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Networking
This chapter provides an overview of XenServer networking, including networks, VLANs, and NIC bonds. It also
discusses how to manage your networking configuration and troubleshoot it.
Important:
As of this release, the XenServer default network stack is the vSwitch; however, you can revert
to the Linux network stack if desired by using the instructions in the section called “vSwitch
Networks”.
If you are already familiar with XenServer networking concepts, you may want to skip ahead to one of the
following sections:
• To create networks for standalone XenServer hosts, see the section called “Creating Networks in a Standalone
Server”.
• To create private networks across XenServer hosts, see the section called “Cross-Server Private networks”
• To create networks for XenServer hosts that are configured in a resource pool, see the section called “Creating
Networks in Resource Pools”.
• To create VLANs for XenServer hosts, either standalone or part of a resource pool, see the section called
“Creating VLANs”.
• To create bonds for standalone XenServer hosts, see the section called “Creating NIC Bonds on a Standalone
Host”.
• To create bonds for XenServer hosts that are configured in a resource pool, see the section called “Creating
NIC bonds in resource pools”.
For additional information about networking and network design, see Designing XenServer Network
Configurations in the Citrix Knowledge Center.
For consistency with XenCenter, this chapter now uses the term primary management interface to refer to
the IP-enabled NIC that carries the management traffic. In previous releases, this chapter used the term the
management interface. However, management interface is now used generically to refer to any IP-enabled NIC,
including the NIC carrying management traffic and NICs configured for storage traffic.
Networking Support
XenServer supports up to 16 physical network interfaces (or up to 16 bonded network interfaces) per XenServer
host and up to 7 virtual network interfaces per VM.
Note:
XenServer provides automated configuration and management of NICs using the xe command
line interface (CLI). Unlike previous XenServer versions, the host networking configuration
files should not be edited directly in most cases; where a CLI command is available, do not
edit the underlying files.
vSwitch Networks
When used with a controller appliance, vSwitch networks support open flow and provide extra functionality,
including Cross Server Private Networks and Access Control Lists (ACL). The controller appliance for the XenServer
vSwitch is known as the vSwitch Controller: it lets you monitor your networks through a graphical user interface.
The vSwitch Controller:
• Supports fine-grained security policies to control the flow of traffic sent to and from a VM.