New Training: vSphere Distributed Switch (vDS)

In this 7-video skill, CBT Nuggets trainer Keith Barker describes, explains, and demonstrates the functions and benefits of a vSphere Distributed Switch. Watch this new VMware training.

Watch the full course: VMware Certified Professional

This training includes:

• 7 videos

• 59 minutes of training

You’ll learn these topics in this skill:

• Intro to vSphere Distributed Switches

• Overview of vDS

• vDS Design Plan

• vDS for Guest VMs

• vDS for ESXi Host Management

• Hands on Lab: vDS

• vDS Lab Walkthrough

What Advantages Does a Distributed Switch Have In vSphere?

One of the key pieces of ESXi is being able to apply virtual networks to your group of virtual machines. The virtual networks work like a physical network but are virtualized within the virtual environment itself. It's this virtual network that allows communication between the virtual machines and from the virtual machines to other, physical devices on a network. vSphere has two different types of switches available for this virtual network. One of them is a distributed virtual switch.

A distributed virtual switch has many advantages over a host switch. For instance, settings applied to a distributed switch change dynamically for all virtual machines attached to that switch. With host switches, settings need to be applied to each individual switch instead. Distributed virtual switches have access to additional features like NetFlow and health monitoring, too. Link aggregation and granular settings, like the MTU size, are only available on a distributed switch as well.