Configuring the vRack on your Dedicated Servers

Last updated 21/06/2018

Objective

The vRack or virtual rack allows multiple servers to be grouped together (regardless of number and physical location in our datacentre) and connects them to a virtual switch within the same private network. Your servers can communicate privately and securely between each other (within a dedicated VLAN).

This guide will help you to configure the vRack on two or more dedicated servers.

Requirements

• a vRack service in your account
• two or more vRack compatible servers
• administrative (root) access to the server via SSH
• access to the OVHcloud Control Panel
• your chosen private IP address range

Instructions

Add your servers to the vRack

Step 1. Once the vRack is in your account go to the Cloud section of your control panel

Step 2. Select the vRack menu from the left side of the control panel

Step 3. Select your vRack from the list

Step 4. From the list of eligible services, select the servers you want to add to the vRack and then click the Add button

Configure your network interfaces

For example purposes, we’ll use an internal IP address range of 192.168.0.0/16.

Also, we’ve used the names of eth1 and eno4 for the secondary network interface. Your servers may use a different naming convention. To be sure, please check with the following commands.

List your network interfaces with the following command:

ifconfig -a | grep eth | awk '{print $ 1}'

The first interface in the list is your primary network connection. you can check which one is active with the following command:

ifconfig eth1 up

ethtool eth1 | grep "Link detected"

If the command returns Link detected: no then this is the network interface you should use for your vRack configuration after running this command:

ifconfig eth1 down

CentOS 6 and 7

Open the network interface configuration file with the following command:

vi /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth1

Press the I key on your keyboard to enter Insert Mode.

Configure the secondary network interface as follows:

DEVICE=eth1
BOOTPROTO=static
IPADDR=192.168.0.1
NETMASK=255.255.0.0
ONBOOT=yes
TYPE=Ethernet

In the example above you can use any private IP range of your choice and any address within that range.

Step 1. Press the ESC key

Step 2. Press SHIFT+ the colon key to bring up the editor prompt

Step 3. Type wq

Step 4. Press the Enter key

Step 5. Reboot your server

Step 6. Repeat all steps for your other server(s) and assign a unique IP address from your internal range. After doing this, your servers will be able to communicate with each other on the private network.

Debian 7 and 8

Open the network interface configuration file with the following command:

nano /etc/network/interfaces

Configure the secondary network interface as follows:

auto eth1
iface eth1 inet static
           address 192.168.0.1
           netmask 255.255.0.0

In the example above you can use any private IP range of your choice and any address within that range.

Step 1. CTRL + X to exit the network config file

Step 2. Press the Y key to save your changes and then press Enter

Step 3. Reboot your server

Step 4. Repeat all steps for your other server(s) and assign a unique IP address from your internal range. After doing this, your servers will be able to communicate with each other on the private network.

Debian 9

Open the network interface configuration file with the following command:

nano /etc/network/interfaces

Configure the secondary network interface as follows:

auto eno4
iface eno4 inet static
address 192.168.0.1
netmask 255.255.0.0

In the example above you can use any private IP range of your choice and any address within that range.

Step 1. CTRL + X to exit the network config file

Step 2. Press the Y key to save your changes and then press Enter

Step 3. Reboot your server

Step 4.Step Repeat all for your other server(s) and assign a unique IP address from your internal range. After doing this, your servers will be able to communicate with each other on the private network.

Ubuntu Server 16

Open the network interface configuration file with the following command:

vi /etc/network/interfaces

Press the I key on your keyboard to enter Insert Mode.

Configure the secondary network interface as follows:

auto eth1
iface eth1 inet static
           address 192.168.0.1
           netmask 255.255.0.0

In the example above you can use any private IP range of your choice and any address within that range.

Step 1. Press the ESC key

Step 2. Press SHIFT + the colon key to bring up the editor prompt

Step 3. Type wq

Step 4. Press the Enter key

Step 5. Reboot your server

Step 6. Repeat all steps for your other server(s) and assign a unique IP address from your internal range. After doing this, your servers will be able to communicate with each other on the private network.

Ubuntu Server 17

Open the network interface configuration file with the following command:

nano /etc/network/interfaces

Configure the secondary network interface as follows:

auto eno4
iface eno4 inet static
address 192.168.0.1
netmask 255.255.0.0

In the example above you can use any private IP range of your choice and any address within that range.

Step 1. CTRL + X to exit the network config file Step 2. Press the Y key to save your changes and then press Enter Step 3. Reboot your server Step 4. Repeat steps 1 to 5 for your other server(s) and assign a unique IP address from your internal range. After doing this, your servers will be able to communicate with each other on the private network.

Windows

For example purposes, we’ll use an internal IP address range of 192.168.0.0/16.

Step 1. Log onto your Windows server by remote desktop

Step 2. Click the Start button

Step 3. Click Control Panel

Step 4. Click Network and Internet

Step 5. Click Network and Sharing Centre

Step 6. Click Change Adapter Settings

Step 7. Right-click the secondary network interface

Step 8. Click Properties

Step 9. Double-click Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IP/IPv4)

Step 10. Click Use the following IP address:

• For IP address: type in an IP from your internal range
• For Subnet mask: type in 255.255.0.0

Step 11. Click the OK button to save the changes.

Step 12. Reboot your server

Step 13. Repeat all steps for your other server(s) and assign a unique IP address from your internal range. After doing this, your servers will be able to communicate with each other on the private network.

Go further

Join our community of users on https://community.ovh.com/en/.

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