Mix of 1G and 10G interconnects. Server profile not consistent with ESXi nic mapping

[Bas Rijniersce]

Hello,

We have a c3000 blade enclosure with BL465c (G5) blades. Blades have one 1G mez card and one 10G Flex10 mez card. Because of the size of the Flex10 card the 10G interconnects are in bay 3 and 4. Interconnect bays 1 & 2 have 1G (GbE2c) switches.

When I create a server profile the first 4 cards show in the Mapping column as:

LOM:1 -> Bay1

LOM:2 -> Bay1

Mezz1:1 -> Bay2

Mezz1:2 -> Bay2

In the server profile I have them as UNASSIGNED

When I create the next vNIC it maps to Mezz2:1-a -> Bay3

And that all makes sense, my guess is that since these first four ports are linked to a non FLEX10 interconnect, the configuration I do in the Virtual Connect manager would have no impact. That is why I set them to unassigned. Config for these ports would happen on the GbE2c.

Now things get strange, the blade runs ESXi4.1. In ESX I see 2 nics listed as NC370i gbit adapter, and 2 as nc373m gbit adapters with their links up. All as expected, these are the LOM and MEZZ1 nic's.

But then I see 5 nics labelled as 10GbE adapters, vmnic with the higest 4 numbers are showing as link down, the lower numbered one is 10G and link up. So it seems that the first nics from the server profile (Unassigned and identified in the VC Manager -> Mapping column as LOM and MEZZ1) are seen as 10G adapters? This is also shown by looking at the MAC address shown in ESX, in that way they can be mapped to MEZZ2 ports.

So there is an inconsistency between VC Manager and what the OS sees.

Q1: What am I doing wrong

Q2: How should I configure so that I can use my LOM/MEZZ1 cards

I've opened several calls with HP to get this answered, but they keep bouncing it between departmens. I'm hoping the collective knowledge on the forum can help me out ;-)

Thank you very much in advance

Bas

[chuckk281]

I forwarded to the HP experts, so we will see if we can help.

[Stevem]

It sounds like the OS may be enumerating teh NIC as the 10Gb NICs first.  A picture of the vSwitch would be most helpful.

[Stevem · Accepted solution]

Also, even though you have configured only 2 of the 10Gb flexnic, the additional 3 flexnics per port will show up in the OS as disconnected (no link).

[Bas Rijniersce]

Hi Steve,

And the answer is as simple as that! I got confused by the mapping shown in tthe VC manager. I should just completely ignore the first four lines there.

Funny BTW, that you are the person answering this. We had mailed about this issue several weeks ago (assuming you are the Steve M from ISS WC)

TX!