Virtual Connect - HP BL680c - ProLiant - G5 Configuration

Virtual Connect

Virtual Connect technology is a set of interconnect modules and embedded software for c-Class
enclosures that simplifies the setup and administration of server connections. HP Virtual Connect
includes the following components:
• HP 1/10 Gb Virtual Connect Ethernet Module
• HP 1/10 Gb-F Virtual Connect Ethernet Module
• HP Virtual Connect Flex-10 10 Gb Ethernet Module
• HP Virtual Connect 4 Gb Fibre Channel Module
• HP Virtual Connect 8 Gb 24-Port Fibre Channel Module
• HP Virtual Connect Manager
Virtual Connect implements server-edge virtualization so that server administrators can upgrade,
replace, or move server blades within their enclosures without changes being visible to the external
LAN and SAN environments. HP recommends using Virtual Connect or managed switches to reduce
cabling and management overhead.
Like other Ethernet and Fibre Channel switches, Virtual Connect modules slide into the interconnect
bays of c-Class enclosures. To support the Virtual Connect Fibre Channel module, the enclosure must
have at least one Virtual Connect Ethernet module, because the Virtual Connect Manager software
runs on a processor that resides on the Ethernet module.
When the LAN and SAN connect to the pool of servers, the server administrator uses Virtual Connect
Manager to define a server connection profile for each server. The Virtual Connect Manager creates
bay-specific profiles, assigns unique MAC addresses and WWNs to these profiles, and administers
them locally. Network and storage administrators can establish all LAN and SAN connections once
during deployment. If servers are later deployed, added, or changed, no connection changes are
needed because Virtual Connect keeps the profile for that LAN and SAN connection constant.
To help administrators fully utilize 10 GbE connection bandwidth, HP introduced Flex-10 technology
in the BladeSystem c-Class architecture. Using Flex-10, administrators can partition the bandwidth of
a single 10 Gb pipeline into multiple FlexNICs. In addition, administrators can regulate the
bandwidth for each partition by setting it to a user-defined portion of the total 10 Gb connection.
Administrators can set speeds from 100 Mb per second to 10 Gb per second in 100 Mb increments.
There are advantages to partitioning a 10 GbE pipeline:
• More NIC connections per server, which is especially important in a virtual machine environment
• Ability to match bandwidths to the network function, such as management console or production
data
Flex-10 technology uses two hardware components:
• The HP Virtual Connect Flex-10, 10Gb Ethernet Module
• Either the 10 Gb Flex-10 LAN-on-motherboard (LOM) or the HP NC532m Flex-10, 10 GbE
Network Adapter mezzanine card
The Virtual Connect Flex-10 Ethernet Module is required to manage the 10 GbE server connections to
the data center network. The 10 Gb Flex-10 LOM and mezzanine cards are NICs, each with two 10
Gb ports. Each 10 Gb port can be configured from one to a maximum of four individual FlexNICs.
The server ROM and the operating system or hypervisor recognize each FlexNIC as an individual
NIC.
Full details about Flex-10 technology are available in the technology brief titled "HP Flex-10
technology" on the HP technology website:
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c01608922/c01608922.pdf.
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