Using Flex 10 Modules in HP C7000 Blade ChassisAnd

Organizational Responses to Virtualization

Cisco 3020 Switches

3020 3020

3020 3020

FC Switch FC Switch

1Gbps 1Gbps

4/8Gbps

4/8Gbps

1Gbps 1Gbps

Onboard NICs

Mezzanine Slot 1 - FC

Mezzanine Slot 2 -NICs

2x1Gbps

4x4Gbps

2x1Gbps

2x1Gbps

4x4Gbps

2x1Gbps

2x1Gbps

Blade Chassis

2x1Gbps1Gbps 1Gbps

3020 Anatomy

1. Switch Module2. Release latch3. UID LED4. SFP Module Port LED5. SFP Module Ports for SX/LX Fiber6. Gigabit Ethernet Port LEDs7. Gigabit Ethernet RJ-45 Ports8. Health LED9. Mode Button10. Switch LED Panel

3020 Port DescriptionsPort Description Ports 1 to 16 Internal Gigabit Ethernet 1000BASE-X downlink ports. Ports 17 to 20 and Ports 17x to 20x

Dual-purpose SFP module/RJ-45 copper Ethernet uplink ports. The SFP module ports support only Cisco 1000BASE-SX fiber-optic modules. By default, the switch module dynamically selects the interface type that first links up. SFP modules have precedence if both SFP module and copper Ethernet interface types are in link-up state. You can also specifically configure each port for either copper Ethernet or SFP modules if you do not want to use auto-detection. The copper Ethernet ports support automatic medium-dependent interface crossover (auto-MDIX) and auto-negotiation. For information about configuring speed and duplex settings for a dual-purpose uplink port, see the switch module software configuration guide.

Ports 21x to 22x External 10/100/1000BASE-T copper Gigabit Ethernet uplink ports that support auto-MDIX, and auto-negotiation.

Ports 23x to 24x Dual-purpose external/internal 10/100/1000BASE-T copper Gigabit Ethernet uplink ports. These ports can be configured for internal 1000BASE-X cross-connection with a corresponding switch module. When ports 23x and 24x are in external operation mode, they support auto-MDIX and autonegotiation. The default is external operation mode.

Internal 100BASE-T Ethernet port

This port (fa0) is used only for switch module management traffic, not for data traffic. It is connected to the Onboard Administrator through the blade server backplane connector.

Console port RJ-45 switch module management port.

Flex 10 Modules

Flex 10 Flex 10

FC Switch FC Switch

10Gbps 10Gbps

4/8Gbps

4/8Gbps

Onboard NICs

Mezzanine Slot 1 - FC

Mezzanine Slot 2

10Gbps

4x4Gbps

10Gbps

4x4Gbps

2x10Gbps – Stacking Links

Blade Chassis

4xFlexNic

4x FlexNic

Concepts

• Stacking Links• VirtualConnect Domain• Shared Uplink Sets• Networks• FlexNics• Server Profiles

Stacking Links

• Directly connecting ports between Flex 10 modules causes these ports to be declared as stacking links.

• Any Network not associated with a shared uplink set will traverse stacking links

• Stacked Flex10s behave as a VirtualConnect Domain

Virtual Connect Domains

A Virtual Connect Domain is the collection of C7000 blade chassis that a set of stacked Flex 10s spans.

Can be presented as a cluster alias from stacked Flex-10s

Can be configured by the Onboard Administrator of the Blade Chassis

FlexNics

• FlexNics can be assigned 0 bps capacity to 10Gbps in 100Mbps increments

• FlexNics with 0 capacity cannot be configured at the OS but still appear as devices

• Default is the first FlexNic is 10Gbps and the remaining 3 FlexNics on an interface are assigned 0bps

• Assignments are done via VirtualConnect

Networks

• A network has an associated VLAN• May or may not be associated with shared

uplink sets• Several different networks may be associated

with the same VLAN

Shared Uplink Set

• Is a set of one or more uplinks to an adjacent switch or switches

• Is associated with one or more Networks• Can span stacked Flex 10 modules• In ‘auto’ mode, a Flex 10, or stack of Flex 10’s

will attempt to create an LACP port group from the associated uplinks

• Failover mode merely created a failover set of links

Server Profiles• Associated with no, or one, actual blade• NICs can be added to the profile– Only checked vs physical when applied to a server– FlexNICs can have their bandwidth specified

between 0 and 10Gbps in 100Mbit increments– Can have one or more networks associated with

each FlexNIC– Can define which, if any, is the network to have

native, ie, untagged, traffic– Can be copied to apply to other servers

What else?

Virtual Connect allows:• HBA wwn’s to be virtualized• Server Serial Numbers to be virtualized• NIC MAC addresses attached to Flex10’s to be

virtualized

Greg Draws…

The Main Game

• Time to deploy– A Domain takes about 10 minutes to configure

from Factory Configuration– System Administrators (SA’s) can choose required

networks without the need to involve network groups

– Allows SA’s to choose default VLANs as necessary to get PXE deployment to work

The main game

• Time to repair– Virtualized MAC (+Storage) -> ease of

redeployment– Relocation of a failed service – ease of network

reconfiguration – Storage reconfiguration if using virtual wwns

The main game

Ease of maintenance by non-disruptively• Bringing maintenance to prime time by

leveraging tested high availability– Firmware on device or adjacent device– Changing connections to replacement or

alternative devices• Use LACP or Etherchannel even if only using

one port for ease of upgrade of capacity

What’s changed

• Rate of change (duh!)• VM sprawl exceeds consolidation of existing hosts• Many VM’s puts pressure on address space• Vmotion networks require care• Clusters in Vmware aren’t pretty• Lots of switches, lots of AM&C• VLANS spanning data centres gives broader scope to change

effort• Far more systems to support also• The march of technology has had some big steps almost

concurrently

Human and Professional behaviour

• Resist change– Challenge the need to the change

• Pride in service quality– Fear of loss of control– Concerns for fault detection, diagnosis and

rectification

What business wants

• The usual suspects• Flexibity• Agility• Reliability• Security

Dealing with the change

If you always do what you always did then you will always get what you always got.

Go for the nett organizational benefit rather than the sectional stated demands that are really probably wants

Describe and discuss the benefit soughtEnsure all sectional concerns, wants and needs are

visible and understoodAdopt a “how can we” or “what is required to enable”

approach rather than why not

Remember Kepner-Tregoe Techniques

There has been a decision made

Analyse the potential opportunities

Analyse the potential problems

And decide and act on which opportunities warrant realization and which problems and risks warrant managing

Getting things done

• Systems, Network, Facilities must work in unison on big ticket agenda items

• Don’t let areas take it on board but work in an insular way. This is often a passive-aggressive response.

• Get face to face – it is easy to point fingers at another group if there if physical separation and when people don’t interact face to face

• Use the fuel that the university and managers give you