Mastering KVM Virtualization

Network port mirroring

Open vSwitch supports port mirroring features out-of-the-box. This feature is exactly similar to the port mirroring capability available on the new-generation physical switches. With port mirroring, network administrators can get an insight into what kind of traffic is flowing on the network and implement traffic analysis systems such as IDS/IPS. It is also helpful in troubleshooting network-related issues in the virtual infrastructure.

The basic purpose of port mirroring is to replicate layer 3 traffic flowing from one or more virtual ports to a designated port. It's easy to implement but take the following into consideration before you go ahead and configure it:

• A virtual machine with port mirroring enabled uses more host ...