User guide

HP Virtual Connect for Cisco Network Administrators (version 4.x)
Document Number: C01386629 Date: January 2014
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Introduction
Virtual Connect is an innovative networking product for HP bladesystem c-Class customers that has
been shipping since February 2007. Virtual Connect was designed and engineered as a direct result
of customer requests for a better way to manage blade server network connections. It is very
important for the Administrator to fully understand the impact of the product and for them to feel
comfortable with its introduction into their environment. Virtual Connects implementation into a
customer environment will not only positively affect the Server Administrators, but also the
LAN and SAN Administrators. While some will call it a switch, but it truly is a layer 1.5 device. It
uses a mapping technology to create the data paths. Without the data paths bei n g m ap p ed d at a
cann ot flo w. More specifically, because of this impact on LAN Administrators, a thorough
discussion of Virtual Connect and its operation and interoperability with the existing Cisco
network infrastructure is very important.
LAN-safe
Virtual Connect works seamlessly with your external network:
 Does not participate in Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) on the network uplinks to the data
center. This avoids potential STP configuration errors that can negatively affect
switches in the network and the servers connected to those switches.
 Uses an internal loop prevention algorithm to automatically detect and prevent loops
inside the Virtual Connect domain. For example, if a Server Admin was to accidentally
turn on Bridging at the OS layer, Virtual Connect will detect that and block one side of
the loop and send a trap notifying the admins of this condition.
 Allows aggregation of uplinks to data center networks (using LACP and fail-over).
 Supports VLAN tagging on egress or pass-thru of VLAN tags in tunneled mode.
 Supports Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) and Jumbo Frames.
 Virtual Connect is not a Black Box. I some cases it provides more industry standard
visibility than our competitors.
 Separate Data Plane and Control / Management Planes – True out-of-band management
 Authentication methods that include local authentication, Lightweight Directory Access
Protocol (LDAP), Terminal Access Controller Access-Control System Plus
(TACACS+), and Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS).
 Network Access Groups that let you control which networks to allow into the same
server profile. You can assign a VLAN to one or more groups. This prevents
administrators from using networks from different security domains in the same server
profile.
 Virtual Connect supports multiple QOS methodologies.
SAN-safe
Virtual Connect Fibre Channel uplinks appear to be multiple HBAs connecting to the SAN by
using N_Port ID Virtualization (NPIV) technology. NPIV is an industry-standard Fibre
Channel protocol that provides a method to assign multiple Fibre Channel addresses on a single
physical link. Each Fibre Channel connection has its own N_Port ID and WWN.