Specifications

HP Virtual Connect for Cisco Network Administrators (version 1.2x) page 8
c-Class Ethernet Interconnect Options
The BladeSystem c7000 Enclosure offers a variety of interconnect options, including pass-thru
modules, Ethernet and Fibre Channel switches, Virtual Connect modules, and high-bandwidth
fabrics such as InfiniBand. The HP website (
www.hp.com/go/bladesystem/interconnects) contains
the most up-to-date information about the available c-Class interconnect modules.
Ethernet Switches from Cisco and Blade Network Technologies (BNT) offer customers a traditional
approach to administering the network. The primary value in blade switches is cable consolidation
through high-speed uplinks and the shared blade power and cooling infrastructure.
Available Blade Switch Options:
• Cisco Catalyst Blade Switch 3020
• HP GbE2c Ethernet Blade Switch
• HP GbE2c Layer 2/3 Ethernet Blade Switch
• HP 1:10Gb Ethernet BL-c Switch
• HP 10Gb Ethernet BL-c Switch
Ethernet pass-thru modules are also available when direct one-to-one connections between servers
and the LAN is required. HP Ethernet Pass-Thru Modules provide 16-port, transparent, 1:1 port
connectivity between the server and an external Ethernet switch.
Finally, Virtual Connect is also an option for customers for use in place of c-Class Ethernet switches or
Ethernet pass-thru modules.
HP Virtual Connect Technology
Overview
Virtual Connect is a set of interconnect modules and embedded software for HP BladeSystem c-
Class enclosures that simplifies the setup and administration of server connections. The HP Virtual
Connect portfolio includes the HP 1/10Gb Virtual Connect Ethernet Module for c-Class BladeSystem,
the HP 1/10Gb-F Virtual Connect Ethernet Module for c-Class BladeSystem, and the HP 4Gb Virtual
Connect Fibre Channel Module for c-Class BladeSystem. All modules are managed with the
embedded HP Virtual Connect Manager or the optional Virtual Connect Enterprise Manager
(VCEM). Virtual Connect implements server edge virtualization so that server administrators can
upgrade, replace, or move server blades within their enclosures without changes being visible to the
external LAN and SAN environments.
The Virtual Connect Manager is embedded on the HP 1/10Gb Virtual Connect Ethernet Module and
the HP 1/10Gb-F Virtual Connect Ethernet Module for c- Class BladeSystem and is accessed by
Administrators through web links provided by the Onboard Administrator, through direct connection
to the embedded Virtual Connect Manager web server, through a serial connection through the
OA for CLI access, or through an SSH session for CLI access to the Virtual Connect Manager.
A Virtual Connect Domain, configured using the Virtual Connect Manager, includes a single HP c-
Class BladeSystem enclosure, all installed Virtual Connect modules and a total of 16 server bays that
can be populated with a mixture of server and or storage blades. Within the VC domain, any server
blade can be configured to access any LAN or SAN connected to a VC module, and a server
blade can be used as a spare for any server blade within the same VC domain.
By stacking (cabling) the Ethernet modules within the VC domain, every server blade in the domain
can be configured to access any external network connection. Fibre Channel modules (VC-FC)
within different I/O bays are each connected directly to individual FC SAN fabrics. With this