Configure virtual Ethernet networks

This topic describes how to configure a virtual Ethernet network between integrated Linux® servers.

Note: If you are installing an integrated Linux server from scratch, the installation command (INSLNXSVR) can configure virtual Ethernet networks for you.

To configure a virtual Ethernet network, complete the following steps:

  1. Configure an Ethernet line description for the integrated server.
    1. On i5/OS™, enter the Create Line Description (Ethernet) command, CRTLINETH, and press Enter.
    2. In the Line Description field, enter the name of your network server description (NWSD), followed by V and a number (0 through 9) that corresponds to the virtual Ethernet network that you will use (for example, NWSDnameV0).
    3. In the Resource Name field, enter *NWSD.
    4. In the Network server description field, enter the name of the NWSD that will use the adapter.
    5. Press Enter twice.
    6. In the Port Number field, enter the port number that corresponds to the virtual Ethernet network that you will use. Virtual Ethernet network port values are *VRTETH0 through *VRTETH9.
    7. In the Local Adapter Address field, *ADPT is required.
    8. The Line Speed must be 1G and Duplex must be *FULL.
    9. Press F10 to see more parameters. The Max frame size should be 8996 for virtual Ethernet.
    10. Optional: Page down to the Text 'description' field and write a brief description.
    11. Optional: Page down to the Link Speed field and specify *MAX. Press Enter.
    12. Press Enter to create the Ethernet line description.
    13. Optional: If you want this integrated server to be connected to more than virtual Ethernet network, repeat all of the above steps to create a line description for each network, using different port values in step 1.f.
  2. Change the NWSD of the integrated server to use the Ethernet line descriptions.
    1. Enter the i5/OS command CHGNWSD and press Enter.
    2. In the Network server description field, enter the name of your NWSD and press F4.
    3. Page down to TCP/IP port configuration.
    4. In the blank to the right of the words + for more values, enter a + and press Enter.
    5. In the Port field, enter the port number. (For example, *VRTETH0).
    6. In the Internet address field, enter the IP address that the integrated server will use.
    7. In the Subnet mask field, enter the subnet mask that the integrated server will use.
    8. In the Max Transmission Unit field, enter 8996.
    9. Press Enter.
  3. Repeat the procedure for all the integrated servers you want to connect to the network, specifying the same virtual Ethernet port for each one.
  4. Restart the integrated servers. A virtual Ethernet adapter device driver will be automatically installed and set to the Linux® TCP/IP address that has been specified for it in the NWSD. However, an IP address entered at the integrated server console overrides the values that are set in the NWSD.
  5. Test to see that the virtual Ethernet network is functioning, for example by pinging from one server to the IP addresses you specified for the other servers.
Parent topic: Networking integrated servers