Hi,
I have installed two virtual ESXi 5.1 over a physical ESXi 5.0. Both ESXi VMs have two virtual ethernet interface, one of them is connected to the production network on the physical ESXi (the production port group is created in vSwitch 0 wich has only one vmnic) and the other virtual ethernet interface is connected to a Port Group named "Lab vMotion" that is created on an internal (without uplinks) vSwitch (vSwitch 1). The idea is to simulate an isolated network for the vMotion traffic that the two virtual ESXi may generate.
At the beginning, I configured the "Lab vMotion" port group in the physical ESXi with promiscuous mode "Rejected", but for my surprise I had no connection between the two VMkernel Ports of the virtual ESXi. When I configured the promiscuous mode as "Accept" I began to have connection.
I know that everywhere says that the port groups where the virtual ESXi connect to have to be configured with promiscuous mode "Accept", but it is supposed that the vSwitch has to permit traffic between to VMs that share the same port group. Why doesn't the port group in this case permit traffic between these VMkernel Ports? Is it because the VMs are runnning an ESXi?
However, I don't know if you remember but the other virtual ethernet interface of the VMs were connected to the production port group. Those vmnics inside the virtual ESXi VMs are used for the management network of them. And in this case, I have connection between the virtual ESXi and other VMs that share the production port group. And this port group doesn't have the promiscuous mode "Accept" but "Reject". So, the question is why in one case I have no connection between the two VMs connected to the same port group with promiscuous mode set to "Reject" and in other case I do have it? The only difference between the two port groups is that the production one is configured in a vSwitch that has an uplink, and the other one on an internal vSwitch (without uplinks).
Thanks,
Guido.