topic Re: Port aggregation/trunking in BladeSystem - General

Port aggregation/trunking

Niknok — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 02:01:56 GMT

Hi!

Can you guys provide the steps on performing port aggregation/trunking on a VC Flex? I want to combine the other 3 ports so that we can lessen the bottleneck for the production uplink.

Thanks!

Re: Port aggregation/trunking

Bart_Heungens — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 06:26:22 GMT

Hi,

On VC side it is fairly simple... Just create a SUS or network port with multiple physical ports in it and that's it...

On switch side you have to create at least a LACP trunk (802.3ad)...

Find on this URL more info on this including a link to a great document specificaly for Cisco Admins...

http://www.bitcon.be/?p=801

Kr,

Bart

Re: Port aggregation/trunking

Niknok — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 08:17:32 GMT

Thanks for the reply!

For example, the virtual connect has 4 ports and i would like to link or trunk the 3 ports so that I can have a 3 GB port. I can do that right?

Can you provide the steps using the GUI on the VC?

How can I use the link if I'm using an hp product?

Re: Port aggregation/trunking

Bart_Heungens — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 08:33:09 GMT

Hi,

Much depends of which version of firmware that you are running on the VC modules... In the latest versions Flash functionality was added which makes the actions a little different...

Most important is if you want to put multiple VLANs on this trunk or not? If yes you have to create a SUS Smart Uplink Set, otherwise a Ethernet Network is sufficient.

When creating you are asked to add Ecternal Uplink ports... There you have to select the 3 ports you want to use...

What do you mean with :How can I use the link if I'm using an hp product? You mean a HP network switch? On my blog there is a sortlike document comparing Cisco and HP switches... It is Cisco that is using other names like Etherchannel while most of the others are using LACP or 802.1ad...

Kr,

Bart

Re: Port aggregation/trunking

Niknok — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 08:39:59 GMT

Thanks again for the fast reply!

I only want to link the ports since the first port has already become a bottleneck. I would like to combine the 3 remaining port so that we can use higher bandwith.

I haven't checked the firmware but can you provide steps?

Re: Port aggregation/trunking

Bart_Heungens — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 08:46:47 GMT

Hi,

This is really hard since sometimes you have to push a button and sometimes you have to rightclick depending of the software version...

If you have already an existing connection with 1 physical link in it, just go to the properties of it and where you see your physical uplinkm there should be an option to add additional NICs... Just select port 2, 3 and 4...

Shouldn't be that difficult...

Kr,

Bart

Re: Port aggregation/trunking

Niknok — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 08:54:31 GMT

Oh i see. About the existing connection, I'm afraid to touch it since were using it as a production. That is why I'm only allowed to configure the remaining ports.

Re: Port aggregation/trunking

Bart_Heungens — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 09:06:18 GMT

You can create a new second network with the 3 other cables but there will be no trafic on it since your blade profile is linked to the first connection... At 1 moment in time you will have to switch from the first network to the second network...

Best is to extend the existing network and add the 3 cables...

NORMALLY this can be done online but this depends of a lot of factors like firmware, switch at the outside, firmware and drivers of the blades, etc etc...

Kr,

Bart

Re: Port aggregation/trunking

Niknok — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 09:19:43 GMT

Yeah that's what were going to do. Were just going to test it by switching to the other network. I'm afraid that if I extend the existing one I might cause some problems.

Re: Port aggregation/trunking

Niknok — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 01:07:38 GMT

So that's it? All I have to do is to create an SUS and add ports and they are all linked? How will I know if they are working? Thanks so much!

Re: Port aggregation/trunking

Bart_Heungens — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 05:47:10 GMT

Yes that's it.

If you want multiple VLAN's, create the SUS and 1 or more Ethernet networks underneath that SUS (compare with your existing connection) and add the 3 physical ports...

By default you will see 1 port active and 2 other standby, if the LACP trunk on the switch is configured well, you have to see 3 active ports...

Kr,

Bart

Re: Port aggregation/trunking

Niknok — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 06:38:50 GMT

Thanks again! I'm currently doing this on an non-production VC and I'm done doing the SUS. However, how will I test it? I haven't put anything on the associated network list under SUS.

BTW, the port status says ports are not linked and not available.

Re: Port aggregation/trunking

Bart_Heungens — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 06:47:27 GMT

It is possible that it states now that it is not linked. I assume that you didn't create a server profile for a blade?

You need to create at least 1 Ethernet network underneath the SUS.

Besides that you need at least 1 server profile assigned to a blade in the enclosure and that server profile must have at least 1 connection used of the SUS...

Re: Port aggregation/trunking

Niknok — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 06:59:25 GMT

Yeah I just found out from a colleague. He said the first step that needs to be done is to create a domain. Any ideas about this?

Re: Port aggregation/trunking

Bart_Heungens — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 07:12:42 GMT

Hi,

You just mentioned that you created a SUS already? So in that case you must have a Domain already... If you don't have a domain, you cannot configure anything...

Try the wizards which are available in the VC console... And compare with your existing environment...

Also a good document to check tis the Virtual Connect Cookbooks: http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c01990371/c01990371.pdf

Kr,

Bart

Re: Port aggregation/trunking

Niknok — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 07:14:09 GMT

There is an existing domain and I just deleted it and wanted to start from scratch. Any ideas what ip address should be added on the domain?

Re: Port aggregation/trunking

Bart_Heungens — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 07:17:36 GMT

I am sorry but I cannot assist you with giving an IP address for your network...

Re: Port aggregation/trunking

Niknok — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 01:23:57 GMT

Hi again! I have already created a domain but I think there is a problem when adding a port on define a single network. Everytime I add a port, the defined network lists does not show a checkmark on the defined network list.

Re: Port aggregation/trunking

Bart_Heungens — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 06:11:29 GMT

Hi,

Are you creating a SUS, like you mentioned before, or a Ethernet network? Which firmware are you running? Do you get any errors? A screenshot would help also...

I tried this several times before and never had issues with it...

Kr,

Bart