A server-network edge exists at the connection between a server port and its first hop switch port. Network configurations such as virtual local area network (VLAN) and Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) must be the same on the server port and the switch port at this edge. You can use Data Center Bridging Capability Exchange (DCBX) to automate the configuration on the server and the switch port. For more information, see Chapter 7, Managing Converged Networks by Using Data Center Bridging in Managing Network Datalinks in Oracle Solaris 11.3.
With server virtualization, multiple virtual ports are associated with the virtual machines (VMs) behind the server port instead of only one server port connected to a switch port. Server virtualization imposes the following additional requirements on the server-network edge:
Switching between the virtual machines through the external switch so that inter-VM traffic is subjected to policies configured on the switch
Extending the virtual port properties into the network
Oracle Solaris supports edge virtual bridging (EVB), which is an evolving IEEE standard that addresses these requirements.
This chapter contains the following topics:
Controlling Switching Between VMs Over the Same Physical Port