Labels

Labels (sometimes called tags) can be used to automatically place hundreds of switch ports into a V-Net. They can work together with the Server Cluster and manual methods, or they can replace those methods.

Because Netris knows the topology, when you label server NICs, Netris can automatically identify the connected switch ports and place them into the V-Net.

How labels work

When defining a server object in Network -> Inventory or Network -> Topology, use the Labels section to label each NIC on the server using the following key/value syntax.

iface.eth1 = prod
iface.eth2 = prod
iface.eth3 = storage
iface.eth4 = storage

Note

The hard-coded prefix iface. is required; it tells Netris the label applies to that specific NIC, not the whole server.

Server interface labels

Figure: Server interface labels

To automatically add switch ports to a V-Net based on a label, in the V-Net definition dialog:

  • Click the Add Network Interface Label button.

  • Enter the “value” portion of the label. E.g., storage is the value of iface.eth3=storage label.

  • Specify whether you want the switch port to be 802.1q tagged or untagged.

Based on the links defined in the Topology, Netris finds the switch ports eth1 and eth2 are connected to and adds them to the V-Net.

Add Network Interface Label dialog

Figure: Add Network Interface Label dialog

Rules and limits

  • If a port is added both directly and by label, the direct entry wins even if you remove the label from the server NIC.

  • The same NIC can be untagged in only one V-Net.

  • Switch ports used for underlay links are ignored.

  • Works only on server objects with switch-to-server links defined.

  • Labels can only be used to add switch ports to a VLAN-unaware L2VPN V-Nets. L3VPN and VLAN-aware L2VPN are not supported.

When to use labels

Labels can be used on their own or together with Server Cluster.

Imagine a multi-tenant cloud operator manages hundreds of GPU servers, each with 11 network interfaces (a very typical situation): 8 interfaces for East-West traffic, 2 interfaces for North-South, and the last one for management.

The operator wants to be able to dynamically assign servers to different tenants, which means NICs eth1 through eth10 must be placed into the correct tenant’s VPC.

At the same time, the operator wants to keep the server’s IPMI / ILO / iDrac interface eth11 in the management VPC regardless of which tenant the server is reassigned to.

To achieve this outcome, the cloud operator can:

  • Define a Server Cluster Template and only include non-management server NICs (eth1 through eth10) in the template.

[
    {
        "postfix": "East-West",
        "type": "l3vpn",
        "vlan": "untagged",
        "vlanID": "auto",
        "serverNics": [
            "eth1",
            "eth2",
            "eth3",
            "eth4",
            "eth5",
            "eth6",
            "eth7",
            "eth8"
        ]
    },
    {
        "postfix": "North-South-in-band-and-storage",
        "type": "l2vpn",
        "vlan": "untagged",
        "vlanID": "auto",
        "serverNics": [
            "eth9",
            "eth10"
        ],
        "ipv4Gateway": "192.168.7.254/21"
    }
]
GPU Cluster Template

Figure: GPU Cluster Template

  • Label the IPMI (eth11) NIC rather than include it in the Server Cluster Template.

Label eth11 for IPMI

Figure: The operator adds a iface.eth11=ipmi label to each server object for eth11

  • Create a V-Net that includes this label as described earlier.

Create V-Net for IPMI label

Figure: The operator creates a V-Net for the management interfaces and adds network interfaces matching the ipmi label value.

As a result of this configuration, Netris automatically adds eth11 into the “Management” V-Net.

When a Server Cluster is created referencing the GPU-cluster-template, Netris will:

  • Keep eth11 in the Management V-Net (notice in this example the V-Net is in the Default VPC).

  • Create new East-West and North-South-in-band-and-storage V-Nets in the VPCs selected when defining the Server Cluster. See Server Cluster for more details about creating Server Clusters.

  • Place eth1 through eth10 into the tenant’s V-Nets as specified in the template, even though the V-Nets are in a different VPC from the Management V-Net.

When the operator needs to reallocate the GPU servers to a different tenant, they simply reassign these servers to a different tenant’s Server Cluster. Netris will reconfigure the appropriate switch ports on the appropriate switches, but will keep the eth11 in the Management V-Net.