User guide

HP Virtual Connect for Cisco Network Administrators (version 4.x)
Document Number: C01386629 Date: January 2014
page 9
(Onboard Administrator modules). The BladeSystem c-Class uses redundant and hot-pluggable
components extensively to provide maximum uptime to the enclosure. Figure 1 shows the
c7000 implementation of the architecture.
The HP BladeSystem architecture is available in two enclosure form factors: the c7000 and
the c3000. The HP BladeSystem c7000 enclosure will accommodate up to 16 half-height server
or other device blades, or up to eight full-height server blades, or a combination of the two
blade form factors. The c7000 also provides eight rear bays for interconnect modules. The HP
BladeSystem c3000 enclosure will accommodate up to 8 half-height server or other device
blades, or up to 4 full- height server blades, or a combination of the two blade form factors. The
c3000 also provides four rear bays for interconnect modules.
Optional mezzanine cards within the server blades provide network connectivity to the
interconnect modules. The connections between server blades and the network fabric can be
fully redundant. Customers install their choice of mezzanine cards in the mezzanine slots
inside the blades, and interconnect modules in the interconnect bays at the rear of the enclosure
to create their network fabric connectivity. Mezzanine card options include Ethernet, Fibre
Channel, and Infiniband. However, Fibre Channel and Infiniband are outside the scope of this
paper.
The enclosure houses either one or two Onboard Administrator modules. Onboard
Administrator provides enclosure-base management and intelligence throughout the
infrastructure to monitor power and thermal conditions, ensure hardware configurations are
correct, and simplify network configuration. The Insight Display panel on the front of the
enclosure simplifies configuration and maintenance. Customers have the option of installing a
second Onboard Administrator module that acts as a completely redundant controller in an active-
standby mode.
The c7000 enclosure can use either single-phase or three-phase power inputs and can hold up to
six 2250 W power supplies. The power supplies connect to a passive power backplane that
distributes the power to all the components in a shared manner.
To cool the enclosure, HP designed a fan known as the Active Cool fan. The c7000 enclosure
can hold up to ten hot-pluggable Active Cool fans. The Active Cool fans are designed for high
efficiency and performance to provide redundant cooling across the enclosure as well as
providing ample capacity for future cooling needs.
Figure 1. Overview of c7000 Enclosure Components