HP 1.10GB Virtual Connect Ethernet Module for c-Class BladeSystem - Manual (Page 75)

Network management 75
o Degraded indicates that additional stacking cables should be connected to provide full
redundancy.
The table on this screen lists all of the Ethernet stacking links found within the Virtual Connect domain. Each
row of the table identifies the link speed and the connections on both sides of the link, identified by the
module and port number.
Port X0 indicates the 10Gb port connected through the midplane of horizontally-adjacent VC-Enet modules.
Ports X7 and X8 connect to the internal link between horizontally-adjacent Flex-10 enabled VC-Enet modules.
NOTE: Virtual Connect does not support stacking for FC modules, so each VC-FC module
requires uplink connections to the external FC SAN environment.
For more information on connecting stacking links, and stacking links in a multi-enclosure environment, see
the HP Virtual Connect for c-Class BladeSystem Setup and Installation Guide.
Shared uplink sets and VLAN tagging
A shared uplink set is a way of identifying Virtual Connect Ethernet module uplinks that carry multiple
networks over the same cable. In this case, each Ethernet packet carries a VLAN tag (IEEE 802.1Q) to
identify the specific network to which it belongs. On shared uplinks, the VLAN tags are added when packets
leave the VC-enabled enclosure and are removed when packets enter the enclosure. The external Ethernet
switch and the Virtual Connect Manager must be configured to use the same VLAN tag identifier (a number
between 1 and 4094) for each network on one or more shared uplinks.
Virtual Connect places no special restrictions on which VLAN identifiers can be used, so the VLAN IDs
already used for the networks in the data center can be used on these shared uplinks. To configure a shared
uplink set for VLAN tagging, obtain a list of the network names and their VLAN IDs.
A shared uplink set enables multiple ports to be included to support port aggregation and link failover with
a consistent set of VLAN tags.
Because VLAN tags are added or removed when Ethernet packets leave or enter the VC-Enet shared uplink,
the VLAN tags have no relevance after the Ethernet packet enters the enclosure.
IMPORTANT: If you are deploying a server where VLAN tags will be used (added) on the server
itself, do not connect the server Ethernet port carrying VLAN-tagged traffic to a shared uplink set
if the VC Domain is operating in VLAN tunnel mode. If the VC Domain is operating in VLAN
mapped mode, deploying servers that provide VLAN tags can be connected to vNets associated
with shared uplink sets. For more information, see "Multiple network connections for a server port
(on page 122 )."
Identifying an associated network as the native VLAN causes all untagged incoming Ethernet packets to be
placed onto this network. Only one associated network can be designated as the native VLAN. All outgoing
Ethernet packets are VLAN-tagged.
To enable native VLAN when defining a shared uplink set, select the box under Native. To enable or disable
native VLAN on an existing network, go to the Edit Shared Uplink Set screen (on page
79 ). Click on the Edit
icon, and then select or deselect the box under Native.