Operating Environment Software User Manual

3 Defining storage for logical servers
This chapter presents underlying concepts to provide a better understanding of how a given storage
definition maps into the physical Virtual Connect environment, and explains how to define storage
entries and storage pool entries for a logical server.
NOTE: For more information about logical server and Matrix infrastructure orchestration storage,
including integrating with non-HP servers and HP rack mount servers, see the following white papers
at http://www.hp.com/go/matrixoe/docs
Logical Server Management Best Practices
Server and Storage HP Matrix Operating Environment
Insight Dynamics — Automated Storage Provisioning: “Static” SAN volume automation via
multi-initiator NPIV
The logical server storage requirements specified in a storage pool entry are fulfilled by storage
volumes created by the storage administrator. Detailed information about those volumes can be
provided using the following methods:
• Specify storage information directly into the logical server storage entry and storage pool
entry screens. See “Logical server storage” (page 43).
• Use the Storage Provisioning Manager to retrieve candidate matching entries from the SPM
storage catalog. Details are automatically populated into the logical server storage pool entry
when the appropriate entry is chosen. See “Storage Provisioning Manager” (page 58).
• Use LSMUTIL to export storage requirements into an XML file, share the XML file with the
storage administrator who supplies details of the provisioned volumes, and import a modified
XML file to populate the resulting information into storage pool entries. See “Using LSMUTIL
with logical server storage” (page 65).
The Virtual Connect environment
HP Virtual Connect provides server visualization technology by extracting key pieces of the server’s
identity into a server profile. This profile may be flexibly assigned to different c-Class server blades
over time. The server profile includes, among other things, a set of one or more MAC addresses
and WWNs. When the server profile is assigned to the c-Class blade, these MAC addresses and
WWNs become the server’s identity on the Ethernet network and Fibre Channel fabric to which
it is attached. Any SAN resources available to the server profile are also available to the physical
server to which the profile is applied. This effectively allows the SAN resource access to travel with
the server profile rather than being constrained to a specific physical server.
Figure 11 Server blades in a BladeSystem c-Class enclosure
The Fibre Channel and network connections within an enclosure are hardwired through a midplane
which physically maps the blade’s Fibre Channel and network ports to the enclosure’s connection
The Virtual Connect environment 41