What is the default load-balancing policy for VxRail Port Groups for a system deployed with a predefined network profile1?

During its automated deployment, VxRail creates a vSphere Distributed Switch (VDS) to manage the networking for the cluster. The default load-balancing policy configured for the port groups on this VDS is "Route based on originating virtual port". This policy is selected as the default because it provides reliable load distribution and failover without requiring any special configuration, such as Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP), on the physical top-of-rack switches. Each virtual network interface is pinned to a single physical uplink, simplifying network design and troubleshooting while ensuring compatibility with virtually all enterprise switching hardware.

A. Route based on source MAC hash: This is a valid vSphere teaming policy, but it is not the default for VxRail deployments as it offers less effective traffic distribution compared to other methods.
B. Route based on IP hash: This policy is supported by VxRail but is not the default because it mandates the configuration of a Link Aggregation Group (LAG) on the physical switches, adding complexity.
C. Route based on physical NIC load: This policy, also known as Load-Based Teaming (LBT), is a powerful feature available on the VDS, but it is not the default policy configured during initial VxRail deployment.

1. Dell VxRail™ Network Planning Guide (Version 8.0.x): In the section "VxRail-managed vSphere Distributed Switch," the guide details the default network configurations. It specifies that the default teaming and failover policy for the created port groups is "Route based on originating virtual port." (Reference can be found in Chapter 2: Network Requirements, under the subsection for vSphere Distributed Switch settings).

2. VMware vSphere Documentation (vSphere 8): The official documentation for vSphere Networking describes the "Route based on originating virtual port" policy. It states, "The virtual switch selects an uplink for a virtual machine and sends all traffic from that virtual machine through the selected uplink... This is the default load balancing algorithm." This confirms the standard behavior that VxRail leverages for its default configuration. (Reference: vSphere Networking Guide, Chapter 3: "NIC Teaming Policies").