Configuring BOND and VLAN on Windows Server

This is a comprehensive guide for setting up BOND and VLAN on Windows Server to ensure network redundancy and enhance performance.

Key points to consider

• Network bonding (NIC Teaming)  enhances redundancy and bandwidth by combining multiple network adapters into a logical interface.

• Private VLAN group servers within a team, allowing private interactions as if they were on the same physical network, improving security and efficiency.

• Windows Server provides a built-in GUI for NIC Teaming, making it easier to configure network bonding.

• Proper LACP bonding configuration is crucial to avoid network issues such as latency and slow data transfer.

• Cherry Servers use LACP bonding for redundancy by default, except for legacy models under the Server Outlet tab, except E5-1620v4 and 2x E5-2680v4, which require LACP bonding.

Step-by-step instructions

Part A: Configuring network bonding (NIC Teaming)

1. Enable NIC Teaming:

   • Open "Server Manager", navigate to "Local Server," and check the status of "NIC Teaming." (see Fig. 1).

     
     Fig. 1. NIC Teaming status in Server Manager.

   • If Enabled, NIC Teaming is already configured, and no further action is required.

   • If Disabled, continue with the following steps to enable it.
2. Create a new BOND (NIC Team)
   • Click "Tasks" under the NIC Teaming section and select "New Team." (see Fig. 2).
     
     Fig. 2. Creating a new NIC Team in Server Manager by selecting "Tasks" and clicking "New Team.".
   • Provide a name (e.g., Bond0) and select the network adapters to include (see Fig. 3).
     Note: If your system displays four adapters, select only the first two for bonding instead of all available adapters.
     
     Fig. 3. Naming the new team and selecting network adapters for bonding.
3.  Configure additional properties
   • In "Additional Properties," set the teaming mode to LACP (Link Aggregation Control Protocol) (see Fig. 4).
     
     Fig. 4. Naming the new team and selecting network adapters for bonding.
   • Once configured correctly, your NIC Teaming interface should appear as shown in the screenshot, with an active status and LACP mode enabled (see Fig. 5).
     
     Fig. 5. Successfully created NIC team with LACP mode and active adapters.
4. Configure IP Address Settings
   • After creating the BOND, click the IP address in "Server Manager" to open the "Network Connections" window (see Fig. 6).
     
     Fig. 6. Confirm the created BOND interface in the "Local Server" section, showing the assigned IP address via DHCP.
   • Locate the BOND interface, double-click it, and select Properties (see Fig. 7).
     
     Fig. 7. Accessing the BOND interface in "Network Connections" and opening its properties for further configuration.
   • Choose "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)" and click Properties (see Fig. 8).
     
     Fig. 8. Select "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)" and access its properties for IP configuration.
   • Enter the static IP, subnet mask, and gateway in your client portal (see Fig. 9 and Fig. 10).
     
     Fig. 9. IP configuration details from the client portal.
     
     
     Fig. 10. Entering the static IP address, subnet mask, and gateway in IPv4 settings.
   • Set preferred and alternate DNS servers (e.g., Google DNS: 8.8.8.8, Cloudflare DNS: 1.1.1.1) (see Fig. 11).
     
     Fig. 11. Configuring the preferred and alternate DNS servers in the IPv4 properties, using Google (8.8.8.8) and Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) DNS services.
5. Verify and Apply Configuration
   • Restart the network interfaces or reboot the server to apply the changes.
   • Confirm the team status via the Server Manager (see Fig. 12).
     
     Fig. 12. Confirmation of the BOND interface (Bond0) with an assigned static IP address and IPv6 enabled, indicating successful network bonding configuration.

Part B: Configuring VLAN

1. Add VLAN interface
   • Open "NIC Teaming," select the created BOND interface, and click "Tasks" -> "Add Interface." (see Fig. 13)
     
     Fig. 13. Adding a VLAN interface to the existing BOND by selecting the "Bond0" team, navigating to "Team Interfaces," clicking on "Tasks," and selecting "Add Interface."
   • Enter the VLAN ID from your client portal under "Specific VLAN." (see Fig. 14 and Fig. 15).
     
     Fig. 14. VLAN ID information in the client portal shows the server's assigned VLAN ID.
     
     
     Fig. 15. Setting the specific VLAN ID in the NIC Teaming interface on Windows Server.
   • Confirm and apply settings.
2. Configure VLAN settings
   • Go to "Network Connections," locate the VLAN interface, and manually configure the IP settings (see Fig. 16).
     
     Fig. 16.  Opening the properties of the VLAN interface in the "Network Connections" window and selecting IPv4 settings for further configuration.

   • Enter your client portal's private IP and subnet (see Fig. 17 and Fig. 18).

     
     
     Fig. 17. Viewing the private IP address and subnet details from the client portal.
     
     
     Fig. 18. Configuring the private IP address and subnet mask manually in the IPv4 properties.

   • After applying the settings, verify connectivity by pinging other servers within the same project and location.

     Important: Private VLANs work only with servers that belong to the same project and are located in the same region (e.g., Lithuanian servers can communicate with other Lithuanian servers but not with those in Singapore, Sweden, etc.).

Summary

This guide covered configuring network bonding (NIC Teaming) and VLAN on Windows Server. Proper setup of NIC Teaming ensures redundancy and increased bandwidth, while VLAN configuration allows secure and efficient internal communication within a server team. Always verify connectivity after setup to ensure proper functionality and avoid network-related issues.