To use a partition setup with shared VLAN configuration, you need a virtual MAC address called as partition MAC (PMAC) address. The partition uses the PMAC address for its communication on the shared VLAN. A unique PMAC address is configured for each partition and it is used across all shared VLANs bound to that partition. In the case of a non-SDX platform (VPX or MPX) platform, the PMAC address can be either user specified or internally generated by a NetScaler appliance. If the PMAC address is not specified for a partition, it is internally generated when the partition is bound to the first shared VLAN. While in the case of an SDX platform, the PMAC addresses always need to be configured from the SVM tool first and then assigned to a partition.

To display a list of configured PMACs, you can use the Show ns PartitionMAC command. The command enables you to verify the configured PMACs either through the NetScaler CLI or GUI. The command displays all the PMAC addresses and the corresponding partitions (if assigned). In the case of a non-SDX platform, the command displays all the PMAC addresses and their corresponding partitions because the PMAC address is assigned to a partition only on need basis (when a partition bound a shared VLAN). However in the case of an SDX platform, you might have some unassigned PMACs in the list.

For information on how to generate PMAC for the SDX platform, see Generating Partition MAC Addresses topic.