffic or for that matter be any more complex than the network
> definitions
> for a z/VM Linux server colony.

In theory, no, but Windows uses many more broadcast and directed
unicast/multicast protocols than Linux does, so the traffic patterns
will be different. 

To be a realistic test, you'll need at least three layer 2 network
segments, separated by layer 3 routers. The reason you need this kind of
thing is to be able to test the hacks that Windows uses to bridge
broadcast protocols across layer 3 networks (eg, WINS, etc). 

> Has anyone put together a fairly complex multi-guest VM network using
> VSWITCH?  If so, can you point me to any VM definitions that may have
been
> shared on this list?

Think of it as: 

 segment 1  Router1 segment 2  Router2 ---segment 3
-

Your Windows guests go on segments 1 and 3. DEFINE VSWITCH TYPE ETHERNET
for each segment and define 3 NICs on each router virtual machine (I'd
use Linux, but you will want to test Windows packet forwarding as
well(). On router 1, couple one NIC to seg 1, one NIC to seg 2, and the
3rd NIC to a VSW that has exterior access (lets you log into the routers
and collect data/change configuration). On router2, couple one NIC to
seg 2, one NIC to seg 3, and the third NIC to the outside segment. 

You can then define your Windows guests and couple them to seg 1 or 3
(or 2 if you really want). 

That should give you a fairly realistic idea of how the Windows setup
will work. You can also use the router virtual machines to give
connectivity to the outside if you so desire by setting the default
route in the router machines to the outside world. 


Re: VM - Network best practices

2008-05-08 Thread Alan Altmark
On Thursday, 05/08/2008 at 02:03 EDT, Dave Jones <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 
wrote:

> > Which IBM PUB is a definitive cookbook on this?
> 
> I would start here:
[snip]

Don't forget the z/VM Connectivity book in the z/VM library.

Alan Altmark
z/VM Development
IBM Endicott


Re: VM - Network best practices

2008-05-08 Thread Dave Jones

Hi, Gary.

Gary M. Dennis wrote:

We need to put together something approaching a production network
environment for Windows® under z/VM testing.

Well, I don't know how you are going to get Windows to run on z/VM, but 
assuming you can..:-)



We don't believe a 500 seat environment would generate any more network
traffic or for that matter be any more complex than the network definitions
for a z/VM Linux server colony.


Yes, I believe that to be true as well.


Has anyone put together a fairly complex multi-guest VM network using
VSWITCH?  If so, can you point me to any VM definitions that may have been
shared on this list?

Yes, we have built several z/VM and Linux environments for clients that 
are intended to host several hundreds of severs, using VSWITCH. 
Depending on the required 'virtual' network configuration (Should each 
guest be able to see every other guest? Is there a need for multiple 
VSWITCHs to control network load? etc.), it's fairly easy to get this 
set up and working.



Which IBM PUB is a definitive cookbook on this?


I would start here:

1) z/VM and Linux on IBM System z: The Virtualization Cookbook for 
SLES10 (http://www.linuxvm.org/Present/misc/virt-cookbook-S10.pdf)


2)z/VM VSWITCH with failover 
(http://www.linuxvm.org/Present/misc/vswitch.pdf)


3)z/VM V5R3.0 Getting Started with Linux on System z9 and zSeries 
(http://publibz.boulder.ibm.com/cgi-bin/bookmgr_OS390/BOOKS/HCSX0B20/CCONTENTS?SHELF=hcsh2a90&DN=SC24-6096-02&DT=20070417154723)


4) z/VM V5R3.0 TCP/IP Planning and Customization 
(http://publibz.boulder.ibm.com/cgi-bin/bookmgr_OS390/BOOKS/HCSK5B20/CCONTENTS?SHELF=hcsh2a90&DN=SC24-6125-03&DT=20070424130736)


Watch for line wraps on the URLs above


Hope this helps and good luck.


Thanks

--.  .-  .-.  -.--

Gary Dennis
Mantissa 


--
DJ

V/Soft
  z/VM and mainframe Linux expertise, training,
  consulting, and software development
www.vsoft-software.com


VM - Network best practices

2008-05-08 Thread Gary M. Dennis
We need to put together something approaching a production network
environment for Windows® under z/VM testing.

We don't believe a 500 seat environment would generate any more network
traffic or for that matter be any more complex than the network definitions
for a z/VM Linux server colony.

Has anyone put together a fairly complex multi-guest VM network using
VSWITCH?  If so, can you point me to any VM definitions that may have been
shared on this list?

Which IBM PUB is a definitive cookbook on this?


Thanks

--.  .-  .-.  -.--

Gary Dennis
Mantissa