Auto-configuration of an internal vlan network interface

Abstract

Apparatus and storage media for auto-configuration of an internal network interface are disclosed. Embodiments may install an internal VLAN manager in a logically partitioned computer system along with network agents in each of the partitions in the logically partitioned system to facilitate configuring an internal communications network and the corresponding internal network interfaces in each participating partition. In particular, an administrator accesses internal VLAN manager, selects an internal VLAN ID, selects each of the participating partitions, and configures the communications network with global parameters and ranges. The internal VLAN manager then generates partition parameters and incorporates them into messages for each of the partitions selected to participate in the internal network. Each of the participating partitions receives one of the messages and, in response, invokes the corresponding network agent that extracts partition parameters from the message and creates or re-configures an internal network interface based upon the parameters.