How to Increase the Number of Groups Being Consumed by the xNIC

WHAT TO EXPECT

In this article, users will learn how to increase the numbers of multicast groups that a Linux VM can consume.

Increasing the Number of Groups Being Consumed by the xNIC

Linux environments limit the number of groups that can be consumed by the xNIC. By default, the value is set to 20. If a user needs to consume more than 20 groups through a single xNIC, they need to make a change to the kernel parameter, net.ipv4.igmp_max_memberships, in the systctl.conf file.

To do this:

1. Open the /etc/sysctl.conf to begin editing.

2. Add the following line:

   net.ipv4.igmp_max_memberships=4096

3. Save the file and apply the changes immediately:

   sysctl -p

4. Verify the change:

   sysctl net.ipv4.igmp_max_memberships

The xNIC should now be able to consume more groups.