Virtual Machine Manager Network Requirements

Article
01/17/2008

This topic describes network requirements and considerations for installing Virtual Machine Manager (VMM).

Network Connections

Because of the size of virtual machine files, it is a best practice to connect all computers in a VMM configuration with at least a 100-MB Ethernet connection. Using a gigabit Ethernet connection will improve performance. If you use a gigabit connection, using a more powerful processor for the VMM server than the recommended processor will further improve performance.

Domains

Before installing VMM server, you must join the computer to a domain in Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS). All virtual machine hosts must also be joined to domains in AD DS. A host can also be in a domain separate from the VMM server. If the host is in a separate domain, a full two-way trust must exist between the domains.

For more information about hosts in perimeter networks, untrusted domains, or workgroups, see the "About Virtual Machine Hosts" topic in VMM Help (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=98649).

Firewalls

Virtual machine hosts and library servers must have access to the VMM server on the ports specified during VMM server setup. This means that all firewalls, software- or hardware-based must be configured appropriately.

Computer Firewalls

When you install the VMM server, you specify which ports the VMM server uses for agent connections and file transfers between hosts and library servers. By default, these ports are 80 and 443 respectively. If you install the VMM server on a computer that is using Windows Firewall, Setup automatically adds firewall port exceptions to Windows Firewall.

When you add a computer that is using Windows Firewall as a host or a library server, VMM automatically adds firewall port exceptions to Windows Firewall on that computer. VMM adds firewall exceptions for the ports that were specified during the VMM server setup.

Note

The only firewall that VMM configures automatically is Windows Firewall. To configure any other firewall, refer to the instructions provided by the firewall's manufacturer.

Network Firewalls

To add a host that is located behind a network firewall, you must install a VMM agent locally on that host. When you install a VMM agent, you specify which ports the agent will use to connect to and transfer files between the VMM server and the host. These ports must be the same ports that you specified during the VMM server setup. By default, those ports are 80 and 443 respectively. If you install a VMM agent on a host that is using Windows Firewall, Setup automatically opens the specified ports in the Windows Firewall.

Before you can add the host and use VMM to manage it across the network firewall, you need to manually open the specified ports in the firewall to allow communication and file transfers between the VMM server and the host.