User guide

HP Virtual Connect for Cisco Network Administrators (version 4.x)
Document Number: C01386629 Date: January 2014
page 38
External network sees
multiple MAC addresses on
pNICs (VMware) or VC
Uplinks
(from VMs)
(from blade servers)
Can be configured to isolate
internal servers into separate
Layer 2 domains (broadcast
domains)
Can be configured to allow
internal servers to communicate
directly
pNICs\VC Uplinks can
be configured as Port
Trunks (EtherChannel)
pNICs\VC Uplinks can be
configured as VLAN Trunks
Does NOT transmits
BPDUs to external network
Does NOT participates in the
Datacenter Spanning Tree
(uses
internal loop
prevention)
(uses internal
loop prevention)
Uses a virtual (software)
component to pass frames between
internal servers and external
network
X
Uses a hardware component to
pass frames between internal
servers and external network
X
Is Operating System Independent
X
Supports both Itanium and x86
platforms
X
Virtual Connect’s Loop Prevention Technology
Virtual Connect’s loop prevention technology is best described by building on what was discussed
in the section above, “Comparing VC and VMware Networking Technology”. VC’s loop prevention
technology is very similar to the NIC Teaming\bonding technology used by ProLiant servers.
Referring back to the figure above comparing VMware and VC, it can be seen that the ESX server is
using NIC bonding technology to provide load balancing and\or fault tolerance for vSwitch 1 and