VMware vSwitch Monitoring

Overview

Flowmon for VMware has the ability to monitor traffic and generate NetFlow/IPFIX flow data. Follow the steps below to enable this functionality for the monitoring of a VMware vSwitch local to the VMware host where Flowmon is running.

Prerequisites

You must have a running instance of Flowmon for VMware - a Flowmon Collector (with a built-in Probe) or a Flowmon Probe.

Deployment

Setting up vSwitch monitoring is done by creating a new port group and configuring it to use promiscuous mode:

1. In the vSphere client, click the IP address of a VMware host. Then, select the Configure tab, select Virtual switches, and click Add Networking.

2. Select Virtual Machine Port Group for a Standard Switch and click Next.

3. Click the Select an existing standard switch option and browse the existing switches. Select the one for which you want to create a port group. Then, click Next.

4. Enter a Network label, select All (4095) as the VLAN ID, and click Next.

5. Review the settings and click Finish.

6. Select the newly-created port group and click Edit.

7. Select the Security tab, check the Override check box next to Promiscuous mode, and set the value to Accept. Then, click OK.

Flowmon Configuration

No configuration specific for VMware vSwitch monitoring is required. Refer to the Flowmon User Guide for instructions on how to enable a monitoring port.