Configuring external inter-VM traffic with ERSPAN

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Configure network settings in VMware vCenter to allow Virtual Network Sensor to monitor data.

Important

The following instructions are valid as of July 2023.
If your throughput is less than 2 Gbps, your data port configuration may use VSS, VDS, or PCI passthrough. If your throughput is equal to or greater than 2 Gbps, then using a PCI passthrough is recommended. Your data port must be able to connect to the internet.

Procedure

On the Virtual Network Sensor CLI console, type show interface and choose a network interface that shows "Supported" for Encapsulated Remote Mirroring.
Execute the enable command.
Execute the configure interface <network_interface> command.
Execute the ip-encap enable [xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx] command.
Type # exit to return to basic commands and verify that the IP address is shown next to Encapsulated Remote Mirroring.
On the VMware vCenter console, click the tab.
Right-click the name of your data center, and go to Distributed Switch → New Distributed Switch....
On the Name and location screen, specify the distributed switch name and location and click NEXT.
On the Select version screen, select your distributed switch version and click NEXT.
On the Configure settings screen, specify the port group name and the number of uplinks, and click NEXT.
On the Ready to complete screen, review the settings and click FINISH.
Right-click the name of your switch and select Add and Manage Hosts....
On the Select task screen, select Add hosts and click NEXT.
On the Select hosts screen, select your virtual machine and click NEXT.

On the Manage physical adapters screen, right-click the name of your NIC and select Uplink 1.

WARNING

If there are other virtual appliances using this network interface, the network settings need to be modified so that the appliances do not disconnect from the internet.

Click NEXT.
On the Manage VMkernel adapters screen, click NEXT.
On the Migrate VM networking screen, click NEXT.
On the Ready to complete screen, click FINISH.
Click the name of your switch and click Networks.
Right-click the name of your port group and select Edit Settings....
Click VLAN, select VLAN trunking for VLAN type, and click OK.
Click the tab and then click the name of your client.
Click .
On the Edit Settings screen, click Network adapter 1 and select Browse....
Click the name of your port group and click OK.
Click OK.
Click the tab and then click the name of your switch.
Click Configure, click Port Mirroring, and click NEW....
On the Select session type screen, select Encapsulated Remote Mirroring (L3) Source and click NEXT.
On the Edit properties screen, select Enabled for the status and click NEXT.
On the Select sources screen, select the virtual appliance you want to be monitored and click NEXT.
On the Select destinations screen, click ADD and type the Encapsulated Remote Mirroring IP you specified for your Virtual Network Sensor.
Click NEXT.
On the Ready to complete screen, review the settings and click FINISH.