WHAT TO EXPECT
A virtual network must be created before deploying a cloudSwXtch EC2 instance.
It must contain at least one subnet that's used for both the control and data plane communication.
It is recommended that it is private facing and does not auto-assign public IPs.
This single subnet will be used for xNIC installation.
In this section, users will learn how to validate whether a subnet exists to be used as both the control and the data plane for their virtual network. This is in preparation for cloudSwXtch installation on AWS. We will also walk through an alternative method of using 2 subnets, separating the control and data plane.
Method #1: Single-subnet
Typically, when deploying a VPC, a user will automatically create a subnet. During the main installation process, this subnet can be used for both control and data plane communications. This is the preferred method and will be used by a majority of users. Before installing cloudSwXtch, users should validate that the control subnet exists.
To validate:
Navigate to the VPC Console in AWS. In the example below, the user entered VPC in search field to find it under Services.
Select "Subnets" under the Virtual Private Cloud tab or under Resources by Region in the VPC Dashboard.
Check that the subnet you wish to use for the cloudSwXtch is listed. In addition to the cloudSwXtch installation, this single subnet will be used during xNIC installation.
Method #2: Two Subnets
Alternatively, a user may decide that they want to have two separate subnets for their cloudSwXtch: one for the control plane and another for data. In addition, the same subnets must be used for the xNIC installations. This method is recommended for individuals who want higher performance.
To accomplish this:
Navigate to the VPC Console in AWS.
Select Subnets under the Virtual Private Cloud tab or under Resources by Region in the VPC Dashboard.
Check that 2 subnets exists: one for the data and another for the control plane. Ensure that both subnets are in the same Availability Zone. This allows both NICs to be connected on the EC2 instance at the same time.
Naming your subnets
For ease of use, name the subnets are ctrl-subnet and data-subnet to distinguish between them when creating an EC2 instance with cloudSwXtch installed.
If a second subnet does not exist, select the orange Create Subnet button in the top right corner of the page.
Fill in the Create Subnet form like the example shown below, ensuring that the subnet is in the same VPC ID and Availability Zone as your other subnet. In the example below, the user is creating their data subnet.
Click "Create Subnet." You should now have a new subnet on your list.