HP Virtual Connect for c-Class BladeSystem Setup and Installation Guide

Installation 41
To make VCM aware of individual network connections, see "Define Ethernet Network screen" in the user
guide.
Mapping multiple networks to a single port in a shared uplink set
The network administrator can choose to reduce the number of cables between the Virtual Connect enclosure
and the data center switches by mapping multiple networks to a single, shared uplink port. In this case, a
network is not just mapped to an uplink port, but to a VLAN on that port. This configuration requires VLAN
tags to be added to each packet as it leaves the Virtual Connect domain and that packets entering the Virtual
Connect domain be tagged. The VLAN tag is stripped from packets entering the Virtual Connect domain
before they are routed to the appropriate server.
In the following example, an uplink port is defined as a shared uplink port so that it can then be used as the
external connection for multiple networks.
Shared_Uplink_Port_A = Enclosure1:Bay1:PortX2
Network Shared uplink port and VLAN
Production_Network
Shared_Uplink_Port_A:VLAN_15
Dev_Network
Shared_Uplink_Port_A:VLAN_21
Backup_Network
Shared_Uplink_Port_A:VLAN_32
iSCSI_Storage_Network
Shared_Uplink_Port_A:VLAN_76
Because appropriate VLAN tags are added as the packets leave the enclosure, this type of uplink should not
be used in cases where VLAN tags are already added on the server itself. The system drops any Ethernet
packets with server-inserted VLAN tags that are received on networks connected to shared uplink ports.
To make VCM aware of shared network connections, see "Define Shared Uplink Set screen" in the user
guide.
Mapping multiple networks to a shared uplink set
It is also possible to map multiple VLAN-tagged networks to a set of shared uplink ports. The resulting shared
uplink set allows for the minimum number of cables while still providing for link aggregation and failover.
In the following example, a shared uplink set is first defined to provide aggregation and failover.
Shared_Uplink_Set_A = {Enclosure1:Bay1:PortX2, Enclosure1:Bay2:PortX2}