Example: External Connectivity with Trunking

The following video shows a complete, working example of using external connectivity with trunking. It explains how to set up a CML server so that you can multiplex multiple VLANs into CML and use them with External Connector nodes in your CML labs. The CML server runs as a VM on a VMware ESXi host, and a TOR switch trunks VLAN 10 and VLAN 20 into the VMware ESXi host where the CML VM runs. The External Connector nodes use custom bridge interfaces that correspond to the VLANs.

The Administrator’s Guide section on Networking contains information on adding interfaces to the CML server which are connected to individual VLANs. Each vNIC created with a vlan attached at the ESXi or CIMC level does not need a VLAN subinterface created within the CML server, but it can be added to a new bridge interface directly.

Note

The video has been created for the 2.2 release of CML. The sections describing preparation of the additional bridge interfaces in VMware ESXi and System Administration Cockpit remain the same in current releases.

However, there is a new step required for configuring the new bridges as external connectors in the System Administration -> External Connectors page of the CML UI. This is described in the Administrator’s Guide on Admin Tools.