Server profile setup – HP Virtual Connect Flex-10 10Gb Ethernet Module for c-Class BladeSystem User Manual
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Configuring the Virtual Connect domain using the CLI 182
Server profiles are associated with a specific enclosure device bay. After a profile is assigned, the Virtual
Connect Manager configures the server blade in that device bay with the appropriate MAC, PXE, WWN,
and SAN boot settings and connects the appropriate networks and fabrics. Server blades that have been
assigned a profile and remain in the same device bay do not require further Virtual Connect Manager
configuration during a server or enclosure power cycle. They boot and gain access to the network and fabric
when the server and interconnect modules are ready.
If a server blade is installed in a device bay already assigned a server profile, Virtual Connect Manager
automatically updates the configuration of that server blade before it can power on and connect to the
network.
If a server blade is moved from a Virtual Connect-managed enclosure to a non-Virtual Connect enclosure, the
MAC addresses and WWNs for the blade are automatically returned to the original factory defaults. This
feature prevents duplicate MAC addresses and WWNs from appearing in the data center because of a
server blade redeployment.
Server profile setup
The I/O connection profile, or server profile, provides a link between the server and the networks and fabrics
defined in VC. The server profile can include MAC and WWN addresses, as well as boot parameters for the
various connection protocols supported by VC. After being defined, the server profile can be assigned to any
server blade within the Virtual Connect domain. VCM supports up to 256 profiles within the domain.
A Virtual Connect server profile consists of connections that group attributes related to server connectivity for
the various protocols supported by Virtual Connect modules. These protocols are Ethernet, iSCSI, Fibre
Channel over Ethernet (FCoE), and Fibre Channel.
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For Ethernet connections, VC provides the ability to assign VC-assigned MAC addresses and configure
PXE boot settings as well as allocate bandwidth on Flex-10 connections.
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For iSCSI connections, VC provides the ability to assign VC-assigned MAC addresses and configure
iSCSI boot settings as well as allocate bandwidth. This protocol is only available on Flex-10 server ports
that support iSCSI.
•
For FCoE connections, VC provides the ability to assign VC-assigned WWN and MAC addresses and
configure Fibre Channel boot settings and bandwidth. This protocol is only available on FlexFabric
server connections.
•
For FC connections, VC provides the ability to assign VC-assigned WWN addresses and configure
Fibre Channel boot settings.
IMPORTANT:
The term server blade also applies to HP Integrity multi-blade servers. For more
information on multi-blade servers, see the HP Virtual Connect Manager for c-Class BladeSystem
User Guide on the HP website
When a server profile is assigned to a server blade, VCM configures the connections with the appropriate
MAC/WWN addresses and boot settings. USE BIOS is an option for all connection boot settings that
preserves the options set in the RBSU or through other configuration utilities. Virtual Connect Manager
automatically connects the server blade Ethernet, iSCSI, FCoE, and Fibre Channel ports to the specified
networks and SAN fabrics. This server profile can then be re-assigned to another server blade as needed,
while maintaining the server's network and SAN identity and connectivity.
VCM can be configured so that server blades use server factory default MACs/WWNs or Virtual
Connect-administered MACs/WWNs. These administered values override the default MAC addresses and
WWNs when a server profile is assigned to a server, and appear to pre-boot environments and the host