HP Blade C3000 & Cisco 3020 questions

[AntonyM]

Hi There,

I have been trying to set-up my first blade system and have a couple of questions that I can’t seem to find the answers too.

My blade system is a C3000, with 2 x Cisco 3020,  and 8 x BL460c G7's I want to install Ubtuntu 13.04 LTS, and run HPCC and want to ensure high abvailability.

1. Can the Cisco 3020 be configured for high availability? For example can I port map each of the blade servers’ NIC’s to each switch? then team them so that they continue to run in the event of a hardware failure?
2. Can the Port mapping be configured from the Blade server OA? or do I need to add mezzanine card to give each blade two more NIC’s?
3. Does the Cisco 3020 have Web management built into the firmware? I am currently running : flash:/cbs30x0-ipbasek9-mz.122-55.SE5.bin and I am not sure if that has the Web management. or not after looking here :

4. https://software.cisco.com/download/release.html?mdfid=280348753&flowid=7449&softwareid=280805680&release=15.0.2-SE8&relind=AVAILABLE&rellifecycle=MD&reltype=latest

Any advise or pointers would be greatly apprecaited as I am still trying to get a coomplete understanding of how a blade system works.

Thanks

Antony

[gregersenj · Accepted solution]

Hi Anthony

Blade servers work the same way as stand alone servers.

I have no knowledge on networking og Linux.

However. The Cisco switch is a standard Cisco switch. It work like any other Cisco switch and is configured and adminstered. Like any other Cisco switch.

Only difference is, it's in another box. And the cabling between the servers and the switch has been replaced by a midplane.

Using a midplane, also mean that ports is fixed, and can't be changed.

Server in bay 1, Nic port 1 is wired to Switch in interconnect bay 1, port 1.

On the C7000 Nic port 2 would be wired to Switch in IC bay 2, port 1.

The C3000 is a cut down/half of the C7000. >Half as many servers, and half as many interconnects. > the high availebility design of the C7000 is cut in half.

Servers is still having 2 embedded nic ports, and 2 or 3 Mezzanine slots (depend on full/half hight servers).

C7000 is designed for 16 half hight servers. So the interconnect modules got 16 internal ports (ports between servers and switches).

When you put the servers and inteconnects into a C3000, Then NIC port 2 is wired to Interconnect 1. in N+8.

So on the C3000 Server 1, nic 2 is wired to IC 1 port 9. and so on.

On a C3000. If you want to use 2 switches, you must put an extra NIC card in Mezzanin 1.

Since you are running old Cisco switches in a C3000, do remain on an old FW version on the OA.

There is temperature detection issues with the 3020 on C3000. So newer FW will run fans at full speed.

To understand the hardware.

HP got som very good technoligy briefs.

I will recommend you to study the C7000 first, then move on to the C3000. Then what seem to be odd, will make perfect sence.

C7000 tech:

http://h20565.www2.hp.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docId=emr_na-c00816246

C3000 Tech:

http://www.ts.avnet.com/uk/vendors/hp/assets/c3000_enclosure

As fo Linux to use NIC teaming.You will need Linux stuff, that can do that.

I know that HP support SUSE, Red Hat and more. But you will have to look for your Linux distro.

Start look for driver fra a balde, that you do have.

Here's an example:

http://h20566.www2.hp.com/hpsc/swd/public/readIndex?sp4ts.oid=3884100&lang=en&cc=us

Well, Ubuntu is in there.

Good luck :)

BR

/jag

[AntonyM]

Hi Jag,

Thanks for getting back to me, it’s very much appreciated.

After playing with this blade for the last few weeks I think you have confirmed my suspicions,

I now understand that the port mapping is all done through the mid plane and the only way to use the other switch would be to add a Mezzanine NIC to each blade on the C3000.

Thanks for the firmware info too regarding the Cisco C3020, I will just leave it as it is, and continue to use the CLI for setting everything up, I think in this scenario, I will just copy the config of the C3020 to another C3020 so we can quickly swap it out if it fails.

I am due a C7000 in the next few weeks with 16 blades in it, all running Ubuntu 14.04, so fingers crossed a teamed network driver / application will be available for me use, the RAID and installed NIC’s seem to get picked up on the install so that’s half the battle out of the way J

Thanks for sending the links over I will have a good look through them.

Best Regards

Antony