HP ProLiant BL e-Class C-GbE Interconnect Switch Overview - White Paper

Network load balancing

ProLiant BL systems configured with the interconnect switch support three network load balancing

solutions. Options exist for providing this functionality integrated within or exterior to the server blade

enclosure.

For load balancing within the server blade enclosure, the F5 Network BIG-IP Blade Controller (BIG-IP)

may be used. BIG-IP is a software option for ProLiant BL e-Class and p-Class systems that provides a

very economical solution to load balancing and traffic management between multiple server blades

that reside in a single to multiple server blade enclosures.

BIG-IP is available from F5 Networks as a software option installed on ProLiant server blades. One

license is installed on a server making the server blade into a “dedicated” load balancer; no

additional software can be installed on the server blade. For a redundant solution, two copies of BIG-

IP are installed on two server blades. The server blade(s) with BIG-IP installed may perform load

balancing on blade servers that reside in the same or different server blade enclosures, both e-Class

and p-Class. The blade servers may be located anywhere on the network as long as load balanced

traffic to and from the servers pass through the BIG-IP Blade Controller. For more information on BIG-

IP Blade Controller for ProLiant BL systems, see http://h71028.www7.hp.com/enterprise/html/4557-

0-0-0-121.html.

For load balancing exterior to the server blade enclosure, a third party layer 7 Ethernet switch or

network load balancing appliance may be used. This traditional approach uses a multi-tiered

architecture where the interconnect switches are connected to one or more layer 7 switches or

network load balancing appliances. Layer 7 switches and network load balancing appliances are

available from several network vendors including Cisco, F5, Nortel, and others. This solution is

supported on both e-Class and p-Class configured with any interconnect.

Switch management

The C-GbE Interconnect Switch is an industry-standard managed Ethernet switch meaning users

configure and manage the switch like other industry-standard Ethernet switches. To aid users during

initial deployment, the C-GbE Interconnect Switch includes a default configuration that is fully

operational at initial boot.

A web browser-based interface (BBI), menu driven console interface (MDI), and a command line

interface (CLI) with scripting capability are pre-installed in the switch firmware to configure, manage,

and monitor the interconnect switch. The interconnect switch also supports Telnet access, simple

network management protocol (SNMP), and remote monitoring (RMON). Any combination of the

downlink, crosslink, and external ports can be disabled, enabled, configured, and monitored on a

per port basis. Out-of-band and in-band access to the switch management interfaces are supported

locally and remotely from anywhere on the network. Administration of both switches is possible

through any External Ethernet port on either switch and the serial port (Figure 6).