Advice requested on proposed build

[David Counter]

Hello and sorry in advance for what may seem to many like a fairly basic question.
I'm looking to build a 1U server based on the X10SLH-N6-ST031 motherboard from Supermicro. I'd be running either ESXi or Proxmox. My question is this: would it be possible to pass through the 1Gb ports to a vm running pfSense, and the 10Gb ports to another vm running an os which allowed me to build a six port 10Gb switch? I'd also run a vm which controlled an external disk shelf, but that would mean passing through a PCIe card, which I'm assuming should be possible.
Thanks in advance for your help...

 

[Rand__]

Hi,
not sure where there are 10G ports but I assume you'll use an add in card?

There are 3 ways to provide networking to a VM,
- a virtual NIC
-a physical NIC
-SRIOV

You will need at least one physical nic available to ESXi; if you can pass through others depends on the pcie config of the network controllers (chipset/board specific). I would not count on being able to pass through the onbaord nics, but never tried to be honest

 

[David Counter]

Hi,
not sure where there are 10G ports but I assume you'll use an add in card?

There are 3 ways to provide networking to a VM,
- a virtual NIC
-a physical NIC
-SRIOV

You will need at least one physical nic available to ESXi; if you can pass through others depends on the pcie config of the network controllers (chipset/board specific). I would not count on being able to pass through the onbaord nics, but never tried to be honest

Thanks. The motherboard in question has two 1Gb RJ45 ports as well as the six RJ45 10Gb on board, though based on what I've read, I'll use a MicroTik four-port 10 Gb switch. I'd still like to combine a router and a virtual disk controller. The latter would mean utilizing a PCIe dual SAS connector passed through to a VM running a NAS OS.

 

[Rand__]

Ah must have looked at the wrong MB then. 10G nics usually show up as pass-through capable devices , so that should work.
Actually just checked and the 1G do as well, so I think you're good

 

[BlueFox]

That motherboard only has a single 1GbE NIC by the way. The other port is serial.

 

[RTM]

As far as I can tell (but documentation is a little lacking), the single 1G port is shared with the IPMI interface.
In my book that makes it an interface intended solely for management duties.

While I suppose you might be able to passthrough the (part of the) interface to a firewall, it sounds like a really bad idea, you definitely do not want to expose the IPMI on the internet.

 

[David Counter]

That motherboard only has a single 1GbE NIC by the way. The other port is serial.

Oops, you're absolutely right. My bad, thanks for pointing out the error.

I'm still interested in the answer to the question of whether you can pass through the motherboard ports to a VM though, especially as (in light of what I have seen on STH and elsewhere) I will use a purpose-built 10Gb switch and still look to combine the disk controller in one VM (via passing through an HBA on the mobo's PCIe port) and a router in a second VM (the mobo in question is another Supermicro, this time DEFINITELY with dual 1Gb ports!

 

[David Counter]

Thanks everyone - I learned my lesson, and will use a separate 10Gb switch, and dedicated pfSense box. Instead of a disk controller + shelf, I'm combining the two in one by utilizing a Supermicro SC826 rather than an SC826JBOD. I appreciate everyone's help.