IVM on BL870c+VirtualConnect - Networking configuration

[pov-bcn]

Hello all,

Regarding a fresh IVM v4 install on a BL870c running a HP-UX 11iv3, on a c7000 enclosure and VirtualConnect switches.

We are working designing a feasible solution for the networking part. Here are our constraints:

- The network guys give us a 2x1000Base-T port aggregation to our virtualconnect modules, multiplexing 4 different VLANs via 802.1Q.

- Due to the fact that we are running VirtualConnect 1.21 for EMC compatibility constraints, we are only able to "tunnel" those VLAN trunks to each of the four pNICs on the BL870c. So we are on an a case were all the four LOMs of the BL870c have 802.1Q vlan tagged access to the four VLANs.

- One of the VLANs is the "public/production", and the others are just different "private/haeartbeat" for each of the applications, that all share this "public" VLAN.

We are wondering how we should aproach the network configuration both in the host and in the different guest (one for each application) in order to provide high availability using APA and VLANs.

Some other aspects that we are considering:

- We supose that the HOST must be accesible via the "public/production" VLAN. Not sure.

- The IVMs have to had access both to the "public/production" VLAN and also to its correspondant "heartbeat/private" networks.

Considering all these aspects, what will be the best option to continue designing a solution?

Here come our thoughts:

- Configure a APA with LAN_MONITOR with two pNICS assuring VirtualConnect HA just for the HOST. So we will create a lan900=lan0+lan3 and configure on top of this lan5000 with the VLAN ID of the "production/public" network. This interface is the one that will use exclusively the HOST.

- Configure a APA with LAN_MONITOR with with two pNICS assuring VirtualConnect HA just for the GUEST. So we will create a lan901=lan1+lan2.

From this reference:
http://forums13.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?admit=109447627+1227096811223+28353475&threadId=1282296

And also for this other one:

http://docs.hp.com/en/T2767-90141/ch08s04.html

"If the guest has to communicate with the VM Host or outside the VM Host over a VLAN, additional configuration is necessary. For communication to the VM host, configure a VLAN interface on the VM host interface for that vswitch. This VLAN interface should have the same VLAN ID as the guest port. For information about configuring VLANs on the VM Host, see the Using HP-UX VLANs manual. Do not use the hpvmnet command to create a virtual switch that is associated with a VLAN port on the VM Host (that is, a LAN created with lanadmin -V). This “nested VLAN” configuration is not supported."

How we should manage the VLAN configuration for the GUESTS?

Should we associate the lan901 interface with a dummy IP address to the a virtualswitch and the assign diferents ports/VLANs to each host?

We understand that the creation of the lan500X vlan interface on top of the lan_MONITORED lan901 won't be able to be associated to a vswitch? Is this correct?

Our original idea was to create four different vswitch, one per VLAN, and then associate the different vNIC to each guests to our convenience... but not sure if this is possible.

Thanks in advance for your clever advices.

sandstorm