The SmartFabric user interface from the control switch or the OMNI plug-in can be used to assign IP addressing to a virtual network. This process will allow the traffic from this virtual network to be routable to the upstream network. This assignment process should be done after Layer 3 routing planning is complete and Layer 3 routing is established between the switch fabric and upstream network. 

The ‘Virtual Network – Layer 3 Settings’ table in Appendix A: VxRail with SmartFabric network configuration tables can be used to capture the settings for a virtual network that requires passage upstream with Layer 3 network. The VxRail external management network, which is configured as a virtual network by SFS, needs to be assigned Layer 3 properties to enable connectivity upstream to data center services and to end users. For the VxRail external management network, the VLAN to be used for the VxRail external management network will be assigned an equivalent virtual network ID by SFS. 

Figure 22.          Gateway address assignments for Layer 3 enablement for the VxRail external management virtual network

The Layer 3 settings for a virtual network include configuring a static IP address to each leaf or spine switch (depending on whether upstream connectivity is from the leaf or spine layer) for passageway for the virtual network, and a floating IP address that represents the default gateway for the network. A typical addressing policy for gateways is to reserve IP addresses at either the beginning (x.x.x.1-x.x.x5 for example) or ending (x.x.x.254-x.x.x.250) of the address range.

The ‘Virtual Network – Layer 3 Settings’ table in Appendix A: VxRail with SmartFabric network configuration tables can be used to capture the settings needed to enable upstream passage for a virtual network on the switch fabric.