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тАО05-07-2009 01:06 PM
тАО05-07-2009 01:06 PM
We have 8 virtual connects on our c7000 enclosure. In Bays 1,2,5,6,7, and 8, we have VC-Enet. In Bays 3 and 4, we have VC-FC.
We are using BL465c blades with 6 NICs and 2 HBA's in them.
Do we need to use CX4 cables in this scenario for redundancy between the virtual connects?
If so, can CX4 cables be used between VC-Enet and VC-FC? Or at the minimum VC-FC to VC-FC (between bays 3 and 4).
On HP's website, I found documentation where the CX4 cables were linked between VC-Enet modules only. If this were to be used for redundancy, how do we take into consideration the VC-FC's?
Sorry if none of this makes sense. New to blades and virtual connect equipment.
Solved! Go to Solution.
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тАО05-07-2009 05:00 PM
тАО05-07-2009 05:00 PM
Re: Help with CX4 cables and Virtual Connects
you will find a diagram showing how to connect the stacking links for your configuration in the VCM User Guide.
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00865618/c00865618.pdf
it doesnt matter if your FC modules are geographically situated between your ENet modules, just run the cx4 cables across them.
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тАО05-07-2009 06:27 PM
тАО05-07-2009 06:27 PM
Re: Help with CX4 cables and Virtual Connects
If I'm understanding your reply correctly, are you saying that CX4 cables are used for a "shortcut" path for network traffic between VC-Enet in Bay 1 to say Bay 8?
What are other reasons for stacking / joining the modules together? Would redundancy be one of them?
I found this link from HP's website:
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&taskId=115&prodSeriesId=3885293&prodTypeId=329290&objectID=c01724621
It seems like it's possible to stack VC-FC's. If it's true, can I stack my VC-FC for redundancy purposes between bays 3 and 4?
Is it possible to stack VC-Enet and VC-FC modules together?
Thanks for any help provided!
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тАО05-08-2009 04:04 AM
тАО05-08-2009 04:04 AM
SolutionYou cannot stack VC-FC modules. There is no connector to do this, no such concept. No communication needs to happen between VC-FCs or to VC-Eth. Redundancy is achieved with MPIO/Securepath over the two fibre connections and having more than one cable into each VC-FC and setting up dynamic balancing on the VC-FC.
What one of the questions in the link you found is talking about is that if you have two enclosures in a multi-enclosure domain and they are stacked then the VC-FC modules need to be in the same slots in both enclosures.
Second. Unless you have the VC-Eth 1/10Gb-F Ethernet Fibre modules in interconnects 1 & 2 then you cant do the multi-enclosure domain upgrade anyway. But you could use Virtual Connect Enterprise Manager to move profiles between enclosures.
Third. Stacking is linking all the VC-Eth modules together in a ring or a mesh. To..
(a) reduce number of uplinks from a blade enclosure to core switches.
(b) keep as much network traffic as possible within the VC modules.
(c) redundancy of connections out of the blade enclosure.
The VCs are internally stacked between 1-2, 5-6 & 7-8. On our config I put stacking links between 1-7, 2-6 & 5-8 so I have a VC ring of 1-2-6-8-7-1. So now blade nic can uplink thru any VC port if it is configured to do so....and it has two paths to get there.
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тАО05-08-2009 06:03 AM
тАО05-08-2009 06:03 AM
Re: Help with CX4 cables and Virtual Connects
Could you elaborate more on the VC-FC redunancy using MPIO/Securepath. I think MPIO/Securepath is software from HP. Where would have this software installed to implement the redundancy for VC-FC?
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тАО05-08-2009 07:16 AM
тАО05-08-2009 07:16 AM
Re: Help with CX4 cables and Virtual Connects
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/ProductList.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodTypeId=18964&prodSeriesId=421492&taskId=135
http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/sanworks/secure-path/spwin.html
MPIO is free.
What they both do is remove visible redundant paths to the same disk within the operating system. So if you have many paths to the same disk (which you will have at least 2) you only see one disk wether 1 or more of the paths are ok.
So if one VC-FC module goes down or all the uplink cables to the SAN switch(s) from one VC are removed - everything stays up.
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тАО05-10-2009 05:23 PM
тАО05-10-2009 05:23 PM
Re: Help with CX4 cables and Virtual Connects
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тАО05-11-2009 04:05 AM
тАО05-11-2009 04:05 AM
Re: Help with CX4 cables and Virtual Connects
What do you think is going to fail more often/most?
Cables from two VCs to one switch obviously do not have redundant connections....but if the SAN connected unit you are connecting to has only one SAN port then you dont care.
If you go from a VC to a SAN switch (twice) then you do have more redundancy.