Configuring Port Profiles

This chapter includes the following sections:

Port Profiles

Port profiles contain the properties and settings that you can use to configure virtual interfaces in Cisco UCS for VM-FEX. The port profiles are created and administered in Cisco UCS Manager. After a port profile is created, assigned to, and actively used by one or more DVSes, any changes made to the networking properties of the port profile in Cisco UCS Manager are immediately applied to those DVSes.

In VMware vCenter, a port profile is represented as a port group. Cisco UCS Manager pushes the port profile names to VMware vCenter, which displays the names as port groups. None of the specific networking properties or settings in the port profile are visible in VMware vCenter. You must configure at least one port profile client for a port profile if you want Cisco UCS Manager to push the port profile to VMware vCenter.

Creating a Port Profile


Note

If you are configuring VMDirectPath Gen 2, you need to set the Host Network IO Performance field to High Performance.
Procedure
    Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the VM tab.
    Step 2   On the VM tab, expand the All node.
    Step 3   Right-click the Port Profiles node and choose Create Port Profile.
    Step 4   In the Create Port Profile dialog box, complete the following fields:
    Name Description

    Name field

    The user-defined name for the port profile.

    This name can be between 1 and 31 ASCII alphanumeric characters. You cannot use spaces or any special characters other than - (hyphen), _ (underscore), and : (colon), and you cannot change this name after the object has been saved.

    Description field

    The user-defined description for the port profile.

    Enter up to 256 characters. You can use any characters or spaces except ` (accent mark), \ (backslash), ^ (carat), " (double quote), = (equal sign), > (greater than), < (less than), or ' (single quote).

    QoS Policy drop-down list

    The quality of service policy associated with this port profile.

    Network Control Policy drop-down list

    The network control policy associated with this port profile.

    Max Ports field

    The maximum number of ports that can be associated with this port profile. The default is 64 ports.

    The maximum number of ports that can be associated with a single distributed virtual switch (DVS) is 4096. If the DVS has only one associated port profile, that port profile can be configured with up to 4096 ports. However, if the DVS has more than one associated port profile, the total number of ports associated with all of those port profiles combined cannot exceed 4096.

    Host Network IO Performance field

    This can be one of the following:

    • None—Traffic to and from a virtual machine passes through the DVS.
    • High Performance— Traffic to and from a virtual machine bypasses the DVS and hypervisor and travels directly between the virtual machines and a virtual interface card (VIC) adapter.

    Pin Group drop-down list

    The pin group associated with this port profile.
    Step 5   In the VLANs area, complete the following fields:
    Name Description

    Select column

    Check the check box in this column for each VLAN that you want to use.

    Name column

    The name of the VLAN.

    Native VLAN column

    To designate one of the VLANs as the native VLAN, click the radio button in this column.

    Step 6   Click OK.

    Modifying the VLANs in a Port Profile

    Procedure
      Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the VM tab.
      Step 2   On the VM tab, expand All > Port Profiles.
      Step 3   Right-click the port profile for which you want to modify the VLANs and choose Modify VLANs.
      Step 4   In the Modify VLANs dialog box, change one or more of the following:
      Name Description

      Select column

      Check the check box in this column for each VLAN that you want to use.

      Name column

      The name of the VLAN.

      Native VLAN column

      To designate one of the VLANs as the native VLAN, click the radio button in this column.

      Create VLAN link

      Click this link if you want to create a VLAN.

      Step 5   Click OK.

      Changing the Native VLAN for a Port Profile

      Procedure
        Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the VM tab.
        Step 2   On the VM tab, expand All > Port Profiles.
        Step 3   Right-click the port profile for which you want to change the native VLAN and choose Modify VLANs.
        Step 4   In the Modify VLANs dialog box, do the following:
        1. In the Native VLAN column, click the radio button in the row for the VLAN that you want to become the native VLAN.
        2. Click OK.

        Adding a VLAN to a Port Profile

        Procedure
          Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the VM tab.
          Step 2   On the VM tab, expand All > Port Profiles.
          Step 3   Right-click the port profile to which you want to add a VLAN and choose Modify VLANs.
          Step 4   In the Modify VLANs dialog box, do the following:
          1. In the Select column, check the check box in the row for the VLAN that you want to add to the port profile.
          2. Optional: If you want this VLAN to be the native VLAN, click the radio button in the Native VLAN column.
          3. Click OK.

          Removing a VLAN from a Port Profile

          You can remove a VLAN from a port profile or change the VLAN that you have assigned as the native VLAN.

          Procedure
            Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the VM tab.
            Step 2   On the VM tab, expand All > Port Profiles.
            Step 3   Right-click the port profile from which you want to remove a VLAN and choose Modify VLANs.
            Step 4   In the Modify VLANs dialog box, do the following:
            1. In the Select column, uncheck the check box in the row for the VLAN that you want to remove from the port profile.
            2. Optional: You can change the native VLAN to a different VLAN by clicking the radio button in the Native VLAN column for a different VLAN.
            3. Click OK.

            Deleting a Port Profile

            You cannot delete a port profile if a VM is actively using that port profile.

            Procedure
              Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the VM tab.
              Step 2   On the VM tab, expand All > Port Profiles.
              Step 3   Right-click the port profile you want to delete and choose Delete.
              Step 4   If the Cisco UCS Manager GUI displays a confirmation dialog box, click Yes.
              Step 5   Click OK.

              Cisco UCS Manager deletes the port profile and all associated port profile clients.

              Port Profile Clients

              The port profile client determines the DVSes to which a port profile is applied. By default, the port profile client specifies that the associated port profile applies to all DVSes in the VMware vCenter. However, you can configure the client to apply the port profile to all DVSes in a specific datacenter or datacenter folder or only to one DVS.

              Creating a Profile Client

              You can create a profile client.

              Procedure
                Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the VM tab.
                Step 2   On the VM tab, expand All > Port Profiles.
                Step 3   Right-click the port profile for which you want to create a profile client and choose Create Profile Client.
                Step 4   In the Create Profile Client dialog box, complete the following fields:
                Name Description

                Name field

                The user-defined name for the profile client.

                This name can be between 1 and 16 ASCII alphanumeric characters. You cannot use spaces or any special characters other than - (hyphen), _ (underscore), and : (colon), and you cannot change this name after the object has been saved.

                Description field

                The user-defined description of the client.

                Enter up to 256 characters. You can use any characters or spaces except ` (accent mark), \ (backslash), ^ (carat), " (double quote), = (equal sign), > (greater than), < (less than), or ' (single quote).

                Datacenter drop-down list

                Choose a datacenter from the drop-down list or choose All if this profile client applies to all datacenters.

                Folder drop-down list

                Choose a folder from the drop-down list or choose All if this profile client applies to all folders.

                Distributed Virtual Switch drop-down list

                Choose a virtual switch from the drop-down list or choose All if this profile client applies to all virtual switches.

                Step 5   Click OK.
                What to Do Next

                Complete the configuration of the virtual machines in VMware vCenter.

                Modifying a Profile Client

                You can modify a profile client.

                Procedure
                  Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the VM tab.
                  Step 2   On the VM tab, expand All > Port Profiles.
                  Step 3   Click the port profile for which you want to modify the profile client.
                  Step 4   In the Work pane, click the Profile Clients tab.
                  Step 5   Right-click the profile client you want to modify and choose Show Navigator.
                  Step 6   In the Navigator for the profile client, change the values for one or more of the following fields:
                  Name Description

                  Name field

                  The user-defined name for the profile client.

                  Description field

                  The user-defined description of the client.

                  Enter up to 256 characters. You can use any characters or spaces except ` (accent mark), \ (backslash), ^ (carat), " (double quote), = (equal sign), > (greater than), < (less than), or ' (single quote).

                  Datacenter field

                  A regular expression used to select the appropriate datacenter.

                  Folder field

                  A regular expression used to select the appropriate datacenter folder.

                  Distributed Virtual Switch field

                  A regular expression used to select the appropriate virtual switch.
                  Step 7   Click OK.

                  Deleting a Profile Client

                  You cannot delete a port profile client if a VM is actively using the port profile with which the client is associated.

                  Procedure
                    Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the VM tab.
                    Step 2   On the VM tab, expand All > Port Profiles.
                    Step 3   Click the port profile from which you want to delete a profile client.
                    Step 4   In the Work pane, click the Profile Clients tab.
                    Step 5   Right-click the profile client that you want to delete and choose Delete.
                    Step 6   If the Cisco UCS Manager GUI displays a confirmation dialog box, click Yes.
                    Step 7   Click Save Changes.