Chapter 2: Flex-10 Scenario 98
Chapter 2: Flex-10 Scenario
Overview
This chapter will provide configuration scenarios of Virtual Connect Flex-10, using a single HP
BladeSystem c7000 enclosure with two Virtual Connect Flex-10 Ethernet modules installed in Bays 1 and
2. If additional Network ports are required, over what TWO Flex-10 NICs will provide, additional
network ports can be added along with additional VC or VC Flex-10 modules, switches or Pass-Thru
modules.
Each scenario will provide an overview of the configuration, show how to complete that configuration
and include both GUI and CLI (scripted) methods. Where possible, examples for Windows, Windows
Hyper-V and/or VMware will also be provided.
CISCO and ProCurve CLI commands used to configure the upstream switches are also provided in the
appendices.
Flex-10 technology can be provided in two ways;
3.
Through the use the10Gb (LOM) NICs integrated on the main PCB, or;
4.
Through the installation of a DUAL PORT 10Gb-KR mezzanine card (NC532m) in an HP
BladeSystem server. The first server to provide 10Gb LOM NICs is the BL495c, which is what is
being used in the following example.
The key benefit of Flex-10 is that; we now have 10Gb of network bandwidth available per NIC port with
the ability to partition or divide that bandwidth into as many as four (4) independent configurable
physical NICs per port. These NICs can be configured at speeds of between 100Mb and 10Gb
providing the ability to tune bandwidth to the specific need, such as, management, VMotion or
production networks. With current technology, all networks would be provided with the same 1Gb speed
and would require independent discrete NICs. With Flex-10, we can now provide each network with the
desired speed as shown in the following table.
Flex-10 provides significant investment protections as both 1Gb and 10Gb uplink connections are
supported. If 10Gb ports are not currently available within the datacenter, Flex-10 could be deployed
initially with 1Gb uplinks and then later upgraded to 10Gb uplink connections once those ports become
available.
Requirements
This chapter will utilize a single HP BladeSystem c7000 enclosure with TWO Virtual Connect Flex-10
Ethernet modules and a half height BladeSystem server installed in Bay 1. The server will connect to the
Virtual Connect models with two 10Gb NICs. Network adapter Port 1 connects to the VC Flex-10 module
in Bay 1 and Network adapter Port 2 connects to the VC Flex-10 module in Bay 2.
It is assumed that a Virtual Connect Domain has been created either through the GUI or a CLI script and
no VC Networks or Server Profiles have been created.
Figure 2-1
c7000 enclosure with four Half Height G6 BladeSystem servers and two Virtual Connect Flex-10
Ethernet modules in Interconnect modules Bays 1 & 2.