Port Profiles
Per Cisco's definition, a port profile is a collection of interface level commands that are combined to create a complete network policy. Port profiles are not uniqe to the 1000v; the Nexus 5000 also uses them.
A port group is equivalent to a port profile on the vCenter server. Port profiles are created on the VSM and propagated to VMware vCenter Server as VMware port groups using the VMware VIM API. After propagation, a port profile appears within VMware vSphere Client and is available to apply to the vNICs on a virtual machine.
When a newly-provisioned virtual machine is powered on, a vEthernet interface is created on the CiscoNexus 1000V for each of the virtual machine vNICs. The vEthernet inherits the definitions in the selected port profile.
There are two types of port profiles:ethernet and vethernet. Ethernet port profiles connect to physical NICs (usually uplinks) and vethernet connect to virtual guests.
Configuration
When a port-profile is configured, one of the commands used is 'vmware port-group' which creates a port-group on the vCenter Server. This port-group can then be assigned to a VM Guest. When the network adapter is assigned in vCenter, a vethernet interface is automatically created on the 1000v and it inherits the port-profile. Here is an example of the process.
Port-profile
port-profile type vethernet VLAN-600
vmware port-group
switchport access vlan 600
switchport mode access
no shutdown
system vlan 600
state enabled
VLAN 600 is created as a port-group
A NIC is added with the VLAN on a VM Guest
interface Vethernet2
inherit port-profile VLAN-600
description ubuntu2, Network Adapter 2
vmware dvport 192 dvswitch uuid "1c e1 3a 50 09 92 82 cb-fb 05 ed 19 34 2b de 26"
vmware vm mac 0050.56BA.4C18
