You can examine the structure and components of a vSphere Standard Switch by using its topology diagram.
The topology diagram of a standard switch provides a visual representation of the adapters and port groups connected to the switch.
From the diagram you can edit the settings of a selected port group and of a selected adapter.
- In the vSphere Web Client, navigate to the host.
- On the Manage tab, click Networking, and select Virtual switches.
- Select the standard switch from the list.
The diagram appears under the list of virtual switches on the host.
Diagram of a Standard Switch That Connects the VMkernel and Virtual Machines to the Network
In your virtual environment, a vSphere Standard Switch handles VMkernel adapters for vSphere vMotion and for the management network, and virtual machines grouped. You can use the central topology diagram to examine whether a virtual machine or VMkernel adapter is connected to the external network and to identify the physical adapter that carries the data.