topic Re: add interface in VSX env. in General Topics

add interface in VSX env.

ld3dDD — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 16:35:14 GMT

Hello Community,

I have a question related to VSX.

I'm running a VSX environment on a CP7000 cluster (physical box), with 7 Virtual Systems currently in use. Two 10G interfaces are already configured and in production, and now I would like to bring a third 10G interface into use.

The SFP is already inserted;

Cabling is done;

Configuration on the switch side is complete.

What I want is to have this new 10G interface appear in the drop-down list in SmartConsole (see an attachment), so that I can assign VLANs to it for each Virtual System, just like I already do with the existing 10G interfaces.

My question is:
Which SK/article/procedure should I follow to make the new interface available for selection in the SmartConsole for the individual VSes?

As this is a VSX setup, I don’t have the “Get Interface Topology” option available in SmartConsole.

So far, I haven’t found a concrete SK that explains how to properly bring a new physical interface into the VSX config, whether via CLI or GUI.

Any help or guidance is much appreciated!

Thank you in advance.

Re: add interface in VSX env.

Bob_Zimmerman — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 17:51:15 GMT

I strongly recommend not using interfaces directly in your VSX configuration. VSX cares very deeply about the exact names of interfaces. For example, this can prevent moving from a box with three card slots to a box with two.

You should create a bond, add the interface to the bond, tell the VSX cluster object about the bond (edit the cluster object, go to Physical Interfaces, hit Add, specify the bond name, check VLAN Trunk), provision the cluster, then you can start using the bond in VSs.

By using bonds, you can easily change which interfaces are members of the bond. Then moving from 1g to 10g to 50g or moving to different hardware is far easier. You can use 'vsx_util change_interfaces' to move things from direct interface references to bond references, but it involves an outage.

Re: add interface in VSX env.

Martijn — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 13:04:48 GMT

Hello,

When creating the object for the VSX Cluster, the section 'Physical Interfaces' should contain all interfaces installed when creating the VSX Cluster object . If you install a module after the VSX Cluster object is created, you need to add the new interfaces here manually.

Was the interface installed after the creation of the VSX Cluster object?

You mention you want to select the new 10Gbe interface within a VS to assign a VLAN. Did you checked the 'VLAN Trunk' option?
If you do not select this option, you cannot assign VLAN's to this interface within a VS.

Regards,
Martijn

Re: add interface in VSX env.

Matlu — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 23:13:58 GMT

Hi,

I'm not clear on the idea, but is there a way to add a new interface when the VSX is already "deployed"?
In my case, I have a lab environment, where initially my VSX VM, only had added 4 VMNET, but now I have added a new VMNET interface, but at SmartConsole level I can not see that new interface that I have created.

I should see the new interface eth4 that refers to the new VMNET that I have created, but it does not appear.
So, this may look a bit like real environments, when we need to involve new interfaces to a VSX that is already created and working.
Is there a way to make this new interface appear at the SmartConsole level?

Re: add interface in VSX env.

Bob_Zimmerman — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 23:32:15 GMT

You just follow the steps I posted:

Create a bond in the OS
Add the new interface to the bond
Tell the VSX cluster object about the bond
1. Edit the cluster object
2. Go to Physical Interfaces
3. Hit Add
4. Specify the bond name
5. Check VLAN Trunk
Provision the cluster

Then you can start using the bond in VSs.

Re: add interface in VSX env.

Chris_Atkinson — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 00:36:45 GMT

Do you see the interface at the CLI level, have you tried restarting the machine?

Re: add interface in VSX env.

Matlu — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 01:37:42 GMT

The problem is that I think you can't work with bond interfaces in virtual environments like VMware, or can you?

Re: add interface in VSX env.

Bob_Zimmerman — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 13:00:22 GMT

You absolutely can use bonds in VMs. In general, you can't have more than one interface in the bond, but having the bond at all is the important part.