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Re: C 7000 with 4Gb VC-FC module isue

 
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Horia Barbul_2
Advisor

C 7000 with 4Gb VC-FC module isue

Hello.

I encounter the following situation:
- C7000 enclosure with 16 BL460c servers ( with QMH2462 in Mezz 1 )- alone in VC Domain.
- Interconnect Modules
- 2 X 1/10 VC-Enet Module in IM bays 1 and 2 ( FW 1.32)
- 2 X 4GBb VC-FC Module in IM bays 3 and 4 ( 409513-B21, FW was 1.11 now is 1.32)
I was requested to configure VC so that the servers get FC connectivity to an EVA.
All the server profiles are allready defined and network connectivity works fine.
At the first look I found the error "Incompatible Firmware - Major" within OA for both 4 Gb VC-FC modules.
I did the FW upgrade for the two modules ( with VCSU - FW version 2.10) and it worked fine.

The issue is that even now I cannot define SANs within VC Manager.

If I go to Fibre Channel Settings I get - for a couple of seconds - a screen stating an error and two advices:
- ensure that each VC Domain uses a unique range of WW Names
- this setting cannot be changed after the server profiles are defined

After that I get the following dimmed options ( which cannot be changed)

Server Blade WWN Address
- Use Virtual Connect assigned WWN Addresses
- Use the static, factory-default WWN Addresses => selected

If I go from VC Manager home to "SAN Fabrics" I get the External Connections/Server Connections tabs completely empty.

If I start the FC Setup Wizzard / choose Static SAN Fabrics / Input a new SAN name - ex SAN1 / try to define an uplink - the Apply
button is not active. The same thing happens if I go directly to "Define a SAN".

My guess is that I need to delete all server profiles and start from scratch which means that I need to request application down-time for all
servers. Since I'm at it , I also intend to do a FW upgrade for the servers and for the Interconnect modules as well ( to FW 2.31).

What am I to expect after deleting the profiles ? Is this a way to completely reset the VC to the initial status ?
Please tell me your opinion about this issue.

Thank you.
3 REPLIES 3
The Brit
Honored Contributor
Solution

Re: C 7000 with 4Gb VC-FC module isue

Good Morning Horia,
I don't know if you were involved in the early decisions when setting up your enclosure, however....

The choice to use "Physical" WWN rather than "VC supplied", is made early in the process, and once the choice is made, you are stuck with it, (unless as you pointed out, you are prepared to go back to square one.). It should be said that rejecting VC supplied WWN and Hardware Addresses kinda invalidates the whole purpose of having VC in the first place.

Anyway, given that those decisions have already been made, (and you don't want to go back to square one). The first step is to create/define a SAN fabric.

In VCM, at the top of the Right hand panel, there are 4 dropdown menus. Select "Define", and then select "SAN Fabric". In the window which opens, enter a Name for the "VC" SAN (fabric), i.e. SAN_1,
and then assign some FC ports to it. Note::
you can assign from 1 - 4 ports to a given VC SAN, however they MUST all be from the same FC module.

Now click on "Apply"

Do the same for your other FC module, i.e. create SAN_2, and add ports.

When the SAN's appear on the left under SAN Fabrics, open them up and check that the Port Status appears as "OK". If not, then check SAN switch connectivity and Switch port configuration, (NPIV required).

Now, look at your Server Profile, under "FC SAN connections". Column 1 contains the physical port numbers from your Mezz 1 HBA.
Port 1 should be connected to Bay 3, and in the next box (FC SAN Name), enter the name of the VC SAN you created/defined using the FC uplink ports on the Bay 3 Module.
Similarly, Port 2 should be connected to the VC SAN created on the FC Module in Bay 4.

From a functionality point-of-view, it really doesnt matter if you are using Physical or VC-Assigned WWN, provided that the VC SANs are correctly set up.

After you have created the VC SAN's, you should try modifying one of your profiles (preferably one of your less important servers). If it works, you will have to modify the SAN setup in all of your profiles, which will probably mean shutting down each server as the new profile is assigned.

Final comment. The starting point for resolving your problem is the "Define SAN Fabric option under the VCM "Define" menu.

Forget about "SAN Fabrics" and "Fibre-Channel settings" until you have defined the VC SANs, as outlined above.

Hope this helps.

Dave.
Horia Barbul_2
Advisor

Re: C 7000 with 4Gb VC-FC module isue

Hello Dave.

It did help.

Thank you
Best Regards
Horia
Horia Barbul_2
Advisor

Re: C 7000 with 4Gb VC-FC module isue

Hello.

The issues I encountered were generated by the use of Internet Explorer 8. As soon as I started to use IE 6 all "strange" behaviours disappeared and I was able to create SANs and modify the existing server profiles as required.

Thank you
Horia