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Creating Network Labels
If VMware VirtualCenter manages the virtual machines on your GSX Server hosts, you must create labels for each virtual network adapter. VirtualCenter uses labels to identify which virtual network adapter is associated with which physical network.
Each virtual network adapter needs a label:
To avoid confusion in a multiple-host, multiple-network environment. This is the typical VirtualCenter environment. VirtualCenter can manage virtual machines on multiple GSX Server hosts.
So you can migrate virtual machines between VirtualCenter hosts. Virtual machines can be migrated from hosts on the same network only. The label ensures that VirtualCenter knows to which network the virtual machine is connected.
So you can create virtual machines from the VirtualCenter client.
So you can edit the virtual network configuration of an existing virtual machine from the VirtualCenter client.
Note: If you configure virtual machines from the VirtualCenter client, you cannot take advantage of GSX Server features like snapshots.
If the adapter has no label, VirtualCenter cannot recognize the adapter. If a virtual machine is configured for a network name that does not exist, the virtual network adapter is disconnected when you power on the virtual machine.
You can create labels for the existing default virtual network adapters — like VMnet0, the default bridged network adapter, or VMnet8, the default NAT adapter. You configure the adapters in GSX Server. You can configure each adapter with bridged, host-only, NAT or custom networking. The type of networking configuration is irrelevant to VirtualCenter. VirtualCenter is concerned with the network label only.
Note: If you intend to create and manage all your virtual machines from the VirtualCenter client, you should assign unique labels to each host-only adapter on a GSX Server host. This way, you can easily identify on which host each host-only network resides. However, if you have a GSX Server host where all the virtual machines use host-only networking, you could decide to not give the host-only adapter a network label.
Once your virtual network adapters are configured to your liking, create labels for each adapter so VirtualCenter can correctly manage the virtual machines on the host.
Creating Network Labels from the VMware Virtual Machine Console
To create network labels for virtual machines managed by VirtualCenter, complete the following steps in a console.
1. Connect to the GSX Server host with a console, then choose Host > Settings. The Host Settings dialog box appears.
2. Click the Named Networks tab.
Note: If the Named Networks tab does not appear in the Host Settings dialog box, then the GSX Server host has not been discovered by VirtualCenter. For information on adding a GSX Server host to VirtualCenter, see your VirtualCenter documentation.
3. To add a label, click Add. The Add Named Network dialog box appears.
4. Select the virtual network adapter from the Adapter list. On a Windows host, if an adapter is configured for bridged, host-only or NAT networking, its networking type is indicated next to the adapter name.
5. Enter the name of the label in the Label entry field.
6. Click OK to add the label, then click OK to save your changes.
Creating Network Labels from the VMware Management Interface
To create network labels for virtual machines managed by VirtualCenter, complete the following steps in the management interface.
2. On the Status Monitor page, click the Options tab. The Options page appears.
3. Click Network Connections. The Network Connections page appears.
Note: If the Network Connections link does not appear on the Options page, then the GSX Server host has not been discovered by VirtualCenter. For information on adding a GSX Server host to VirtualCenter, see your VirtualCenter documentation.
4. For each network adapter, add a label in the corresponding field under Network Label. On a Windows host, if an adapter is configured for host-only or NAT networking, its networking type is indicated next to the adapter name.
5. Click OK to save your changes.
