Good Virtual system for lab setups

[heymrdj]

Hello all. I'm currently using VMWare ESXi 3.5, though I'm not against changing it, trying to find something good for virtual lab work.

What I need is virtual networking that has some decent flexibility. Say I want to set up a websense test area. Well I need to create a virtual server, that ties to a physical nic, and then allows me to create vm workstations, that connect to the virtual server, just as they would normally connect physically in the real world, so that the virtual server can sniff all the packets traveling through to the virtual workstations.

Or say I want a virtual AD windows domain. I need to create two nics in my virtual 08 server. The one nic would connect out to the internet (basically have access to the machines physical nic), and with the other nic all the other vm's would connect to it. The important part being that the 08 server is behind a nat or something like that to prevent it from trying to become an AD server of my actual home network. So far all I can find is where the server would pass through the virtual switch and connect physically to my router, where it gets a 192.x.x.x address. This is no good because then the server will influence my home network. I need it segregated off like via a nat, so that I can still get internet access to the server for updates and for the vms to connect through the server for their internet.

I hope I haven't really confused anyone, I think I spelt it out clear enough. But if anyone knows if ESXi can do this, that'd be wonderful. If not, please recommend another product. Really trying to stay free though, don't have much money at all for this training. :biggrin:

 

[theevilsharpie]

But if anyone knows if ESXi can do this, that'd be wonderful.

Create a vSwitch in ESX that isn't connected to a physical NIC, and then adjust the networking settings in the individual VMs as needed. If you need multiple isolated networks, you can use different port groups on the isolated vSwitch.

 

[heymrdj]

Create a vSwitch in ESX that isn't connected to a physical NIC, and then adjust the networking settings in the individual VMs as needed. If you need multiple isolated networks, you can use different port groups on the isolated vSwitch.

If you don't have a vswitch connected to a physical NIC how do you deliver internet to it?

 

[drebo]

If you don't have a vswitch connected to a physical NIC how do you deliver internet to it?

You can set up another virtual machine to route between the two vSwitches (the one that's "private" and the one that connects to your physical NIC).

 

[heymrdj]

You can set up another virtual machine to route between the two vSwitches (the one that's "private" and the one that connects to your physical NIC).

OF COURSE! NO DUH! I don't know why I wasn't wrapping my head around it. I mean I had done it before with physical servers for the computer club, but virtually it wasn't making sense. The answer was quite obvious this.

Thanks for the replies guys. Dang I feel stupid.

 

[heymrdj]

Just wanted to reply and say I had a chance to test it out and it worked perfectly. Thanks again for the help guys .