You can examine the structure and components of a vSphere Standard Switch by using its topology diagram.

The topology diagram of a standard switch provides a visual representation of the adapters and port groups connected to the switch.

From the diagram you can edit the settings of a selected port group and of a selected adapter.

Procedure

  1. In the vSphere Web Client, navigate to the host.
  2. On the Configure tab, expand Networking and select Virtual switches.
  3. Select the standard switch from the list.

Results

The diagram appears under the list of virtual switches on the host.

Example: Diagram of a Standard Switch That Connects the VMkernel and Virtual Machines to the Network

In your virtual environment, a vSphere Standard Switch handles VMkernel adapters for vSphere vMotion and for the management network, and virtual machines grouped. You can use the central topology diagram to examine whether a virtual machine or VMkernel adapter is connected to the external network and to identify the physical adapter that carries the data.

Figure 1. Topology Diagram of a Standard Switch That Connects the VMkernel and Virtual Machines to the Network
The topology diagram of a standard switch shows the organization of virtual machine and VMkernel adapters on the switch, and the host physical adapters handling the traffic to and from the external network.