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Re: DL380 G6 - 4 Gbps link?

 
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Fulvio Francini
Frequent Advisor

DL380 G6 - 4 Gbps link?

Hi all, is it possible to use all 4 nic present in this server to get a 4 giga connection?
8 REPLIES 8
Johan Guldmyr
Honored Contributor

Re: DL380 G6 - 4 Gbps link?

Shouldn't be a problem.

Are you using Windows? Check out the network configuration utility, NCU.
Diego Castelli
Trusted Contributor
Solution

Re: DL380 G6 - 4 Gbps link?

Fulvio, the NCU is able to Team the four NICs, but 4 REAL load balance you should have a procurve switch that supports the network teaming.

If you thing about it, no switch can AUTOMATICALLLY load balance on 4 MAC addresses....

what you are looking for is "Switch-assisted Load Balancing with Fault Tolerance (SLB)", as stated here:
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/5347FD31-A43C-4633-AD70-D3D47BA8A44B/FinalDownload/DownloadId-F5343FD64011ADEE0A11C763F5E0E522/5347FD31-A43C-4633-AD70-D3D47BA8A44B/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c01415139/c01415139.pdf?jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN

if you are looking for a little bit best performance and a solid fault tolerance on the 4 NICs, then you can use "only" NCU (software based on the server). Elsewhere it'll tell you that you have a 4 Gbit link, but it isn't.

The switch normally respond to ARP requests once to the client making the connection and that machine will use only one MAC to comunicate with the server (thus only one port AT 1 Gbps).
Diego C.

MS MCSA Server 2003

HP Accredited Integration Specialist
Fulvio Francini
Frequent Advisor

Re: DL380 G6 - 4 Gbps link?

Hi Diego thanks for your answer. What I am looking for is pure performances...

We have an applications installed on the server that use to transfer a huge quantity of data to client (with giga connection), and I want to avoid the server nics to become the bottleneck.

We are using Cisco 3750 switch...
Diego Castelli
Trusted Contributor

Re: DL380 G6 - 4 Gbps link?

Ciao Fulvio,
Here are one interesting read from HP FORUMS:
http://forums11.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?threadId=616820

shortly you have to look in the product configuration guide of your CISCO for how to configure a trunk for load balancing.
Anyway you should find Saket's and Dimitri's posts useful and probably will solve your problem.

Remember that if you wants Just to TRANSFER FROM the server to another server probably you don't need to setup SLB (switch-assisted load balancing). Anyway it would be great if you do it on the other server.

SLB is more useful in a receive scenario.

Regards.
Don't forget to assign points. :-)
Diego C.

MS MCSA Server 2003

HP Accredited Integration Specialist
Diego Castelli
Trusted Contributor

Re: DL380 G6 - 4 Gbps link?

sorry didn't notice you've already assigned points...
:-)

Diego C.

MS MCSA Server 2003

HP Accredited Integration Specialist
Fulvio Francini
Frequent Advisor

Re: DL380 G6 - 4 Gbps link?

"Remember that if you wants Just to TRANSFER FROM the server to another server probably you don't need to setup SLB (switch-assisted load balancing). Anyway it would be great if you do it on the other server.

SLB is more useful in a receive scenario."

Ciao Diego, the transfer will not be server2server but server2multiple-client...

What do you mean when you say "SLB is more useful in a receive scenario"?
Do you mean that in a trasmit scenario a MAC load balancing is the best solution?
Diego Castelli
Trusted Contributor

Re: DL380 G6 - 4 Gbps link?

NO, i'm sorry i'm messing up things.

I mean:
-probably in a transmit-only scenario you will have performance enhancements just with software teaming (without SLB).

-anyway the best is SLB

do some tests with an ideal performance baseline in mind and then take decisions based on this and on how much resources you can dedicate to the project.

---ITALIAN---:
Spero di essere stato chiaro :-)
comunque se puoi configurare il bilanciamento anche sullo switch io te lo consiglio.
Fai qualche prova in base ai risultati che vuoi ottenere ed alle risorse che puoi dedicare al progetto.

Ciao.
----END OF ITALIAN-----.

HTH Bye.
Diego C.

MS MCSA Server 2003

HP Accredited Integration Specialist
Fulvio Francini
Frequent Advisor

Re: DL380 G6 - 4 Gbps link?

Hi Diego... now it is clear.
I will give a try to find the best solution.

Grazie!