vSphere Distributed Switch

vSphere Distributed Switch

Provides centralized management and monitoring of the network configuration of all the ESXi hosts that are associated with the dvswitch.
Distributed switch can be created and configured at vCenter server system level and all its settings are propagated to all the hosts that are associated with the switch.
Network configuration and management for all the hosts that associated with the switch can be performed centralized on the vCenter server system

vDS Terminology: -
DVN – vNetwork

Distributed Virtual Network, is the umbrella name under which the new network infrastructure components are grouped. The official name that customers will hear is vNetwork.
dvSwitch  (DVS or Distributed Virtual Switch - vNetwork Distributed Switch)

Abstraction of multiple hosts sharing the same configuration for vSwitches and port groups.
vSwitch  - vNetwork Standard Switch

The “standard” virtual switch that is available in ESX 3.x and 4.x without vNetwork
dvPort

Port in a dvSwitch that allows VMs, vnics, VMKernel or Service Console nics.
dvPort status is stored in VC Database, so it is persistent across hosts
dvPortgroup

Collection of DVPorts that share the same configuration.