This chapter is about the vDS switches and their functionalities. Some concepts are also valid for vSS, but the exam preparation seems to prefer the vDS-related questions. Note that the standard VMware vSphere Install & Configuration course does not cover vDS!

The vDS is based on these elements:

• The vDS itself: It contains some configuration parameters and some monitoring features and also contains the following elements:
  • Uplink Port Group: This is the physical connection to the physical switches. Each uplink will correspond to a physical NIC on each host member of the vDS.
  • Distributed Port Group: This is the virtual connection and provides the network connectivity for all VMs and for the ESXi VMkernel adapters.