HP Virtual Connect: Common Myths, Misperceptions, and Objections, Second Edition

1. Virtual Connect reduces the number of cables required to connect servers to LANs and SANs

without having to increase the number of traditional Ethernet or Fibre Channel switches to

manage.

a. Presents the entire c-Class enclosure to the LAN and SAN in the same way as a

server virtualization hypervisor (for example, VMware ESX, Microsoft Hyper-V, Citrix

XenServer, etc.))

b. Doesn’t require configuring all the traditional switch-to-switch protocols (STP, VTP,

etc.)

2. Virtual Connect enables a clean separation between the server infrastructure and the network

and storage infrastructure.

a. Enables a server administrator to become self-sufficient when making adds, moves,

and changes of servers since no corresponding changes to Ethernet switch or Fibre

Channel switch configurations are required.

b. Reduces distractions for network and storage administrators who are no longer

repeatedly interrupted with server change requests.

3. Virtual Connect manages a server’s internal identity and a server’s external identity to enable

transparent server adds, moves, and replacements.

a. Internal Identity: Server hardware replacement is transparent to the OS because

Virtual Connect virtualizes, manages, and maintains constant, the server’s internal

identity, which includes the server’s serial number, UUID, BIOS settings, and FC Boot

parameters.

b. External Identity: Server adds, moves, and replacements in the data center are

transparent to external LANs and SANs because Virtual Connect manages, and

maintains constant, the server’s external identity, which includes the server’s Ethernet

MAC addresses, Fibre Channel WWNs, LAN assignments (VLANs), and SAN

assignments (fabrics).

As with any new product that introduces a new way of solving old problems, many assumptions are

often made regarding Virtual Connect’s operation without fully understanding how VC’s technology

works. Fundamentally, Virtual Connect presents itself and the c-Class enclosure to the LAN and SAN

in a manner very similar to the way a hypervisor presents itself to the network. The key difference is

that Virtual Connect provides this capability as a hardware solution rather than a software layer in the

server.

Virtual Connect allows multiple hosts to share a common Ethernet path to the LAN and a common

Fibre Channel path to the SAN without having to configure and deploy lots of traditional Ethernet and

Fibre Channel switches. This technique has been proven out with many customers over the years.

Virtual Connect has been successfully installed in and used with a variety of different vendor data

center networks, such as Cisco and Brocade networks. HP provides extensive installation and

integration documentation and professional services to enable successful Virtual Connect deployment.

Many potential implementers receive incorrect information regarding Virtual Connect’s capabilities.

This is generally due to one of three things:

1. A lack of understanding that Virtual Connect is part of the server infrastructure (like server

virtualization hypervisor)

2. A general lack of understanding of how the Virtual Connect technology works and the

specific features and capabilities it provides

3. Misinformation from competitors or others that don’t understand the technology

This paper provides factual responses to many of these points to provide the VC implementer with a

technically accurate description of VC usage and capabilities. This paper is intended to supplement