HP Virtual Connect 1Gb Ethernet Cookbook

Scenario 4 – VLAN Tagging (802.1Q) with a Shared Uplink Set (SUS) with Link Aggregation using LACP (802.3ad) –
Windows 47
Scenario 4 – VLAN Tagging (802.1Q) with a
Shared Uplink Set (SUS) with Link
Aggregation using LACP (802.3ad) –
Windows
Overview
This configuration uses the Virtual Connect Shared Uplink Set (SUS). The SUS provides the ability to
present a single or multiple VLANs to a server NIC. In this scenario, the upstream network switch
connects multiple VLANs to two ports on each VC module.
The single SUS is a popular configuration when supporting primarily East/West traffic patterns. No
matter which NIC a server is active on, if talking to another server within the enclosure on the same
vNet, the traffic will remain within VC/the enclosure.
Requirements
In order to implement this scenario, an HP BladeSystem c7000 enclosure with one of more server
blades and TWO Virtual Connect Ethernet modules, installed in Bays 1& 2 are required. In addition, we
will require ONE or TWO external Network switches. As Virtual Connect does not appear to the
network as a switch and is transparent to the network, any standard managed switch will work with
Virtual Connect.
Configuring Uplinks to a SUS (LACP)
When all uplinks configured within a SUS connect a VC module to an upstream switch, ALL links could
be active, providing additional bandwidth, using Link Aggregation Protocol (LACP 802.3ad), this
requires the upstream switch to be configured, on these ports, for link aggregation control protocol
(LACP). Two identical SUS would be utilized to create and Active/Active design.
When some of the uplinks configured within a SUS connect a VC module to different upstream
switches, some links will be active and the remaining will be Standby, providing additional bandwidth
and/or availability, using Link Aggregation Protocol (LACP 802.3.ad). A single SUS would be used to
create an Active/Standby design.