Redundant Paths To Server Bays; Supported Technologies; Layer 2 Switching; Layer 3 Switching - HP 438031-B21 - 1:10Gb Ethernet BL-c Switch User Manual

This crosslink is disabled by default. This crosslink must be enabled for use.

Redundant paths to server bays

In a dual switch configuration, redundant Ethernet signals from each blade server are routed through the
enclosure backplane to separate switches within the enclosure. This configuration provides redundant
paths to each server bay.
Redundant Ethernet signals from each blade server are routed through the enclosure backplane to
separate switches within the enclosure. However, specific switch port to server mapping varies depending
on which type of server blade is installed.
On a heavily used system, using a single uplink port for 32 Ethernet signals causes a traffic bottleneck.
For optimum performance, HP recommends using at least one uplink port per switch.

Supported technologies

Layer 2 switching

The switch uses Gigabit Layer 2 switching technology. Layer 2 refers to the Data Link layer of the OSI
model, which is concerned with moving data packets across a network by enforcing CSMA/CD. This
layer performs:
•
Ethernet packet framing
•
MAC addressing
•
Physical medium transmission error detection
•
Medium allocation (collision avoidance)
•
Contention resolution (collision handling)
Layer 2 switching technology allows the switch to look into data packets and redirect them based on the
destination MAC address. This reduces traffic congestion on the network because packets, instead of
being transmitted to all ports, are transmitted to the destination port only.

Layer 3 switching

In addition to Layer 2 features, the switch also supports Layer 3 switching. Layer 3 switching features
include:
•
IP forwarding
•
Static routing
•
Dynamic routing based on RIP V1/V2 or OSPF protocols
•
High availability VRRP
Layer 3 switching provides more power, flexibility, and security capabilities to network administrators.
Network traffic is managed much more efficiently and broadcast traffic between servers remains within
the enclosure. Security features provide added protection for switch configuration data, while packet
filtering helps secure and segment sensitive traffic or network access.
Introduction 10