HP Virtual Connect for c-Class BladeSystem Version 2.30 User Guide

Server management 100
• When assigning a VC-Assigned serial number (logical), the server must be powered off.
• FC SAN connections are shown in server profile screens only when there is an HP Virtual Connect
Fibre Channel Module in the enclosure managed by Virtual Connect. FC SAN connections are
added in pairs and cannot be deleted. If an HP Virtual Connect Fibre Channel Module is added to a
Virtual Connect domain with existing profiles, an option to add FC connections appears in the
existing profiles during editing.
• Some server profile SAN boot settings (controller boot order) are applied by Virtual Connect only
after the server blade has been booted at least once with the final mezzanine card configuration.
• If PXE, controller boot order, or SAN boot settings are made outside of Virtual Connect (using RBSU
or other configuration tools), Virtual Connect will restore the settings defined by the server profile
after the server blade completes the next boot cycle.
• To boot properly from SAN when using Linux and VMware ESX 3.0.1 and ESX 3.0.2, change the
QLogic QMH2462 4Gb FC HBA connection option to 'point-to-point only' in the QLogic BIOS
configuration utility. The Emulex LPe 1105-HP 4Gb FC HBA does not require using the 'point-to-point'
connection option to boot properly from SAN.
Server profiles are associated with a specific enclosure device bay. After a profile is assigned, the Virtual
Connect Manager configures the server blade in that device bay with the appropriate
MAC/PXE/WWN/SAN boot settings and connects the appropriate networks and fabrics. Server blades
that have been assigned a profile and remain in the same device bay do not require further Virtual
Connect Manager configuration during a server or enclosure power cycle. They will boot and gain access
to the network and fabric when the server and interconnect modules are ready.
If a server blade is inserted into a device bay already assigned a server profile, Virtual Connect Manager
automatically updates the configuration of that server blade before it is allowed to power up and connect
to the network.
If a server blade is moved from a Virtual Connect managed enclosure to a non-Virtual Connect enclosure,
local MAC addresses and WWNs are automatically returned to the original factory defaults. This feature
prevents duplicate MAC addresses and WWNs from appearing in the data center because of a server
blade redeployment.
IMPORTANT: Before assigning a profile, unassigning a profile, or modifying a profile, be
sure to review the "Server blade power on and power off guidelines (on page 125)."
Flex-10 overview
Flex-10 technology is exclusive to Virtual Connect environments, and it allows Flex-10 enabled 10Gb
NICs to enumerate as four FlexNICs per 10Gb port. These FlexNICs are actual PCIe functions, and they
appear to the operating system or hypervisor as discrete NICs, each with its own driver instance.