Virtual connect stacking

[Igor Karasik]

Hi,

Our current environment on one of our sites:
- Two C7000 enclosures,
- In each enclosure we have
* 2 HP 1/10Gb-F Virtual Connect Ethernet Modules in interconnect bays 1 and 2, connected to our network backbone
* 2 HP 1/10Gb-F Virtual Connect Ethernet Modules in interconnect bays 3 and 4, connected to our iSCSI network

iSCSI network is physically different from our network backbone.

VC domain "1" defined for enclosure 1 and VC domain "2" defined for enclosure 2.
No stacking links exists. VC-Enet have last firmware.

We want to connect VC-Enet in bays 1 and 2 from Enclosure 1 to VC-Enet in bays 1 and 2 from Enclosure 2 with stacking links.

We want to connect VC-Enet in bays 3 and 4 from Enclosure 1 to VC-Enet in bays 3 and 4 from Enclosure 2 with stacking links as well.

We want to make VC domain "1" only for our network backbone and VC domain "2" only for our iSCSI network (i.e. to move VC-Enet in bays 1 and 2 from Enclosure 2 to VC domain "1", VC-Enet in bays 3 and 4 from Enclosure 1 to VC domain "2",....)

Is all this procedure possible ?
Can we establish stacking links between VC's in differenet enclosures ?
Can we move VC-enet modules between VC domains ?

One more question - currently we have "Stacking link failed message" in VC manager because we don't have stacking links between VC-enet modules
in bay 1-2 and bay 3-4. Because we will never connect these VC-enet modules with stacking link (it is physically different networks) - can we disable this message ?

Thanks, Igor

[Ken Henault · Accepted solution]

Stacking between enclosures is currently a beta feature in the 1.3x firmware, but not the 2.x firmware. I think VC Manager has a link to apply for a beta license key.

I believe multi-enclosure stacking is planned as a production feature in future firmware, but the schedule's not publicly available.

You can just put a 1Gb Cat 5 cable between bays 1/3 - 2/4 and the error will go away. no traffic will be routed over the connection if it's not configured to.

[Igor Karasik]

Ken, thanks for the answer !

After multi-enclosure stacking will be available (we have 2.x firmware and don't want downgrade) - can we move VC-enet modules between VC domains ?

[Ken Henault]

Sure, you'll be deleting from one domain, then adding it to another domain as if it were a new device. No configuration information will be carried over when you move it.

[ilayy]

ken
if i just move the vc without deleting it from the first domain. the vc will be reset to default automatically ? so when i insert it in a new enclosure all blade servers will boot with no problem using their default mac address?