Pairing is the process of installing a VEN on a workload.
When you pair a workload, you run a script that installs the VEN on the workload. The VEN then reports detailed workload information to the PCE, such as all services running on the workload, all of its open ports, details about the operating system, workload location, and more.
About Server Pairing
Illumio Xpress supports the use of server pairing to identify and protect your critical applications using best-practices for ring-fencing, tailored to your network traffic. Pairing a workload requires running the pairing script on it to install the VEN.
When you first log into the Illumio Xpress, a default pairing profile containing a pairing script is provided so you can begin pairing workloads. You also have the option to create a new pairing profile if you want to configure your own workload pairing settings. However, the easiest way to pair a Windows server workload is to use the default pairing profile. It gets you started quickly and reduces the work associated with managing multiple pairing profiles. For instructions, see Xpress Runbook. For more background information, including re-onboarding servers to accommodate new traffic, caveats, enforcement, and what gets created when you pair servers, see More Information About Pairing Servers.