Multi-Enclosure Stacking (MES) question

chuckk281 — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 15:12:48 GMT

Dave had a Multi-Enclosure Stacking question for Virtual Connect:

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If we use Virtual Connect Flex-10 in the primary bays 1 & 2, but use FlexFabric modules or VC-Ethernet or Fibre Channel modules in the bays 1 & 2 of the other enclosures, then how can we move profiles between enclosures?

Is different modules in bays 1 & 2 allowed in the second, third and forth enclosure?

We would not be able to move profiles to other enclosure(s), each would need its own. Are there built in safe guards to prevent this?

We have a site that wants to stack two enclosures. The first/primary is in production with Flex-10/VC-FC modules. The new enclosure has VC FlexFabric modules and plans to use Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE).

If this is allowed for MES Domains then will this affect the 1b/2b CNA ports of the primary Flex-10 modules?

Am I reading the document wrong or does it need to be updated?

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Vincent responded:

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The statements you highlight refer to the fact that the original VC 1/10 modules cannot run VCM in a MES domain. And yes, enclosures in a MES domain can have different VC Ethernet modules, and still allow profile movement. Remember that when you move a profile in a MES (unlike in a VCEM DG), the server still uses the same VC Ethernet networks and uplinks: for example if a profile assigned to a server in enc0 has connections through uplinks in enc0:1 and you move the profile to a server in enc1, it will still connect through the uplinks in enc0:1 via the stacking links. You could have a problem if the profile has many Ethernet connections and enc0:1 is Flex-10 while enc1:1 is 1/10, some connections might remain unmapped but that’s only a warning, not a critical error.

Now that’s true only of Ethernet connectivity. For FC there’s no stacking so the MES rules state that all enclosures in the domain must have the same VC-FC modules in the same slots. And a FlexFabric module is BOTH an Ethernet module and a FC module, so in your example you would indeed have a problem. In fact, I’m not sure VCM would let you import the new enclosure in the existing domain because of the different VC-FC placement.

Hope this makes sense.

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Other comments or questions?

Link to the MES technical document: http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c02102153/c02102153.pdf

topic Multi-Enclosure Stacking (MES) question in BladeSystem - General

Multi-Enclosure Stacking (MES) question