How to create the logical switch on Nano Servers through VMM 2016

This article describes how to create logical switches on Nano Servers through System Center 2016 Virtual Machine Manager.

Original product version:   System Center 2016 Virtual Machine Manager
Original KB number:   4464073

Introduction

Nano Server is optimized as a lightweight operating system for running cloud-native applications based on containers and micro-services or as an agile and cost-effective datacenter host with a dramatically smaller footprint, there are important differences in Nano Server versus Server Core or Server with Desktop Experience installations.

Note

This blog is to address the Uplink mode and Teaming mode for Nano Server. Rest of the logical switch concept remains same. For more information on logical switch creation, go through Create logical switches.

On Nano Server, NIC teaming (specifically, load balancing and failover, or LBFO) is not supported. Switch-embedded teaming (SET) is supported instead.

Install Nano Server

Create the logical switch on Nano Servers

So we need to create logical switch in SCVMM considering the above constraint:

  1. Sign in to SCVMM console, and then go to Fabric > Networking > Logical switch.

  2. Select Create new logical switch, and then provide the name for logical switch. Select Uplink mode as Embedded Team.

    Uplink mode is selected as Embedded Team in General Setting of the Nano Properties window.

  3. Go through the wizard and select the required options.

    1. In Uplinks option, click Add New Uplink Port Profile and provide the name for the profile.

    2. Select the Teaming mode as Switch Independent because Nano supports only switch independent. Below is reference article:

      Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) and Switch Embedded Teaming (SET)

      Another key difference between NIC teaming and SET is that NIC teaming provides the choice of three different teaming modes, while SET supports only Switch Independent mode.

      Teaming mode is selected as Switch Independent in Uplinks option.

  4. Now we can apply the above logical switch to the Nano host managed by SCVMM.

If we select other Teaming mode as show below e.g. LACP, we will get an error while applying to Nano host:

Teaming mode is selected as L A C P in Uplinks setting of the Nano Properties window.

Error (2912)
An internal error has occurred trying to contact the 'nano.hoster.lab' server: : .
WinRM: URL: http://nano.hoster.lab:5985/, Verb: [INVOKE], Method: [GetFinalResult], Resource: https://schemas.microsoft.com/wbem/wsman/1/wmi/root/scvmm/AsyncTask?ID=1004 Unknown error (0x80078005)

Recommended Action
Check that WS-Management service is installed and running on server 'nano.hoster.lab'. For more information use the command "winrm helpmsg hresult". If 'nano.hoster.lab' is a host/library/update server or a PXE server role then ensure that VMM agent is installed and running. Refer to https://support.microsoft.com/help/2742275 for more details.