virtualbox.org

I am putting together a Debian-based virtual installation/configuration server guest requiring access:

- from the server to the internet for security/other updates
- to the server from local VMs on this host
- to the server from new pxe booting VMs
- to the server from the host
- to the server from other hosts and other VMs

How could I set up the networking of this VM to achieve the above?

Should I set up multiple NICs and configure each to give the desired access? For example:
- a NAT/bridged nic for internet access and that I could use to SSH into the server from remote/external hosts and VMs
- an internal network nic for access from local VMs
- a second internal network nic for access from new pxe-booting VMs (to isolate them from other local VMs until they are fully configured/updated

Is there any advantage to putting this config server on its own subnet for security/isolation purposes?

This is the first network of this kind I am putting together, so while I am furiously reading as much as I can on networking, VB, etc., I am unsure how to translate a few network design ideas into a virtual situation using VB.

I appreciate any help.

I think that you are trying to over-complicate the issue. Why use all those different networks? Where are these PXE boot clients going to be?

If they are going to be on the physical network, what you need to do is set up your vm so that it looks like an additional server on the network. All you need for that is to set the vm's NIC to bridged mode.

Do you have a clear picture of how this would work on a physical network? If you do it should translate fairly easily to virtual networks. They really work just the same way.