4 managing the network, Network best practices, Managing the network – HP LeftHand P4000 SAN Solutions User Manual

Page 46: Split network configurations

Advertising
background image

4 Managing the network

Correctly setting up the network for HP StoreVirtual Storage ensures data availability and reliability.

IMPORTANT:

The network settings must be the same for the switches, clients, and storage systems.

Set up the end-to-end network before creating storage volumes.

Network best practices

•

Isolate the SAN, including CMC traffic, on a separate network. If the SAN must run on a
public network, use a VPN to secure data and CMC traffic.

•

Configure all the network characteristics on a storage system before creating a management
group, or before adding the storage system to a management group and cluster.

•

Use static IP addresses, or reserved addresses if using DHCP.

•

Have flow control enabled.

•

Configure storage system settings for speed and duplex, frame size, and flow control BEFORE
bonding NICs and before putting the storage system into a management group and cluster.

IMPORTANT:

◦

NIC bonding between the two virtual NICs in the HP StoreVirtual VSA for VMware vSphere
is not supported. (The HP StoreVirtual VSA for Microsoft Hyper-V only supports a single
NIC.)

◦

You cannot change the speed, duplex, or flow control of a StoreVirtual VSA.

•

If adding a second IP address to a storage system, the second IP address must be on a separate
subnet. If the two IP addresses are on the same subnet, they must be bonded.

Split network configurations

Implement a split network configuration to use the CMC on a management network separate from
the storage network. HP recommends that you only configure a management network when the
storage systems are equipped with a sufficient number of network adapters so that the storage
systems can support both bonded NICs for optimal redundancy and performance on the storage
network, along with a separate management interface. Keep in mind the following requirements
when considering the creation of a management network.

•

Configure a management network only if your storage systems have more than two NICs.
Two NICs are the minimum number required to create a bonded interface for the storage
network to provide maximum redundancy and performance.

•

Use only available HP StoreVirtual upgrade kits to alter the hardware configuration of an HP
StoreVirtual Storage system. Alterations using any other hardware are not supported.

•

Be aware that the CMC can manage storage systems via a routed network or by installation
of a second NIC on the storage network on the CMC host. This is the most common method
for CMC management.

•

When configuring a management interface on an HP StoreVirtual Storage system, make sure
that interface is on a separate network. Also make sure there is not a route between the
management and data networks. Configuring two separate interfaces on the same IP network
is not supported and will result in communication problems in the cluster.

•

When configuring a management interface on an HP StoreVirtual Storage system, be aware
that only one interface can be configured with a default gateway, and that interface should

46

Managing the network

Advertising