Configure GigaVUE Fabric Components using VMware ESXi

This section provides step-by-step instructions on how to deploy the fabric components for VMware ESXi.

Register GigaVUE V Series Node

Note:  When registering GigaVUE V Series Nodes in GigaVUE‑FM, the connection name under each monitoring domain must be unique.

  1. Login to VMware ESXi host using your web browser.
  2. On the left navigation pane, select Virtual Machines and click Create/Register VM. The New Virtual Machine dialog box appears.
  3. On the Select Creation Type page, select Deploy a virtual machine from an OVF or OVA file.
  4. The OVA file is essentially a package of OVF files. For Third Party Orchestration deployment, you will need to extract the specific OVF file that has the desired characteristics, along with the VMDK and manifest files, from the OVA package. Unzip the OVA file that is obtained. After extracting the OVA file, you can select the required OVF, VMDK, and the .mf files from the multiple files that are available. Refer to the table below for details on the OVF files.

    File Name

    		Form Factor

    Comments

    Supported Ports

    vseries-node-file1.ovf

    Small (2vCPU, 4GB Memory, and 8GB Disk space)

    Use these files when deploying GigaVUE V Series Node via VMware vCenter.

    Mgmt Port, Tool Port, and 8 Network Ports

    vseries-node-file2.ovf

    Medium (4vCPU, 8GB Memory, and 8GB Disk space)

    vseries-node-file3.ovf

    Large (8vCPU, 16GB Memory, and 8GB Disk space)

    vseries-node-file4.ovf

    Small (2vCPU, 4GB Memory, and 8GB Disk space)

    Use these when deploying GigaVUE V Series Node via VMware NSX-T Manager.

    Mgmt Port, Data Port, and Tool Port

    vseries-node-file5.ovf

    Medium (4vCPU, 8GB Memory, and 8GB Disk space)

    vseries-node-file6.ovf

    Large (8vCPU, 16GB Memory, and 8GB Disk space)

    vseries-node-file7.ovf

    Small (2vCPU, 4GB Memory, and 8GB Disk space)

    Use these files when deploying GigaVUE V Series Node via VMware ESXi without vCenter.

    Mgmt Port, Tool Port, and 8 Network Ports

    vseries-node-file8.ovf

    Medium (4vCPU, 8GB Memory, and 8GB Disk space)

    vseries-node-file9.ovf

    Large (8vCPU, 16GB Memory, and 8GB Disk space)

    vseries-node-file12.ovf

    Small (2vCPU, 4GB Memory, and 80GB Disk space)

    Not Applicable - Reserved.

    		 

    Medium (4vCPU, 8GB Memory, and 80GB Disk space)

    Not Applicable - Reserved.

    		 

    Larger (8vCPU, 16GB Memory, and 80GB Disk space)

    Use these files when deploying GigaVUE V Series Node via VMware vCenter and if you wish to configure AMX application.

    Mgmt Port , Data Port, and Tool Port

    vseries-node-file15.ovf

    Small (2vCPU, 4GB Memory, and 80GB Disk space)

    Not Applicable - Reserved.

    		 

    Medium (4vCPU, 8GB Memory, and 80GB Disk space)

    Not Applicable - Reserved.

    		 

    Larger (8vCPU, 16GB Memory, and 80GB Disk space)

    Use these files when deploying GigaVUE V Series Node via VMware ESXi without vCenter and if you wish to configure AMX application

    Mgmt Port , Data Port, and Tool Port

    vseries-node-file16.ovf

     

    minipc - Virtual Small Form Factor

    Mgmt Port, Tool Port, and 2 Network Ports

  5. The Select OVF and VMDK files page appears. Provide a name for the Virtual machine. Upload OVF, VMDK, and the .mf files. Click Next.

    Note:  Ensure to edit and modify the .mf file to contain only the required OVF file type and the VDMK file.

  6. Then, the Select Storage page appears, select the storage type and data store. Click Next.
  7. Under the Deployment Options, provide the necessary details given below.
    1. Select the network port group associated with the host, network ports and tunneling port details from the Network Mappings drop-down.
    2. Select Thick/Thin from the Disk provisioning field.
    3. Select Management Port DHCP from the Deployment type drop-down.
    4. (optional) Enable the Power on automatically check-box to power on the Virtual Machine automatically.

Note:  Ensure to disable this option, if you are deploying GigaVUE V Series Nodes to export enriched metadata for Mobile Networks using the AMX application. Before powering on the Virtual Machine, ensure that the VM specifications are modified. Refer to the section below for more details on how to modify the VM specifications.

  1. Under the additional settings page, provide the user data as shown below:
    • Hostname: <Host Name>
    • Administration Password: <Your Password>
    • GroupName: <Monitoring domain name>
    • SubGroupName: < Connection name>
    • User: <Username>
    • Password: <Password>
    • remoteIP: <IP address of the GigaVUE-FM>
    • remotePort: 443
    • Custom node properties: app_mode=linux_apps; (Update this option only if you wish to export enriched metadata using the AMX application)

    Note:  User and Password provided in the registration data must be configured in the User Management page. Refer to Configure Role-Based Access for Third Party Orchestration for more detailed information. Enter the UserName and Password created in the Add Users Section.

  2. Review the setting selection in the Ready to Complete page, then click Finish.

The GigaVUE V Series Node is configured successfully.

Post Configuration Steps for Exporting Metadata for Mobile Networks using AMX

Follow the steps given below if you are deploying the GigaVUE V Series Node to configure AMX application to export enriched metadata for mobile networks.

  1. Click edit on the VM page in the VMware ESXi, the Edit Settings page appears.
  2. In the Virtual Hardware tab, edit the following fields:
    1. CPU: 40
    2. Memory: 128 GB
    3. Hard disk 1: 200 GB
    4. (optional) If you wish to get higher throughput, change the Adapter type for the Network Adapter to SR-IOV passthrough.

    When exporting GigaVUE enriched Metadata for Mobile Networks using AMX application, the GigaVUE V Series Node used to deploy AMX application can also be configured in GFM-HW2-FM001-HW. Refer to GigaVUE-FM Hardware Appliances Guide for more detailed instructions on how to set up GFM-HW2-FM001-HW.

    Refer to Application Metadata Exporter for information about how to configure the AMX application.

For a high transactional ingress environment, follow the steps given below to edit the ring buffer settings:

Note:  These steps must be performed consistently every time after rebooting the GigaVUE V Series Nodes.

  1. Log in to the GigaVUE V Series Node.
  2. Use the following command to view the maximum pre-set hardware settings value and your current hardware settings. 
    sudo ethtool -g <interface name>
  3. Ensure that the ingress interface ring buffers are set to the maximum supported values.

The GigaVUE V Series Node deployed in VMware ESXi host appears in Third-party Orchestration Monitoring Domain page of GigaVUE‑FM.

Procedure to deploy V Series Node in VMware ESXi with SR-IOV Adapter

Follow the steps given below when you deploy V Series Node in VMware ESXi host with SR-IOV Adapter:

  1. Click edit on the VM page in the VMware ESXi host environment, and the Edit Settings page appears.
  2. In the Virtual Hardware tab, edit the following fields:
    1. CPU: 8
    2. Memory: 16 GB
    3. Hard disk 1: 80 GB
    4. Network adapter 1: VM Network (Connected)
    5. Network adapter 2: Port Group (Connected)
    6. Network adapter 3: Port Group (Connected)
    7. Video card: 4 MB

    Note:  Ensure that "Reserve all guest memory" is selected for VM Memory.

    Deploy V Series Node with OVF15 template (Large Form Factor), which has Management, Tool, and Data Ports. The Port-Group mappings and Netplan configs are as follows:

    Port-Group Mapping:

    • ens160 is mapped with VMNetwork

    • ens192 and ens224 are correctly mapped with the Port Groups created by the user

    Sample Netplan Configs:

    • ens192 with 192.168.10.X
    • ens224 with 192.168.20.X
  3. Power off VM and remove Network Adapter 2 and Network Adapter 3. Now, without saving, add two new Network Adapters and change the Adapter Type to SR-IOV passthrough.
    Once added, the Port-Group mappings created by the user for ens192 and ens224 get swapped.
  4. In Edit Settings, swap the adapters to correct the configuration mismatch with Netplan configs. Save the configuration and deploy the VM.
    Now, ens192 and ens224 will get mapped with the correct Port Group Mappings.
  5. Use the following command to manually configure /etc/gigamon-cloud.conf with registration configurations to register V Series Node with GigaVUE‑FM. 
    gigamon@vsn-5gc-new:~$ cat /etc/gigamon-cloud.conf
  6. Under the additional settings page, provide the user data as shown below:
    • GroupName: <Monitoring domain name>
    • SubGroupName: < Connection name>
    • User: <Username>
    • Password: <Password>
    • remoteIP: <IP address of the GigaVUE-FM>
    • remotePort: 443

Keep in mind the following when upgrading the GigaVUE-FM to 6.1.00 or higher version (when using third party orchestration to deploy fabric components):

When upgrading GigaVUE-FM to any version higher than 6.0.00 and if the GigaVUE V Series Nodes version deployed in that GigaVUE-FM is lower than or equal to 6.0.00, then for the seamless flow of traffic, GigaVUE-FM automatically creates Users and Roles in GigaVUE-FM with the required permission. The username would be orchestration, and the password would be orchestration123A! for the user created in GigaVUE-FM. Ensure there is no existing user in GigaVUE-FM, with the username orchestration.

Once the upgrade is complete, it is recommended that the password be changed on the Users page. Refer to Configure Role-Based Access for Third Party Orchestration for detailed steps on how to change password in the user page.