HP Virtual Connect Manager Command Line Interface Version 3.00 User for Integrity BL8x0c i2 Server Blades Guide

Configuring the Virtual Connect domain using the CLI 107
• The server blade firmware and option card firmware must be at a revision that supports Virtual
Connect profile assignment. See the HP website (http://www.hp.com/go/bladesystemupdates
).
• Before creating the first server profile, select whether to use moveable, administered MAC addresses
and WWNs or whether to use the local server blade factory default MAC addresses and WWNs.
• After an enclosure is imported into a Virtual Connect domain, server blades remain isolated from the
networks and SAN fabrics until a server profile is created and assigned.
• Server blades must be powered off to receive (or relinquish) a server profile assignment when using
Virtual Connect-administered MAC addresses, WWNs, or changing Fibre Channel boot parameters.
• FC SAN Connections are only shown in server profile screens when there is an HP Virtual Connect
Fibre Channel Module in the enclosure managed by Virtual Connect. FC SAN Connections are
added in pairs and cannot be deleted. If an HP Virtual Connect Fibre Channel Module is added to a
Virtual Connect domain that has existing profiles, an option to add FC connections appears in the
existing profiles when editing.
• Some server profile SAN boot settings (controller boot order) are only applied by Virtual Connect
after the server blade has been booted at least once with the final mezzanine card configuration.
• If PXE, controller boot order, or SAN boot settings are made outside of Virtual Connect (using RBSU
or other configuration tools), Virtual Connect will restore the settings defined by the server profile
after the server blade completes the next boot cycle.
• If using a QLogic HBA with some versions of Linux (RHEL3, RHEL4, SLES9, and SLES10), the HBA
connection type must be set to "point to point only" in the adapter configuration settings in the
QLogic BIOS utility or QLogic OS utility (if available). If the HBA settings are not changed, the HBA
may be unable to log into the fabric and discover devices on the SAN.
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/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 server or enclosure power cycle. They will boot and gain access
to the network and fabric when the server and interconnect modules are ready.
If a server blade is inserted into a device bay already assigned a server profile, Virtual Connect Manager
automatically updates the configuration of that server blade before it is allowed to power up and connect
to the network.
If a server blade is moved from a Virtual Connect managed enclosure to a non-Virtual Connect enclosure,
local MAC addresses and WWNs 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.
NOTE: If you are using server factory default MAC addresses WWNs and default Fibre
Channel boot parameters, you do not have to power off a server to make any profile
changes. If you are using HP assigned or user assigned MAC addresses or WWNs, you must
power a server off when moving a profile to the server or away from the server.
Server profile overview
A Virtual Connect server profile is a logical grouping of attributes related to server connectivity that can
be assigned to a server blade. The server profile can include MAC address, PXE, and network connection
settings for each server NIC port and WWN, SAN fabric connection, and SAN boot parameter settings