In most cases, when you configure zones on the Database Domains, part of the zone creation process also automatically creates virtual network interface cards (VNICs), which are used as access to the host management network for the zones. You can create VNICs on top of physical interfaces, so in the situations where access to the host management network for the domains is achieved through actual physical interfaces, zones on those domains can use VNICs to connect to the host management network.
However, some domains do not connect to the host management network through actual physical interfaces, but rather through VNETs. Due to limitations with Oracle Solaris, you can not create VNICs on top of virtual network interfaces (VNETs). When creating zones on those domains that connect to the host management network through VNETs, you must manually create VNETs instead, alongside the domain VNETs, to use for the zones to access the host management network.
Whether or not VNICs are created automatically for you as part of the zone creation process, or if you have to manually create VNETs to use as access to the host management network for the zones you want to create on the Database Domains, depends on the types of domains that you have on each SPARC T5-8 server and the zones that you want to create on certain domains.
Half Rack: You must manually create VNETs for the Small Domains that are associated with the following CPUs:
CPU1
CPU6
See Half Rack Domain Configurations for more information on which Small Domains would have these CPUs associated with them.
Full Rack: You must manually create VNETs for the following domains:
Medium Domains associated with the following CPUs:
- CPU2/CPU3
- CPU4/CPU5
Small Domains associated with the following CPUs:
- CPU1
- CPU2
- CPU3
- CPU4
- CPU5
- CPU6
See Full Rack Domain Configurations for more information on which Medium Domains and Small Domains would have these CPUs associated with them.