A systems administrator is provisioning a new virtual machine (VM) that will function as a production database server. A key requirement is that the VM must be accessible on the corporate LAN using an IP address from the same subnet as the physical servers, allowing other devices to communicate with it directly. Which virtual networking mode should the administrator configure for the VM's network adapter to meet this requirement?
The correct answer is Bridged networking. In bridged mode, the virtual machine's network adapter connects directly to the physical network through the host's physical adapter. This makes the VM appear as a distinct physical device on the network, allowing it to get its own IP address from the LAN's DHCP server or be assigned a static IP within the same subnet. This configuration fulfills the requirement for the VM to be directly accessible by other clients and servers on the corporate LAN.
NAT (Network Address Translation) is incorrect because it creates a private network for the VM and uses the host's IP address for communication with the external network. Other devices on the LAN cannot directly access services on the VM without special configuration like port forwarding.
Host-only networking is incorrect as it creates an isolated network that only allows communication between the VM and the host computer. It does not provide connectivity to the corporate LAN.
Private networking is also incorrect because it creates a virtual network that is isolated to only the VMs running on the host, without connectivity to the host machine or the external physical network.