Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a computer system. The computer system includes a display mechanism, a storage, and a migration management mechanism. The storage stores a data structure indicating one or more port profiles. The migration management mechanism identifies one or more port profiles associated with a target switch for a migrating virtual machine, wherein the target switch is coupled to a target host machine of the virtual machine and recommends whether the target switch is suitable for the virtual machine by examining an identifier to the virtual machine in the port profiles associated with the target switch using the display mechanism.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a port profile management mechanism. The port profile management mechanism detects an active profile associated with a physical port on a switch and displays configuration of the port based on the identified port profile using the display mechanism. In addition, a port group management mechanism obtains information of a port group associated with a virtual machine, wherein the port group defines network configurations for the virtual machine. The port profile management mechanism detects a port profile associated with the virtual machine coupled to a physical port on a switch and displays an alert using the display mechanism in response to the port group and the port profile being out of synchronization.

Abstract: Embodiments which utilize a topology view GUI with elements in each of storage and general network views which indicate the connection to the alternate network via an icon. Properly selecting the icon causes the topology view of the other network to appear. This method allows the connections between the networks to be readily viewed without cluttering either topology and allows quick context changes to occur at the same point.