HP Virtual Connect FlexFabric 10Gb24-port Module for c-Class BladeSystem - Manual (Page 10)

Introduction 10
VCM is embedded on VC-Enet modules. Access VCM through a web-based GUI or CLI. The Onboard
Administrator provides a web link to the VC GUI. The CLI can be accessed remotely through any SSH session
or through the Onboard Administrator CLI.
The VC modules support the HP BladeSystem c7000 Enclosure, the HP BladeSystem c3000 Enclosure, and
all server blades and networks contained within the enclosure. FlexFabric modules are supported only in
BladeSystem c7000 enclosures with G6 or newer server blades or Integrity i2 and i4 server blades with VC
firmware v3.15 and later.
VC-Enet modules enable connectivity to data center Ethernet switches. VC-Enet modules can also be directly
connected to other types of devices, such as printers, laptops, rack servers, and network storage devices.
The VC-FC and FlexFabric modules enable connectivity of the enclosure to data center FC switches. Every FC
fabric is limited in the number of switches it can support, but the VC-FC modules do not appear as switches
to the FC fabric and do not count against FC fabric limits.
A basic VC domain includes a single HP c-Class BladeSystem c7000 Enclosure for a total of 16 servers (or
up to 32 servers if the double-dense option is enabled), or a single HP c-Class BladeSystem c3000 Enclosure
for a total of 8 servers (or up to 16 servers if the double-dense option is enabled). For more information on
the double-dense option, see "Double-dense server bay option" in the user guide. Within the domain, any
server blade with the requisite LAN or SAN devices can access any LAN or SAN connected to a VC module,
and a server blade of a given processor type (Integrity or X86) can be used as a spare for any server blade
of the same processor type within the same enclosure, as long as the server has the requisite number and type
of connections. Using the network access groups feature, the network administrator can clearly define a
separation of networks based on their allowed functionality and prevent the server administrator from
assigning specific network combinations in the same server profile.
By stacking (cabling) the VC-Enet modules together within the domain and connecting the VC-FC or
FlexFabric module FC uplinks on the same bay of all enclosures to the same FC switch, every server blade in
the domain can be configured to access any external network or fabric connection. With this configuration,
you can use VCM to deploy and migrate a server blade profile to any server in the Virtual Connect domain
without changing external LAN or SAN configurations.
Beginning with VC 4.10, the FTP service on VC-Enet modules is disabled by default. The VCSU software
temporarily enables and disables the FTP service during firmware upgrades of VC-FC modules as needed.
Each version of VC is tested and supported with one or more SPPs. For a list of supported SPPs that must be
installed, see the VC release notes.
Using multiple enclosures
Multiple enclosure support enables up to four c7000 enclosures to be managed within a single VC domain
for a total of 128 servers, if double-dense support is enabled while using the Domain Setup Wizard. There
are 16 half-height or 8 full-height server bays in a c7000 enclosure. A combination of full-height and
half-height servers can be used in the same enclosure.
Multiple enclosure domains are not supported on c3000 enclosures. The VC-Enet modules use stacking
cables between enclosures so that network traffic can be routed from any server Ethernet port to any uplink
within the VC domain. Since FC does not support stacking, the VC-FC or FlexFabric module FC uplinks on the
same bay of all enclosures must be connected to the same FC switch to enable profile mobility.
The management interfaces for all enclosure Onboard Administrators and VC modules within the same VC
domain must be on the same lightly loaded subnet and highly reliable network. Overloads or loss of
connectivity can disable configuration attempts until the connectivity is re-established and synchronized with
the domain. HP recommends that the Onboard Administrator IP addresses used be static. The Onboard