How can create Virtual Network Interfaces in HYPER-V

Companies with 2,3 Server in HYPER-V it's very easy to manage and you don't need any advance configuration for the infrastructure of HYPER-V. 

What about for middle and enterprise companies which have hundred of Virtual Servers in HYPER-V? 

If you are working in these companies then you know that the infrastrustrure of HYPER-V must be met specific criteria to avoid perfomance issues and more importance problems.

Today i would like to describe how can create Virtual Network Adapters in HYPER-V and pass specific traffic from there.

> Video : Implementing Windows Server 2016 Hyper-V by Greg Shields (MVP)

The following instructions can be apply in HYPER-V Failover Clustering and the HYPER-V Host must has at least 2 Physical Network Interfaces.

Let's assume that you want to setup HYPER-V Failover Clustering and you have only 2 Physical Network Interfaces in your HYPER-V Host but you want to apply Best Practises from Microsoft for Cluster Networks.

This means that you must separate the traffic for

• Management in HYPERV Host
• Virtual Machines
• Clustering
• Live Migration
• Cluster Hearbeat

You must have 5 Physical Network Cards in your HYPER-V Host? No you don't

In Windows Server 2012 you can create Virtual Network Adapters and pass specific traffic.

Let's try it.

• Open powershell as adminisrator
• Open Network Connections in your HYPER-V Host and decide which card you will see to create a virtual Switch. 
• Except if you have alread create a NIC Teaming.
• Type the following command in PowerShell to create the Virtual Switch with name Switch 1
  
  New-VMSwitch "Switch 1" –NetAdapterName "Ethernet 2"  –AllowManagementOS $false

• Open HYPER-V Manager.
• Go in the right side and click Virtual Switch Manager
• You can see the new Virtual Switch

• Now go back in powershell and type the following command to create the new Virtual Network Adapter.
• Let's assume that this adapter will use it only for the Management.

           Add-VMNetworkAdapter –ManagementOS –Name "Mgmt" –SwitchName "Switch1"

• Now you must assign the specific Virtual Network Adapter in Vlan

           Set-VMNetworkAdapterVlan -ManagementOS -VMNetworkAdapterName "Mgmt" -Access -VlanId 10

• It's ready. Go in Network Connections and you can see a new Network adapter as vEthernet (Mgmt).
• Give in the adapter the Ip address that you want to assign and you are ready.

• Let's now create a new Virual Adapter for the Live Migration traffic. When you want to transfer from one Cluster to another the Virtual Machine.
• Go back in powershell and type again the following commands to create the Virtual Adapter and set to the specific Vlan

           Add-VMNetworkAdapter –ManagementOS –Name "LiveMigration" –SwitchName "Switch1"

          Set-VMNetworkAdapterVlan -ManagementOS -VMNetworkAdapterName "Mgmt" -Access -VlanId 20

• You can go to assign Ip Address in the specific adapter and that's it.
• If you would like to verify that all the Virtual ANetwork Adapters assign in the appropriate Vlan type the following command in powershell

          Get-VMNetworkAdapterVlan - ManagementOS *

This is a small part of what you can do in HYPER-V Failover Cluster Network to isolate traffic for better perfomance and security.

I will continue in next articles with other configuration for the HYPER-V Failover Clustering enviroment.

Have a nice weekend !!!

If you have use HYPER-V Failover Cluster write in our commented system all these that you want to share with other IT Pro