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17 views3 pages

Traffic+Shaping+Study+Guide+and+Slides

Uploaded by

soumya paul
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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**This study guide is based on the video lesson available on TrainerTests.

com**

Study Guide: Traffic Shaping


Traffic shaping is a vital feature in network management, particularly within virtualized environments like
VMware vSphere. It's available in both the vSphere Standard Switch (VSS) and the vSphere Distributed Switch
(VDS), although with some differences in implementation. This chapter focuses on understanding traffic
shaping in VSS, its purpose, and how it operates.

The Concept of Traffic Shaping


Traffic shaping is a network management technique used to control the amount of data that virtual machines
(VMs) can send over a network. It's essential for ensuring that no single VM or group of VMs monopolizes
network resources, thereby maintaining an equitable distribution of bandwidth among all VMs.

Purpose of Traffic Shaping

The primary goal of traffic shaping in vSphere is to prevent network congestion and ensure fair bandwidth
distribution. It becomes particularly important when dealing with VMs that perform resource-intensive tasks or
testing new applications, which might otherwise consume excessive bandwidth.

Application in vSphere Standard Switch

In VSS, traffic shaping settings are applied to a port group, affecting all VMs connected to that port group.
These settings include peak bandwidth, average bandwidth, and burst size, each playing a crucial role in
managing network traffic.

Key Components of Traffic Shaping


1. Peak Bandwidth: This is the maximum bandwidth that any VM in the port group can use at any
moment. It acts as a cap, ensuring that VMs don’t exceed a specified rate, say 100 Mbps.
2. Average Bandwidth: This is the bandwidth limit that VMs must adhere to over time. For example, each
VM may be required to average no more than 50 Mbps.
3. Burst Size: Burst size allows VMs to exceed the average bandwidth temporarily. It's like an allowance
that VMs can use to temporarily burst up to the peak bandwidth. Once this burst size is exhausted, the
VM's bandwidth usage is throttled back to the average rate.
Working Mechanism

• Imagine a VM connected to a traffic-shaped port group. Under normal conditions, this VM must average
50 Mbps but can temporarily speed up to 100 Mbps.
• If the VM needs to upload a large file, it can utilize the full 100 Mbps peak bandwidth until its burst size
(e.g., 100 MB) is used up.
• After exhausting the burst size, the VM is limited back to the average bandwidth until it can "save up"
more burst allowance.
• This saving up occurs when the VM uses less bandwidth than its average limit, thereby accumulating
burst size over time.

Traffic Shaping Policy Implementation


When creating a traffic shaping policy, it's crucial to carefully consider the bandwidth requirements and usage
patterns of the VMs in a port group. The policy can specify peak and average bandwidths, along with a
maximum burst size, tailored to balance network performance and fairness.

Importance in Network Management


Traffic shaping in vSphere is essential for:

• Preventing bandwidth hogging by individual VMs or port groups.


• Ensuring all VMs have fair access to network resources.
• Managing network performance, especially in environments with diverse and fluctuating network
demands.

Conclusion
Traffic shaping is a powerful tool in vSphere for managing network traffic. By setting appropriate peak and
average bandwidth limits, along with a sensible burst size, administrators can effectively control network
resource utilization, ensuring that all VMs receive fair access to network resources and maintaining overall
network health. This feature is particularly beneficial in environments where VMs have varying and potentially
resource-intensive network demands.

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