Using the Hardware Management Console (HMC), Version 7 Release
3.4.2 or later, you can create a virtual Ethernet adapter on a Virtual I/O Server (VIOS). With a virtual Ethernet
adapter, client logical partitions can access the external network
without having to own a physical Ethernet adapter.
If you plan to use a Shared Ethernet Adapter with a Host Ethernet Adapter (or Integrated
Virtual Ethernet), ensure that the Logical Host Ethernet adapter (LHEA)
on the Virtual I/O Server is
set to promiscuous mode.
The HMC Classic interface is
not supported in Hardware Management Console (HMC) Version 8.7.0, or later. The functions that were previously
available in the HMC Classic interface are now available in
the HMC Enhanced+ interface.
For more information about adding a virtual network and creating virtual Ethernet adapters when
the HMC is at version 8.7.0, or later, see The Add Virtual Network wizard.
Note: For HMC versions before Version
7, Release 3.4.2, you must use the VIOS command-line interface
to configure the adapter.
To create a
virtual Ethernet adapter on the Virtual I/O Server with the HMC Version 7, Release
3.4.2 or later, complete the following steps:
- In the navigation area, expand and
select the server on which the Virtual I/O Server logical partition
is located.
- In the contents are, select the Virtual I/O Server logical partition.
- Click Tasks and select . The Managed Profiles page
is displayed.
- Select the profile in
which you want to create the Shared Ethernet Adapter and click . The Logical Partition Profile Properties page
is displayed.
- Click the Virtual
Adapters tab.
- Click .
- Select IEEE
802.1Q-compatible adapter.
- If you
are using multiple VLANs, add any additional VLAN
IDs for the client logical partitions that must communicate with the
external network through this virtual adapter.
- Select Access
external network to
use this adapter as a gateway between VLANs and an external network.
This Ethernet adapter is configured as part of the Shared Ethernet Adapter.
- If you are not using Shared Ethernet Adapter failover,
you can use the default trunk priority. If you are using Shared Ethernet Adapter failover,
then set the trunk priority for the primary share Ethernet adapter
to a lesser number than the priority of the backup Shared Ethernet Adapter.
- When you are finished, click OK.
- Assign or create one of the following real adapters:
- Assign a physical Ethernet adapter to the Virtual I/O Server.
- If
you plan to aggregate more than one physical Ethernet adapter
into a Link Aggregation or
Etherchannel device, then assign multiple physical Ethernet adapters
to the Virtual I/O Server.
- If you plan to use the Shared Ethernet Adapter with an SR-IOV
Ethernet Logical Port, then create an SR-IOV Ethernet Logical Port
for the Virtual I/O Server logical
partition.
- If you plan to use the Shared Ethernet Adapter with a Host Ethernet Adapter, then create
an LHEA for the Virtual I/O Server logical
partition.
- Click OK to
exit the Logical
Partition Profile Properties page.
- Click Close to
exit the Managed
Profiles page.
- Repeat this procedure
to add more Shared Ethernet Adapters, if necessary.
When you are finished, configure the Shared Ethernet Adapter with the Virtual I/O Server command-line
interface or the Hardware Management Console graphical
interface, Version 7 Release 3.4.2 or later.
