Windows 2008 R2 : No Restrictions for Network adapter teaming in cluster environment
In Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2, there are no restrictions that are associated with NIC Teaming and the Failover Clustering feature and allows it to be used on any network interface in a Failover Cluster.
The following table details the recommended, supported, and not recommended network configurations for live migration, and is organized in the order in which each network configuration is commonly used. Before reviewing the table, note the following:
- When a network adapter is connected to a virtual switch, it is referred to as a virtual network adapter.
- Network access for virtual machines can be on either a public or private network. To allow virtual machines access to computers on the physical network, they must be on a public network. The requirements for virtual machine access vary depending on network I/O needs and the number of virtual machines you are running on a single physical server.
- In addition to the preferred network for the cluster and the Cluster Shared Volumes, a cluster can utilize at least one additional network for communication. This increases the high availability of the cluster. The cluster should also be on a private network.
- If a network configuration is listed as “not recommended” in the following table, it should not be used because the performance of live migrations declines and cluster nodes might crash. Add another network adapter to separate traffic between live migration and Cluster Shared Volumes.
| Host configuration | Virtual machine access | Management | Cluster and Cluster Shared Volumes | Live migration | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
4 network adapters with 1 Gbps |
Virtual network adapter 1 |
Network adapter 2 |
Network adapter 3 |
Network adapter 4 |
Recommended |
|
3 network adapters with 1 Gbps; 2 adapters are teamed for link aggregation (private) |
Virtual network adapter 1 |
Virtual network adapter 1 with bandwidth capped at 10% |
Network adapter 2 (teamed) |
Network adapter 2 with bandwidth capped at 40% (teamed) |
Supported |
|
3 network adapters with 1 Gbps |
Virtual network adapter 1 |
Virtual network adapter 1 with bandwidth capped at 10% |
Network adapter 2 |
Network adapter 3 |
Supported |
|
2 network adapters with 10 Gbps |
Virtual network adapter 1 |
Virtual network adapter 1 with bandwidth capped at 1% |
Network adapter 2 |
Network adapter 2 with bandwidth capped at 50% |
Supported* |
|
2 network adapters with 10 Gbps; 1 network adapter with 1 Gbps |
Virtual network adapter 1 (10 Gbps) |
Network adapter 2 (1 Gbps) |
Network adapter 3 (10 Gbps) |
Network adapter 2 with bandwidth capped at 50% |
Supported |
|
2 network adapters with 10 Gbps; 2 network adapters with 1 Gbps |
Virtual network adapter 1 (10 Gbps) |
Network adapter 2 (1 Gbps) |
Network adapter 3 (1 Gbps) |
Network adapter 4 (10 Gbps) |
Supported |
|
3 network adapters with 1 Gbps; 2 adapters are teamed for link aggregation (public) |
Virtual network adapter 1 |
Virtual network adapter 1 with bandwidth capped at 5% |
Network adapter 2 (teamed) |
Network adapter 2 with bandwidth capped at 90% (teamed) |
Not recommended |
|
2 network adapters with 1 Gbps |
Virtual network adapter 1 |
Virtual network adapter 1 with bandwidth capped at 10% |
Network adapter 2 |
Network adapter 2 with bandwidth capped at 90% |
Not recommended |
|
1 network adapter with 10 Gbps; 1 network adapter with 1 Gbps |
Virtual network adapter 1 (10 Gbps) |
Virtual network adapter 1 with bandwidth capped at 10% |
Network adapter 2 (1 Gbps) |
Network adapter 2 with bandwidth capped at 90% |
Not recommended |
*This configuration is considered recommended if your configuration has a redundant network path available for Cluster and Cluster Shared Volumes communication.
Altaro
Recommended Books
System Center 2012 R2 Virtual Machine
System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 Cookbook
Cloudtidings.com 