Setup and Install

Installation 23
Because Virtual Connect communicates with other components through the Onboard Administrator, special
considerations are required when using EBIPA with Virtual Connect Ethernet modules:
• The Onboard Administrator must be on the same IP subnet as all Virtual Connect modules.
• The Onboard Administrator IP address must be set properly before changing the IP addresses of the
Virtual Connect modules.
Stacking Links
Stacking links are used to add VC-Enet modules to a VC domain. This feature enables any server NIC
physically connected to a VC module to be connected to any Ethernet network. By using stacking links, a
single pair of uplinks can function as the data center network connections for the entire Virtual Connect
domain.
Observe the following guidelines:
• Use uplink ports to connect modules to data center switches or stack VC-Enet modules and enclosures.
• Virtual Connect does not support stacking for FC modules. Each VC-FC module or FlexFabric module
configured to carry Fibre Channel or FCoE traffic requires uplink connections to the external FC SAN
environment.
• The following modules only support external stacking for Ethernet traffic:
o HP VC FlexFabric 10Gb/24-port
o HP VC FlexFabric-20/40 F8
o HP VC Flex-10/10D
When these modules have ports configured to carry Fibre Channel or FCoE traffic, those ports do not
support stacking.
• Observe the following information when Ethernet modules are horizontally-adjacent:
o HP VC Flex-10 Enet modules
Uplink ports X7 and X8 form internal stacking links between the modules when left unpopulated.
o HP VC FlexFabric 10Gb/24-Port modules
Uplink ports X7 and X8 form internal stacking links between the modules when left unpopulated.
o HP VC Flex-10/10D Modules
Ports X11, X12, X13, and X14 are dedicated internal stacking links.
o HP VC FlexFabric-20/40 F8 Modules
Ports X9 and X10 are dedicated internal stacking links.
• Virtual Connect automatically detects when one VC-Enet module port is connected to another VC-Enet
module port within the domain and changes the port ID indicator color to amber to indicate a stacking
link.
• All VC-Enet modules within the Virtual Connect domain must be interconnected. Any combination of
1Gb and 10Gb cables can be used to interconnect the modules. If connecting HP VC FlexFabric-20/40
F8 modules, 40Gb stacking cables can be used.
• ISL ports provide stacking links between horizontally adjacent modules.
• In partially stacked domains, the combination of a stacking link and horizontally-adjacent Enet modules
is considered a logical interconnect. Logical interconnects are formed in horizontal and primary slice
stacking modes.