Switch load
balancing policies
The load-balancing policy determines how ESXi hosts will use
their uplink adapters. Four load-balancing methods are available when using a
standard virtual switch:
1. Originating
virtual port ID – a VM’s outbound traffic is mapped to a specific physical
NIC. The NIC is determined by the ID of the virtual port to which the VM is
connected. This is the default.
2. Source MAC hash – a VM’s
outbound traffic is mapped to a specific physical NIC that is based on the
virtual NIC’s MAC address.
3. IP hash – a NIC for
each outbound packet is selected based on its source and destination IP
address. This method requires the use ofEtherChannel on
the physical switch.
4. Explicit failover
order – an adapter that is listed highest in the order of active
adapters and passes failover detection criteria will be used.
A load balancing policy can be defined at either the virtual
switch level or the port group level, with settings at the port group level
overriding settings at the virtual switch level. Here are the steps for configuring load
balancing on a standard virtual switch using the vSphere Web Client:
1. Go to the host’s Manage > Networking tab.
Select the virtual switch you would like to modify and select the Edit settings
icon:
Select the Teaming and failover menu and specify the option under Load Balancing:
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