Methods and apparatus to configure virtual and physical networks for hosts in a physical rack
A disclosed example of autonomously configuring a virtual network and a physical network in a physical rack includes generating network topologies of hosts based on physical network connection information indicative of physical network connections between the hosts and a top-of-rack switch in the physical rack; determining whether implementing the network topologies of the hosts concurrently in the physical rack is valid based on evaluating the network topologies relative to a network topology validation rule; when implementing the network topologies of the hosts concurrently in the physical rack is valid: configuring a virtual distributed switch in a first one of the hosts based on one of the network topologies; and configuring the top-of-rack switch in communication with the first host based on the one of the network topologies.
1. An apparatus to autonomously configure a virtual network and a physical network in a physical rack, the apparatus comprising:
memory and at least one processor to execute instructions to implement a network topology generator, a network connection validator, and a network configurator to complete configuration of the virtual and physical networks for at least twenty-four hosts and a top-of-rack switch of the physical rack in less than one minute based on:
the network topology generator to generate network topologies of the hosts based on physical network connection information indicative of physical network connections between the hosts and the top-of-rack switch in the physical rack;
the network connection validator to determine whether a concurrent implementation of the network topologies of the hosts in the physical rack is valid based on an evaluation of the network topologies relative to a network topology validation rule; and
the network configurator to:
configure a virtual distributed switch in a first one of the hosts based on one of the network topologies; and
configure the top-of-rack switch in communication with the first one of the hosts based on the one of the network topologies.
2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the network topology generator is to generate the network topologies based on an analysis of the physical network connection information relative to network topology structure rules indicative of at least one of:
a quantity of physical network interface cards per host;
a quantity of top-of-rack switches connected per host; or
whether a link aggregation group is present per host.
3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the network configurator is to configure the virtual distributed switch in the first one of the hosts by:
creating at least one distributed virtual port in the virtual distributed switch for a physical network interface card of the first one of the hosts; and
configuring a portgroup property corresponding to the distributed virtual port.
4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the network configurator is to configure the top-of-rack switch by configuring ports of the top-of-rack switch for a link aggregation group of a corresponding one of the network topologies.
5. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , further including a prober to collect the physical network connection information based on probe request messages and probe response messages communicated via a network to which the hosts are connected.
6. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the physical network connection information is indicative of: (a) ones of the hosts for which a link aggregation group setting is enabled, (b) quantities of peer switches connected to ones of the hosts, and (c) quantities of line aggregation groups configured for the ones of the hosts.
7. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to at least:
complete configuration of a virtual distributed switch in a first one of at least twenty-four hosts, second virtual distributed switches of other twenty-four hosts, and a top-of-rack switch for use with the other twenty-four hosts in less than one minute by:
generating network topologies of the hosts based on physical network connection information indicative of physical network connections between the hosts and the top-of-rack switch in a physical rack;
determining whether a concurrent implementation of the network topologies of the hosts in the physical rack is valid based on evaluating the network topologies relative to a network topology validation rule; and
when the concurrent implementation of the network topologies of the hosts in the physical rack is valid:
configuring the virtual distributed switch in the first one of the hosts based on one of the network topologies; and
configuring the top-of-rack switch in communication with the first one of the hosts based on the one of the network topologies.
8. The computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 7 , wherein the instructions are to cause the one or more processors to generate the network topologies based on analysis of the physical network connection information relative to network topology structure rules indicative of at least one of:
a quantity of physical network interface cards per host;
a quantity of top-of-rack switches connected per host; or
whether a link aggregation group is present per host.
9. The computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 7 , wherein the instructions are to cause the one or more processors to configure the virtual distributed switch in the first one of the hosts by:
creating at least one distributed virtual port in the virtual distributed switch for a physical network interface card of the first one of the hosts; and
configuring a portgroup property corresponding to the distributed virtual port.
10. The computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 7 , wherein the instructions are to cause the one or more processors to configure the top-of-rack switch by configuring ports of the top-of-rack switch for a link aggregation group of a corresponding one of the network topologies.
11. The computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 7 , wherein the instructions are further to cause the one or more processors to collect the physical network connection information based on probe request messages and probe response messages communicated via a network to which the hosts are connected.
12. The computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 7 , wherein the physical network connection information is indicative of: (a) ones of the hosts for which a link aggregation group setting is enabled, (b) quantities of peer switches connected to ones of the hosts, and (c) quantities of line aggregation groups configured for the ones of the hosts.
13. A method of autonomously configuring a virtual network and a physical network in a physical rack, the method comprising:
configuring a virtual distributed switch in a first one of at least twenty-four hosts, second virtual distributed switches of other twenty-four hosts, and a top-of-rack switch for use with the other twenty-four hosts to be completed in less than one minute by:
generating, by executing an instruction with one or more processors, network topologies of the hosts based on physical network connection information indicative of physical network connections between the hosts and the top-of-rack switch in the physical rack;
determining, by executing an instruction with the one or more processors, whether implementing the network topologies of the hosts concurrently in the physical rack is valid based on evaluating the network topologies relative to a network topology validation rule;
when implementing the network topologies of the hosts concurrently in the physical rack is valid, executing instructions with the one or more processors to:
configure the virtual distributed switch in the first one of the hosts based on one of the network topologies; and
configure the top-of-rack switch in communication with the first one of the hosts based on the one of the network topologies.
14. The method as defined in claim 13 , wherein the generating of the network topologies is based on analyzing the physical network connection information relative to network topology structure rules indicative of at least one of:
a quantity of physical network interface cards per host;
a quantity of top-of-rack switches connected per host; or
whether a link aggregation group is present per host.
15. The method as defined in claim 13 , wherein configuring the virtual distributed switch in the first one of the hosts includes:
creating at least one distributed virtual port in the virtual distributed switch for a physical network interface card of the first one of the hosts; and
configuring a portgroup property corresponding to the distributed virtual port.
16. The method as defined in claim 13 , wherein configuring the top-of-rack switch includes configuring ports of the top-of-rack switch for a link aggregation group of a corresponding one of the network topologies.
17. The method as defined in claim 13 , further including collecting the physical network connection information based on probe request messages and probe response messages communicated via a network to which the hosts are connected.
18. The method as defined in claim 13 , wherein the physical network connection information is indicative of: (a) ones of the hosts for which a link aggregation group setting is enabled, (b) quantities of peer switches connected to ones of the hosts, and (c) quantities of line aggregation groups configured for the ones of the hosts.