Virtual connect port mapping and modification

[UK-Blr]

I was just going through the below diagram of VC.
As the diagram depicts, there are 8 VC modules and one full height blade server I believe.

...............................................


The reason being, letâ s assume if the LOM1 connected to VC1 port x, is it possible to link the LOM1 to VC8 port x etc.

However, if I have a customized VC setup as below, how the exact NIC mapping looks like.
C7000 enclosure with all BL680c full height blades and
Bay 1.2 â VC Ethernet module pair
Bay 3.4 â 4gb VC FC module pair
Bay 5.6- VC Ethernet module pair ( for DMZ purpose, will not be shared or linked to any other VLAN)
Bay 7.8 â VC Ethernet module pair.


How the exact port mapping looks like in this scenario?

[Adrian Clint · Accepted solution]

Better diagram attached Uday.

You can only have the connections shown in this diagram.

BUT......
If you connect the VC ethernet modules together using stacking cables (RJ45 or CX4) you can have NIC1 going into VC1 then thru the stack links to VC8 and out of ports on VC8.

[UK-Blr]

Hi Adrian,

Thank you very much.

Let me be more clear..

along with the above info. The BL 680c blades which will be getting will have 2 mezz cards consist of one number of 4 port mezz card and one number of 2port mezz card n each blade.

So if i get the exact picture, how the mapping is happening, that would be great

[Adrian Clint]

Uday.

When you say you have a 2 port card and a 4 port card.... do you mean a 2 port HBA and a 4 port NIC or do you have a 2 port HBA AND a 2 port and 4 port NIC?

How many NICs per server do you want?

[WFHC-WI]

Hi Uday,

In your case I think the port mapping would be as such:

Server in Bay 1:
>Embedded NIC1 - VC1 Port 1
>Embedded NIC2 - VC2 Port 1
>Embedded NIC3 - VC1 Port 9
>Embedded NIC4 - VC1 Port 9

>Mezzanine 1 Port 1 - VC 3 Port 1
>Mezzanine 1 Port 1 - VC 4 Port 1

>Mezzanine 2 Port 1 - VC 5 Port 1
>Mezzanine 2 Port 2 - VC 6 Port 1
>Mezzanine 2 Port 3 - VC 7 Port 1
>Mezzanine 2 Port 4 - VC 8 Port 1

This assumes you have a 4-port card in mezz slot 2 and nothing in mezz 3.

Good luck!

[WFHC-WI]

Just to add to the previous post, a card in mezzanine slot 3, server in bay 1 will map to port 9 on modules 5,6,7, and 8. Hope this helps.

[UK-Blr]

Ok. Here goes the details.

C7000 enclosure with all BL680c full height blades and
A. Bay 1.2 - VC Ethernet module pair - 4 ports on each module (total 8 ports)

B. Bay 3.4 - 4gb VC FC module pair - 2FC ports on each module ( 4 FC ports total)

C. Bay 5.6- VC Ethernet module pair ( for DMZ purpose, will not be shared or linked to any other VLAN)- 4 ports on each module (total 8 ports)

D. Bay 7.8 - VC Ethernet module pair- 4 ports on each module (total 8 ports)

[UK-Blr]

Complete details which we have plans to do.

C7000 enclosure with all BL680c full height blades, lets say 5-6 blades in each enclosure.

A. Bay 1.2 - VC Ethernet module pair - 4 ports on each module (total 8 ports)

B. Bay 3.4 - 4gb VC FC module pair - 2FC ports on each module ( 4 FC ports total)

C. Bay 5.6- VC Ethernet module pair ( for DMZ purpose, will not be shared or linked to any other VLAN)- 4 ports on each module (total 8 ports)

D. Bay 7.8 - VC Ethernet module pair- 4 ports on each module (total 8 ports)

Bay 1, EC network module 1 will be stacked with cx4 cable to Bay 8, module EC network module.

Bay 1, module 2 will be staked with cx4 cable to bay 9, EC networl module 1.

This creates multiple redundancy i believe.

On the Blade part, each blade will have 4 LOM nics, One mezz card of 4port each and One more mezz card of 2 port each.

In this scenario, how exactly the port mapping happens.

[WFHC-WI]

Hi again Uday,

I think I have a better idea of what you are planning, but can you clarify what kind of network cards you are going to install? Is this correct below?

NIC1 - NIC4: using LOM
mezzanine slot 1: fiber channel HBA
mezzanine slot 2: four-port network adapter
mezzanine slot 3: two-port network adapter

[UK-Blr]

Hi,

Yes that is correct.

[WFHC-WI]

Server Bay 1:
LOM NIC1 - VC bay 1, port 1
LOM NIC2 - VC bay 2, port 1
LOM NIC3 - VC bay 1, port 9
LOM NIC4 - VC bay 2, port 9

mezzanine1 HBA1 port 1 - VC bay 3, port 1
mezzanine1 HBA1 port 2 - VC bay 4, port 1

mezzanine 2 NIC 1 - VC bay 5, port 1
mezzanine 2 NIC 2 - VC bay 6, port 1
mezzanine 2 NIC 3 - VC bay 7, port 1
mezzanine 2 NIC 4 - VC bay 8, port 1

mezzanine 3 NIC 1 - VC bay 7, port 9
mezzanine 3 NIC 2 - VC bay 8, port 9

To gather port numbers for other servers, simply add the bay number minus 1 to each port value listed.
All of these port mappings are on the internal side of the virtual connect module. The external ports or uplinks are configured from the Virtual Connect Manager page. You can find specific port mappings for any server by clicking it in the Onboard Administrator page and selecting the "Port Mapping" link.

[Adrian Clint]

Uday,
Can you see how the above matches the pdf in my first post.

Also note that this has nothing to do with Virtual Connect. It would be the same with pass-thrus, Cisco, Brocode or Gbe switches as long as they are matched network/SAN in the same positions.

Also - how many NICs are you using for DMZ? If its 2 are they going to come out of Bay 7/8 or 5/6 now?
If you stack all the VCs together then you can still separate DMZs... they can even come out of different VC modules. Our config has DMZs on say NIC1 comming out of VC5.

[UK-Blr]

Yes it is almost clear.
before that, would like to know, lets say, if i configure two different vlan trunks using 2 ports from bay 5 and 6, another 2 vlan trunk using 2 ports from bay 5 and 6 (availale only 4 ports toal in each module), how the mapping will happen inside the VC to blades with above config for a bl680c.

As i need to be very clear , as this should not hinder vmware environment networking later.

[UK-Blr]

Hi,

It would be helpful, if any comments on this, as this config is good enough

[Adrian Clint]

Uday.... you are mixing up Virtual Connect network profile mapping (a configuration to connect specific server NICs to specific VC uplinks) and blade enclosure NIC mapping which links NICs to specific Virtual Connect modules.

For example your
mezzanine 2 NIC 1 - VC bay 5,
That specific NIC on any server can be configured in a profile to uplink out of any NIC on VC5 or V6 as they are stacked internally horizontally.
It cannot be configured to uplink out of VC1/2/7 or 8 if you only have stacking links between 1-7 & 2-8 as you said as the stacking link ring is 1-2-8-7-1. (You said VC 8 & 9 but I think you mean 7 & 8?)

[UK-Blr]

hope so.. would it be possible to discuss over the phone ( UK numbers)..

[UK-Blr]

.