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Without failover, only one Ethernet controller can be connected from each server to
each virtual LAN or subnet. With failover, you can configure more than one
Ethernet controller from each server to attach to the same virtual LAN or subnet.
Either one of the integrated Ethernet controllers can be configured as the primary
Ethernet controller. If you have configured the controllers for failover and the
primary link fails, the secondary controller takes over. When the primary link is
restored, the Ethernet traffic switches back to the primary Ethernet controller. See
the operating-system device-driver documentation for information about
configuring for failover.
Important: To support failover on the blade server Ethernet controllers, the
Ethernet switch modules in the BladeCenter unit must have identical
configurations.
Blade server Ethernet controller enumeration
The enumeration of the Ethernet controllers in a blade server is operating-system
dependent. You can verify the Ethernet controller designations that a blade server
uses through the operating-system settings.
The routing of an Ethernet controller to a particular I/O-module bay depends on
the type of blade server. You can verify which Ethernet controller is routed to
which I/O-module bay by using the following test:
1. Install only one Ethernet switch module or pass-thru module in I/O-module
2. Make sure that the ports on the switch module or pass-thru module are
3. Enable only one of the Ethernet controllers on the blade server. Note the
4. Ping an external computer on the network that is connected to the switch
If you have installed an I/O expansion card in the blade server, communication
from the expansion card should be routed to I/O-module bays 3 and 4, if these
bays are supported by your BladeCenter unit. You can verify which controller on
the card is routed to which I/O-module bay by performing the same test and
using a controller on the expansion card and a compatible switch module or
pass-thru module in I/O-module bay 3 or 4.
bay 1.
enabled. Click I/O Module Tasks > Admin/Power/Restart in the
management-module Web interface.
designation that the blade server operating system has for the controller.
module or pass-thru module. If you can ping the external computer, the
Ethernet controller that you enabled is associated with the switch module or
pass-thru module in I/O-module bay 1. The other Ethernet controller in the
blade server is associated with the switch module or pass-thru module in
I/O-module bay 2.
Chapter 4. Configuring the blade server
45
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