Configuring a Management Interface (CLI)

Use this procedure to configure a management, or administrative, interface.

Go to configuration net datalinks.
Select a datalink.

Use the show command to determine whether you want to modify an existing class vnic datalink or create a new datalink for this interface.

To create a new datalink, perform the following steps. See also Configuring a Network Datalink (CLI).
1. Enter the vnic command.
```
hostname:configuration net datalinks> vnic
```
2. Set a name for the datalink.
  You might want the datalink name to indicate that this is for a management interface.
```
hostname:configuration net datalinks device (uncommitted)> set label=this-hostname-mgmt-dl
                          label = this-hostname-mgmt-dl (uncommitted)
```
3. Optional: Set the MTU.
  
  By default, mtu, or Max transmission unit (MTU), is set to 1500.
4. Optional: Set a VLAN ID (id).
5. Commit the changes.
```
hostname:configuration net datalinks device (uncommitted)> commit
hostname:configuration net datalinks> show
Datalinks:

DATALINK       CLASS       LINKS       STATE   ID      LABEL
igb0           device      igb0        up      -       datalink1
vnic1          vnic        igb0        up      -       this-hostname-mgmt-dl
```
Go to configuration net interfaces and enter the ip command.
```
hostname:configuration net interfaces> ip
```
Set the name of this interface.
Set the value of the label property to the name of this interface. You might want to use the name of the host for this VNIC. If the admin property is set to true, you might want to indicate that this is a management interface.
```
hostname:configuration net interfaces ip (uncommitted)> set label="this-hostname-mgmt-if"
                         label = this-hostname-mgmt-if (uncommitted)
```
Set the enable property.
Make sure the admin property is set to true.
Set a datalink for this interface.
Set the value of the links property to the name of an existing datalink. Use the available command to see a list of existing datalinks.
```
hostname:configuration net interfaces ip (uncommitted)> set links=vnic1
                          links = vnic1 (uncommitted)
```
Specify the addresses for this interface.

Set the v4addrs property or the v6addrs property to appropriate addresses for this interface. Enter one or more IP addresses in CIDR notation.

Commit the changes.

hostname:configuration net interfaces ip (uncommitted)> commit
hostname:configuration net interfaces> show
Interfaces:

INTERFACE   STATE    CLASS LINKS       ADDRS                  LABEL
vnic1       up       ip    vnic1       nn.nn.nnn.nn/nn
                  this-hostname-mgmt-if

Enter done.
Configure routing.
1. Go to configuration net routing and enter the create command.
2. Set the family property to IPv4 or IPv6.
3. Set the destination IP address and the mask.
4. Set the gateway IP address.
5. Set the interface to the name of the interface that you created earlier in this procedure.
6. Enter commit.
7. Enter done.
If this is a clustered configuration, lock the interface.

See Locking a Cluster Management Interface (CLI). This step is optional but strongly recommended.

Next Steps

If this is a clustered configuration, repeat this procedure on the second controller. Ownership of an interface is defined by the node that the interface was created on. If an interface is needed for the second controller in a cluster, create the interface on that second controller.