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

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

  1. On the Virtual Network Sensor CLI console, type show interface and choose a network interface that shows "Supported" for Encapsulated Remote Mirroring.
    External_ERSPAN1=GUID-20230807180101.png
  2. Execute the enable command.
    External_ERSPAN2=GUID-20230807180102.png
  3. Execute the configure interface <network_interface> command.
  4. Execute the ip-encap enable [xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx] command.
  5. Type # exit to return to basic commands and verify that the IP address is shown next to Encapsulated Remote Mirroring.
    External_ERSPAN3=GUID-20230807180103.png
  6. On the VMware vCenter console, click the circle_icon=GUID-20230729150101.png tab.
  7. Right-click the name of your data center, and go to Distributed Switch → New Distributed Switch....
    External_ERSPAN4=GUID-20230807180104.png
  8. On the Name and location screen, specify the distributed switch name and location and click NEXT.
    External_ERSPAN5=GUID-20230807180105.png
  9. On the Select version screen, select your distributed switch version and click NEXT.
    External_ERSPAN6=GUID-20230807180106.png
  10. On the Configure settings screen, specify the port group name and the number of uplinks, and click NEXT.
    External_ERSPAN7=GUID-20230807180107.png
  11. On the Ready to complete screen, review the settings and click FINISH.
    External_ERSPAN8=GUID-20230807180108.png
  12. Right-click the name of your switch and select Add and Manage Hosts....
    External_ERSPAN9=GUID-20230807180109.png
  13. On the Select task screen, select Add hosts and click NEXT.
    External_ERSPAN10=GUID-20230807180110.png
  14. On the Select hosts screen, select your virtual machine and click NEXT.
    External_ERSPAN11=GUID-20230807180111.png
  15. On the Manage physical adapters screen, right-click the name of your NIC and select Uplink 1.
    External_ERSPAN12=GUID-20230807180112.png
    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.
  16. Click NEXT.
  17. On the Manage VMkernel adapters screen, click NEXT.
    External_ERSPAN13=GUID-20230807180113.png
  18. On the Migrate VM networking screen, click NEXT.
    External_ERSPAN14=GUID-20230807180114.png
  19. On the Ready to complete screen, click FINISH.
    External_ERSPAN15=GUID-20230807180115.png
  20. Click the name of your switch and click Networks.
    External_ERSPAN16=GUID-20230807180116.png
  21. Right-click the name of your port group and select Edit Settings....
  22. Click VLAN, select VLAN trunking for VLAN type, and click OK.
    External_ERSPAN17=GUID-20230807180117.png
  23. Click the VMware_vCenter_server_icon=GUID-20230329175050.png tab and then click the name of your client.
    External_ERSPAN18=GUID-20230807180118.png
  24. Click edit_settings_icon=GUID-20230729150707.png.
  25. On the Edit Settings screen, click Network adapter 1 and select Browse....
    External_ERSPAN19=GUID-20230807180119.png
  26. Click the name of your port group and click OK.
    External_ERSPAN20=GUID-20230807180120.png
  27. Click OK.
  28. Click the circle_icon=GUID-20230729150101.png tab and then click the name of your switch.
    External_ERSPAN21=GUID-20230807180121.png
  29. Click Configure, click Port Mirroring, and click NEW....
  30. On the Select session type screen, select Encapsulated Remote Mirroring (L3) Source and click NEXT.
    External_ERSPAN22=GUID-20230807180122.png
  31. On the Edit properties screen, select Enabled for the status and click NEXT.
    External_ERSPAN23=GUID-20230807180123.png
  32. On the Select sources screen, select the virtual appliance you want to be monitored and click NEXT.
    External_ERSPAN24=GUID-20230807180124.png
  33. On the Select destinations screen, click ADD and type the Encapsulated Remote Mirroring IP you specified for your Virtual Network Sensor.
    External_ERSPAN25=GUID-20230807180125.png
  34. Click NEXT.
  35. On the Ready to complete screen, review the settings and click FINISH.
    External_ERSPAN26=GUID-20230807180126.png
    After configuring your network settings, access the Virtual Network Sensor console and use the command show traffic to verify the Virtual Network Sensor is receiving traffic. For more information about troubleshooting, see Virtual Network Sensor FAQ and Virtual Network Sensor CLI commands.