HP LeftHand P4000 Virtual SAN Appliance Software - Manual (Page 48)

4 Managing the network
A physical storage system has two TCP/IP network interfaces (NICs). For each physical storage
system you can:
•
Configure the individual TCP/IP interfaces, including settings for speed and duplex, frame
size, and NIC flow control.
•
Bond NICs to ensure continuous network access or to improve bandwidth.
•
Set up and manage DNS servers, and a network routing table.
•
Manage the SAN/iQ communication interface, and update the list of managers running in
the management group to which a storage system belongs.
NOTE: The VSA has only one network interface and does not support changing the following
items:
•
NIC bonding
•
NIC flow control
•
Frame size
•
TCP interface speed or duplex
Network best practices
•
Isolate the SAN, including CMC traffic, on a separate network. If the SAN must run on a
public network, use a VPN to secure data and CMC traffic.
•
Configure all the network characteristics on a storage system before creating a management
group, or before adding the storage system to a management group and cluster.
•
Use static IP addresses, or reserved addresses if using DHCP.
•
Configure storage system settings for speed and duplex, frame size, and flow control BEFORE
bonding NICs and before putting the storage system into a management group and cluster.
•
If adding a second IP address to a storage system, the second IP address must be on a separate
subnet. If the two IP addresses are on the same subnet, they must be bonded.
Split network configurations
Implement a split network configuration to use the CMC on a management network separate from
the storage or iSCSI network. HP recommends that you only configure a management network
when the storage systems are equipped with a sufficient number of network adapters so that the
storage systems can support both bonded NICs for optimal redundancy and performance on the
storage network, along with a separate management interface. Keep in mind the following
requirements when considering the creation of a management network.
•
Configure a management network only if your storage systems have two or more NICs. Two
NICs are the minimum number required to create a bonded interface for the storage network
to provide maximum redundancy and performance.
•
Use only available P4000 upgrade kits to alter the hardware configuration of a P4000 storage
system. Alterations using any other hardware are not supported.
•
Be aware that the CMC can manage storage systems via a routed network or by installation
of a second NIC on the storage network on the CMC host. This is the most common method
for CMC management.
48 Managing the network