HP Virtual Connect for c-Class BladeSystem Version 3.00 Setup and Installation Guide for HP Integrity BL8x0c i2 Series Server Blades

Setup 9
• Determine the Ethernet stacking cable layout, and ensure that the proper cable and transceiver
options are ordered. Stacking cables allow any Ethernet NIC from any server to be connected to any
of the Ethernet networks defined for the enclosure.
o For information on cable layout, see "Recommended stacking connections (on page 55)."
o For information on supported cable and transceiver options, see the Virtual Connect module
QuickSpecs on the HP website (
http://www.hp.com).
• Determine which Ethernet networks will be connected to or contained within the enclosure.
Most installations will have multiple Ethernet networks, each typically mapped to a specific IP subnet.
The HP Virtual Connect Manager enables definition of up to 128 different Ethernet networks that can
be used to provide network connectivity to server blades. Each physical NIC on a server blade can
be connected to any one of these Ethernet networks.
Virtual Connect Ethernet networks can be contained completely within the enclosure for server-to-
server communication, or connected to external networks through rear panel ports (uplinks). For each
network, the administrator must use the Virtual Connect Manager to identify the network by name
and to define any external port connections.
• Determine which Fibre Channel fabrics will be connected to the enclosure.
Each uplink has a capability of aggregating up to 16 server HBA N-port links into an N-port uplink
through the use of NPIV.
• Coordinate with data center personnel to ensure Ethernet network cable connections and Fibre
Channel cable connections to the enclosure are installed or scheduled to be installed.
• Determine the Ethernet MAC address range to be used for the servers within the enclosure.
Server and networking administrators should fully understand the selection and use of MAC address
ranges before configuring the enclosure. For more information, see "MAC address settings (on page
80)."
• Determine the FC World Wide Name (WWN) range to be used for servers within the enclosure.
Server and storage administrators should fully understand the selection and use of WWN ranges
before configuring the enclosure. For more information, see "WWN settings (on page
91)."
• Identify the administrators for the Virtual Connect environment, and identify what roles and
administrative privileges they will require. The Virtual Connect Manager classifies each operation as
requiring server, network, domain, or storage privileges. A single user may have any combination of
these privileges. For more information, see the information on local users in the HP Virtual Connect
for c-Class BladeSystem User Guide.
IMPORTANT: If you plan on using VC-assigned MAC addresses and WWNs and are also
working with server software that will be licensed by MAC addresses or WWNs, assign
server profiles before deploying an image through RDP or attaching a license.
Hardware setup overview
The following steps provide an overview of setting up the interconnect modules:
1. Install and set up the enclosure. See the appropriate HP BladeSystem enclosure setup and installation
guide on the HP website (
http://www.hp.com/go/bladesystem/documentation).
2. Install the interconnect modules ("Installation" on page 35).
3. Install stacking links ("Recommended stacking connections" on page 55).