VLAN trunking problem on BL2x220c G5

[branfarm]

Hi there. I have a brand new BL2x220c G5 with Windows Server 2008 Enterprise and I am attempting to configure VLAN trunking from the server to the Cisco 3020 blade switches located in the chassis. I have 2 3020's, located in slots 1 & 2.

After initial OS installation, the networking works just fine.

I also noticed that when I configured trunking, I lost connectivity to BOTH servers on that blade until I had finished configuring the 802.1q trunk on the switch side. Having the trunking configured on the switch but not on the server maintains connectivity (as I would expect). However, when I try and configure the HP NIC side, I lose all network connectivity to the server and must connect via iLO. I have verified that the VLAN's I'm trying to use are allowed and present on the trunk, and I've verified that I have the native VLAN set the same on both the switch and the server.

Does anyone have any ideas?

Just to answer the obvious questions:
- I'm using the latest PSP v8.10A
- I verified that both switches have the same config, the vlans exist on the switch, and the switch thinks it's sending those vlans down the trunk.
- The uplink to the core switches also shows the VLAN's
- OS is Windows 2008 Server Enterprise Edition w/o Hyper-V

Thanks in advance

[Lmm_1 · Accepted solution]

Can you please attach Cisco Switch config, please specify which NIC connects to which port and also send hpnetsvy, from command prompt type hpnetsvy >filename.txt, then send me the output

rgds
lmm

[branfarm]

I've attached the outputs you requested.

Thanks for your help!

[Lmm_1]

Ok, I checked the files here are my toughts, For VLAN 50, it seems to be just internal traffic, no gateway, we need to make sure you got the crosslinks enabled or external link between both switches, if you can send full show tech of 3020 that would be great.

Regarding VLAN1, you might try to change Native vlan on the switches to something different from 1, I´ve seen issues like this, if Native VLAN is 1 the switch will not tag the frame, then Host based vlan driver is expecting tag frames, therefore no communication untill VLAN1 frames are tagged.

rgds,
lmm

[branfarm]

Thanks for taking a look at that. Couple of thoughts:

1. My understanding is that setting the Native vlan on an 802.1q trunk to be VLAN X means that the switch will NOT tag those frames. Does HP's software still expect a vlan tag on frames in the native VLAN?

2. I have the uplinks from both switches set to be trunks, and I have verified that they are carrying vlan 1 and 50.

3. The internal links between the switches are enabled, but they are blocked by spanning-tree

Attached is the tech support from the B side switch.

Thanks again

[Lmm_1]

1. Is should be able to handle both, tag and untagged frames, the reason why I recommended to change the Native VLAN is because I ran into the same issue and thats the way I fixed.

2. Yeah, congig looks fine, Port 18 is carrying all vlans.

The config on the blade switches looks fine, then you will need to look into the upstream switch port configuration just to see if it allows those vlans.

Can you try to ping each vlan from the switch console? Is it succesfull? If so, Server switch communication is fine, the issue is with the upstream switch config.

I will expect VLAN50 to work on that way, maybe VLAN1 will not work then you might try changing the native vlan on that swith port.

Another good test, assing IPs to VLAN50 in the switch, then try to ping the VLAN1 and VLAN 50 IP from the server OS.

rgds,
lmm

[branfarm]

Ok -- It's working now. I tried assigning vlan 50 an ip address on each switch, and sure enough it was pingable from the host OS. That definitely pointed to a 802.1q problem, since at least one VLAN was getting over the trunk. I went ahead and changed the native vlan config on the switch, and it worked!

Thanks for your help!

[Lmm_1]

Good enough, you are welcome.

rgds,
lmm