HP Virtual Connect Manager Version 1.24 Release Notes and Compatibility Matrix

Important notes and recommendations 9
Important notes and recommendations
When a c-Class enclosure is used with Virtual Connect v1.24 and higher, the following configuration
restrictions and guidelines apply:
• HP recommends using HP BladeSystem c-Class Virtual Connect Support Utility version 1.2.2 or
higher to install the HP 1/10Gb VC-Enet version 1.24 and HP 4Gb VC-FC version 1.11 firmware.
Be sure to read the instructions on the web page and in the HP BladeSystem c-Class Virtual Connect
Support Utility version 1.2.2 or higher release notes for the procedures.
• For v1.21 and higher, the VCM behavior for powered up servers, when restarting after a recovery
of OA credentials has changed. In previous versions, the servers would enter a "Profile Pending"
state and required a power cycle to recover. For v1.21 and higher, a new state, "profile recovered",
is applied to servers that are powered on when VCM restarts after an OA credential recovery.
When VCM detects its restart after a credential recovery, it rewrites the profile parameters for any
server that is powered on, connects the server to the appropriate Ethernet networks and FC fabrics,
and puts the server and profile in the new "profile recovered" state. The server and profile remain in
the "profile recovered" state until the server is powered down or removed from the enclosure. This
eliminates the power set requirement for a server to recover.
• Plan your interconnect module usage carefully before running the Virtual Connect Domain Setup
Wizard. After an interconnect bay is configured for use with a Virtual Connect Ethernet module or
VC-FC module, it remains configured for that module type until the overall VC domain is deleted.
Virtual Connect reports failures for any VC-Enet or VC-FC module that is removed from the domain.
• Ensure that all Virtual Connect Ethernet and VC-FC modules in a VC domain are at the same
firmware revision. To check the firmware revision level, select the "Firmware Update" tab on the
"Domain Settings" page. The firmware revision level for each module in the domain is shown.
• To help ensure proper operation after firmware updates, clear the browser cache and reload the
browser.
• Only connect HP 4Gb VC-FC Module uplinks to Fibre Channel switch ports that are NPIV-enabled. If
using a Brocade FC switch, verify that NPIV is properly enabled by using the portshow command.
If not properly enabled, you might need to downgrade the Brocade switch firmware, and then
upgrade the firmware again for the enable to work properly.
• Always install a Virtual Connect Ethernet module in interconnect bay 1.
• For redundancy, HP recommends installing a second Virtual Connect Ethernet module in interconnect
bay 2.
• For c7000 enclosure interconnect bays 3-8, install a Virtual Connect Ethernet module or HP 4Gb VC-
FC Module in the bay corresponding to the mezzanine signals.
• Verify that all system component firmware is up-to-date. A server blade is displayed as incompatible
by Virtual Connect Manager if the server ROM is not at the minimum level required by Virtual
Connect. Virtual Connect Manager is not able to verify firmware revisions for all components, so a
server blade component can be incompatible even if the server blade is not listed as incompatible.
• To improve network performance and prevent unnecessary Spanning Tree Topology Change
Notifications (TCN) on the network, configure Ethernet switches connected to Virtual Connect with