HP GbE2 User Manual 2

HP ProLiant BL p-Class GbE2 Interconnect Switch

User Guide

Part number: 331399-004
Fourth edition: February 2006

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Printed in the US
Part number: 331399-004

Fourth edition: February 2006

2

Contents

Introduction

Overview................................................................................................................................................ 5

Additional references ............................................................................................................................... 5

Features.................................................................................................................................................. 6

Enterprise class performance ................................................................................................................ 6

GbE2 Interconnect Switch redundancy................................................................................................... 8

Configuration and management............................................................................................................ 8

Diagnostic tools .................................................................................................................................. 8

GbE2 Interconnect Switch architecture...................................................................................................... 10

HP Ethernet Connectivity Mapper utility (hpecm).................................................................................... 12

GbE2 Interconnect Switches ............................................................................................................... 12

Redundant crosslinks ......................................................................................................................... 12

Redundant paths to server bays .......................................................................................................... 12

Supported technologies .......................................................................................................................... 12

Layer 2 switching.............................................................................................................................. 12

IEEE 802.1Q-based Virtual Local Area Network ................................................................................... 13

Spanning Tree Protocol...................................................................................................................... 13

Simple Network Management Protocol ................................................................................................ 13

Port mirroring ................................................................................................................................... 13

Port trunking and load balancing ........................................................................................................ 13

Trivial File Transfer Protocol support..................................................................................................... 13

Store and forward switching scheme ................................................................................................... 14

Bootstrap Protocol............................................................................................................................. 14

Network Time Protocol....................................................................................................................... 14

Remote Authentication Dial-in User Service (RADIUS) .............................................................................14

Terminal Access Controller Access Control System Plus (TACACS+).........................................................14

Secure Shell and Secure Copy............................................................................................................ 15

XModem.......................................................................................................................................... 15

Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) Snooping ......................................................................... 15

Jumbo frames ................................................................................................................................... 15

Auto-MDI/MDIX................................................................................................................................ 15

Auto-negotiation of duplex mode and speed......................................................................................... 15

Redundant images in firmware............................................................................................................ 16

External components .............................................................................................................................. 16

GbE2 Interconnect Switch front panel .................................................................................................. 16

QuadT2 Interconnect Module panel .................................................................................................... 18

QuadSX Interconnect Module panel .................................................................................................... 19

Setting up and installing the GbE2 interconnect switch

Overview.............................................................................................................................................. 21

Installing the GbE2 Interconnect Switches and Interconnect Modules............................................................. 21

HP ProLiant BL p-Class GbE2 Storage Connectivity Kit option.................................................................. 21

Installation guidelines ........................................................................................................................ 21

Installing a new GbE2 Interconnect Switch for a new deployment............................................................ 21

Replacing an existing GbE2 Interconnect Switch ................................................................................... 22

Upgrading from an existing GbE Interconnect Switch............................................................................. 23

Upgrading from an RJ-45 Patch Panel or RJ-45 Patch Panel 2 ................................................................. 24

Planning the GbE2 Interconnect Switch configuration.................................................................................. 24

Default settings ................................................................................................................................. 24

GbE2 Interconnect Switch security....................................................................................................... 25

Manually configuring a GbE2 Interconnect Switch ................................................................................ 26

Configuring multiple GbE2 Interconnect Switches.................................................................................. 26

Cabling the GbE2 Interconnect Switch...................................................................................................... 26

Powering up the GbE2 Interconnect Switch ............................................................................................... 27

Contents 3

Accessing the GbE2 Interconnect Switch...................................................................................................27

Logging on and configuring the GbE2 Interconnect Switch.......................................................................... 28

Supporting software and special considerations......................................................................................... 29

HP ProLiant BL p-Class C-GbE2 Interconnect Kit Regulatory Compliance Notices

Class A equipment................................................................................................................................. 30

Modifications ........................................................................................................................................ 30

Cables ................................................................................................................................................. 30

Canadian Notice (Avis Canadien) ........................................................................................................... 30

Class A equipment ............................................................................................................................ 30

European Union Regulatory Notice .......................................................................................................... 31

BSMI Notice.......................................................................................................................................... 32

Japanese Notice.................................................................................................................................... 32

Korean Notice....................................................................................................................................... 32

HP ProLiant BL p-Class F-GbE2 Interconnect Kit Regulatory Compliance Notices

Class A equipment................................................................................................................................. 33

Modifications ........................................................................................................................................ 33

Cables ................................................................................................................................................. 33

Canadian Notice (Avis Canadien) ........................................................................................................... 33

Class A equipment ............................................................................................................................ 33

European Union Regulatory Notice .......................................................................................................... 34

BSMI Notice.......................................................................................................................................... 35

Japanese Notice.................................................................................................................................... 35

Korean Notice....................................................................................................................................... 35

Laser compliance ................................................................................................................................... 35

Technical specifications
Runtime switching software default settings

Switch A and Switch B: general default settings ......................................................................................... 39

Switch A and Switch B: port names, VLANs, STP, trunking default settings..................................................... 45

Performing a serial download

Introduction........................................................................................................................................... 47

Serial upgrade of boot code firmware image procedure ............................................................................. 47

Serial upgrade of operating system firmware procedure ............................................................................. 49

SNMP MIBs support

Introduction........................................................................................................................................... 52

SNMP manager software........................................................................................................................ 52

Supported MIBs ..................................................................................................................................... 52

Supported traps..................................................................................................................................... 53

Safe Mode configuration

Introduction........................................................................................................................................... 55

User account information ........................................................................................................................ 55

Safe Mode............................................................................................................................................ 55

GbE2 Interconnect Switch replacement scenario using a Safe Mode configuration ......................................... 56

Safe Mode configuration file templates ..................................................................................................... 56

Safe Mode configuration file template modification ...............................................................................56

Applying the Safe Mode template configuration file............................................................................... 56

Electrostatic discharge

Overview.............................................................................................................................................. 58

Grounding methods ............................................................................................................................... 58

RJ-45 pin specification
Troubleshooting
Index

Contents 4

Introduction

Overview

This user guide provides installation and reference information for the following kits:

• HP ProLiant BL p-Class C-GbE2 Interconnect Kit

• HP ProLiant BL p-Class F-GbE2 Interconnect Kit

Additional references

Once the GbE2 Interconnect Switch is installed, you are ready to configure it. Detailed information about how to
configure the GbE2 Interconnect Switch is available in the reference guides listed below. To obtain these guides, go
to the HP website (http://www.hp.com/support

• HP ProLiant BL p-Class GbE2 Interconnect Switch Application Guide

• HP ProLiant BL p-Class GbE2 Interconnect Switch Command Reference Guide

• HP ProLiant BL p-Class GbE2 Interconnect Switch Browser-based Interface Reference Guide

• HP ProLiant BL p-Class C-GbE2 Interconnect Kit Quick Setup Instructions

• HP ProLiant BL p-Class F-GbE2 Interconnect Kit Quick Setup Instructions

• HP BladeSystem p-Class SAN Connectivity Kit Quick Setup Instructions

The HP ProLiant BL p-Class C-GbE2 Interconnect Kit contains two HP ProLiant BL p-Class GbE2 Interconnect Switches
and two QuadT2 Interconnect Modules.

The HP ProLiant BL p-Class GbE2 Interconnect Switches and QuadT2 Interconnect Modules use 10Base-T/100Base­TX/1000Base-T Gigabit Layer 2 switching technology to provide between 32-to-1 (blocking) to 32-to-12 (blocking)
reduction in the number of networking cables per BL p-Class server blade enclosure.

), and search for GbE2.

Each HP ProLiant BL p-Class GbE2 Interconnect Switch and QuadT2 Interconnect Module reduces sixteen 10Base­T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T server networking ports to one to four RJ-45 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T ports
(located on the removable interconnect module) and one to two RJ-45 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T ports
(located on the front of the HP ProLiant BL p-Class GbE2 Interconnect Switch).

Figure 1 HP ProLiant BL p-Class GbE2 Interconnect Switch and QuadT2 Interconnect Module

The HP ProLiant BL p-Class F-GbE2 Interconnect Kit contains two HP ProLiant BL p-Class GbE2 Interconnect Switches
and two QuadSX Interconnect Modules.

The HP ProLiant BL p-Class GbE2 Interconnect Switches and QuadSX Interconnect Modules use 10Base-T/100Base­TX/1000Base-T and 1000Base-SX Gigabit Layer 2 switching technology to provide between 32-to-1 (blocking) to 32­to-12 (blocking) reduction in the number of networking cables per BL p-Class server blade enclosure.

Each HP ProLiant BL p-Class GbE2 Interconnect Switch and QuadSX Interconnect Module reduces sixteen 10Base­T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T server networking ports to one to four LC 1000Base-SX ports (located on the removable
interconnect module) and one to two RJ-45 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T ports (located on the front of the HP
ProLiant BL p-Class GbE2 Interconnect Switch).

Introduction 5

Figure 2 HP ProLiant BL p-Class GbE2 Interconnect Switch and QuadSX Interconnect Module

Features

The ProLiant BL p-Class GbE2 Interconnect Switch and interconnect modules are designed for easy installation and
high performance in an environment where traffic on the network and the number of users increases continually.

Enterprise class performance

The ProLiant BL p-Class GbE2 Interconnect Switch features include:

• Up to a 16-to-1 reduction in networking cables and connections, concentration of sixteen 10/100/1000

Ethernet networking ports down to as little as one Gigabit Ethernet port, or up to six Gigabit Ethernet ports for
additional bandwidth and redundant connections to the network backbone

• Multi-layer switching capability with Layer 3 support for routing and Internet Protocol (IP) load balancing content

delivery switching

• Pass-through ProLiant BL20p G2 Fibre Channel storage signals via the optional GbE2 Storage Connectivity Kit

• Fully supported on the existing ProLiant BL p-Class server blade enclosure and infrastructure compatible with any

combination of ProLiant server blades

• Ability to upgrade from an existing GbE Interconnect Switch or Patch Panel interconnect without having to

power down the server blades and the server blade enclosure

• Pre-configured for immediate use with the ProLiant BL p-Class server blade enclosure

• System security including Secure Shell (SSH), Secure Copy (SCP), 255 port-based IEEE 802.1Q tagged Virtual

Local Area Networks (VLANs) per GbE2 Interconnect Switch, RADIUS user authentication and authorization, or
Terminal Access Controller Access Control System Plus (TACACS+) Authentication, Authorization, and
Accounting (AAA)

• An extensive list of industry standard protocol support, compatible with widely-used networking components

• 9K jumbo frames that improve performance by increasing application throughput and decreasing server

processor utilization

• Robust configuration and management from any switch port using the included browser-based and scriptable

command line user interfaces

• Support for Telnet, Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), SCP and Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP)

file transfer, human read/write configuration file, XModem, an extensive list of Management Information Base
objects (MIBs), and more, further enhance the management capabilities

• Fully end-to-end redundant architecture maximizing network availability

• Support for Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) snooping for multicasting

• Support for Uplink Failure Detection (UFD) for network path resiliency. It works in conjunction with NIC teaming

functionality that is supported on the blade servers. This feature tracks the link state on uplink ports. When an
uplink port goes down or is in STP blocking state, this feature will enable the switch to auto-disable the
downlinks which are connected to the blade server NICs. This enables NIC teaming software to detect link
failure on the primary NIC port and fail over to the secondary NIC in the team. As a result, the secondary path
is enabled for continued blade server access.

When used in conjunction with UFD, NIC teams on the blade server must be configured for switch redundancy.
That is, the team will span ports on both Switch A and Switch B. Refer to the HP ProLiant Network Adapter
Teaming white paper on http://www.hp.com/support

for additional information.

Introduction 6

• Remote Monitoring (RMON) feature, which allows network devices to exchange network monitoring data.

RMON performs the following major functions:

• Gathers cumulative statistics for Ethernet interfaces

• Tracks a history of statistics for Ethernet interfaces

• Creates and triggers alarms for user-defined events

• Quality of Service (QoS) feature, where the switch uses the Differentiated Services (RFCs 2474 and 2475)

architecture to provide QoS functions. QoS allocates guaranteed bandwidth to the critical applications and
limits bandwidth for less critical applications. QoS allows prioritization of network traffic, thereby providing
better service for selected applications.

• Access control lists that allow you to classify and segment traffic. This allows different levels of service to

different traffic types.

• Switch software supports RIP version 1 (RIPv1) and RIP version 2 (RIPv2) for exchanging TCP/IP route

information with other routers.

• An administrator can define end user accounts that permit limited access to the switch. The switch requires

username/password authentication for end users.

• Fast Uplink Convergence that enables the switch to quickly recover from the failure of the primary link or trunk

group in a Layer 2 network using Spanning Tree Protocol.

• Support for Secure Shell (SSH) version 2. SSH is a protocol that enables remote administrators to log securely

into the switch over a network to execute management commands.

• Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) allows the GbE2 Interconnect Switch to control and configure trunk

groups dynamically. The GbE2 supports the IEEE 802.3ad-2002 standard.

• Configurable Trunk Hash Algorithm feature, which allows you to configure the particular parameters for the

switch Trunk Hash algorithm, instead of relying on the default values. You can configure new default behavior
for L2 traffic and L3 traffic by selecting up to two of the following parameters to create your optimal
configuration:

• Source IP (SIP)

• Destination IP (DIP)

• Source MAC (SMAC)

• Destination MAC (DMAC)

• Switch software provides SNMP v1.0 and SNMP v3.0 support for access through any network management

software, such as HP-OpenView.

• Switch software provides user-level security for its ports using the IEEE 802.1x protocol,

which is a more secure alternative to other methods of port-based network access control. This feature provides
security to all ports of the GbE2 Interconnect Switch.

• Support for HTTP software upgrade using the Browser-Based Interface

(BBI). FTP or TFTP server is not required to perform a software upgrade.

• Port Fast Forwarding that allows a port that participates in Spanning Tree to bypass the Listening and Learning

states and enter directly into the Forwarding state.

• Switch software supports the Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) routing protocol. The GbE2 implementation

conforms to the OSPF version 2 specifications detailed in Internet RFC 1583.

• Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP) enables redundant router configurations within a LAN, providing

alternate router paths for a host. VRRP eliminates single points-of-failure within a network.

• Allows secure browser access (HTTPS) to management functions

Introduction 7

GbE2 Interconnect Switch redundancy

The ProLiant BL p-Class GbE2 Interconnect Switch offers several redundancy and failover features. With these
features, the network configuration can be designed to allow for continued network access to each server blade in
case of a component or link failure. GbE2 Interconnect Switch redundancy and failover features include:

• Two separate GbE2 Interconnect Switches per one ProLiant BL p-Class server blade enclosure

• Four Gigabit Ethernet uplink ports in the back and two Gigabit Ethernet uplink ports in the front, per GbE2

Interconnect Switch, for designing fully meshed uplink paths to the network backbone

• Server networking connections routed to each of the separate GbE2 Interconnect Switches for redundant paths

to tolerate a switch or port malfunction

• Redundant data path 10/100/1000 Ethernet cross connections between GbE2 Interconnect Switches

• STP support that eliminates potential problems caused by redundant networking paths and provides for failover

with a secondary path in case of primary path failure; supports IEEE 802.1D Spanning Tree Protocol and is
compatible with Cisco® PVST+ and Cisco PVST, when the other device is configured as untagged or configured
to use 802.1q tagging. Release 2.0 also supports IEEE 802.1s Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol (MSTP) and
IEEE 802.1w Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP).

• Redundant power supplies and redundant cooling fans within the server blade enclosure

• Redundant firmware images and configuration settings in memory

• Redundant, configurable Domain Name System (DNS) clients, syslog servers, gateways, and community strings

and SNMP trap manager hosts

Configuration and management

The ProLiant BL p-Class GbE2 Interconnect Switch provides the following configuration and management interfaces
and tools:

• A scriptable command line interface (CLI) allows local, Telnet, or Secure Shell (SSH) access.

• A browser-based interface (BBI) allows remote access using a Web browser such as Microsoft® Internet

Explorer or Netscape Navigator.

• Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) manageability and monitoring are supported.

• The GbE2 Interconnect Switch functionality allows you to upload and download interconnect switch

configurations via Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) and Secure Copy Protocol (SCP), thus allowing the rapid
deployment of multiple server blade systems, and providing robust backup and restore capabilities.

• Network Time Protocol (NTP) is supported, allowing the GbE2 Interconnect Switch to display and record the

accurate date and time as provided by an NTP server.

• Two firmware images, either of which can be selected to be the current runtime image, can be held in memory.

• Remote authentication dial-in user service (RADIUS) provides support for user authentication and authorization.

• TACACS+ provides support for Cisco TACACS+ server compatible authentication, authorization, and

accounting.

• The user interfaces provide multi-level password protected user accounts.

• The setup utility allows step-by-step tailored configuration.

• IP settings can be set manually or obtained automatically from a Bootstrap Protocol (BOOTP) server.

• A text-based, human read/write configuration file provides viewing, printing, and editing capabilities.

• A Domain Name System (DNS) client supports primary and secondary DNS servers.

• Any port may be enabled or disabled as desired.

• Any GbE2 Interconnect Switch port can be used to perform switch management and Preboot Execution

Environment (PXE).

Diagnostic tools

The hardware, software, and firmware diagnostic tools that are available include:

• HP Systems Insight Manager automatic discovery and identification

• Power-on self-test (POST) built into the GbE2 Interconnect Switch boot process

• GbE2 Interconnect Switch port mirroring

• GbE2 Interconnect Switch LED panel displaying per port status and speed

• Interconnect module LEDs displaying per port status and speed

• System, management, and option compatibility status LEDs

• Front panel reset power switch, DB-9 port, and two Gigabit Ethernet ports

Introduction 8

• Statistic monitoring including port utilization, data packets received/transmitted, port error packets, trunk

utilization, and so on

• Ping and trace route capability

• Remote syslog with support for primary and secondary syslog server

• Portable Diagnostic Station option to configure and diagnose a GbE2 Interconnect Switch and server blade

removed from the rack

• The ability to return the GbE2 Interconnect Switch to known good condition in case of firmware corruption

• State information dump for tuning and debugging switch performance

• Panic command for immediate state dump to flash memory and automatic switch boot

• Ability to set NVRAM diagnostic flags

Introduction 9

GbE2 Interconnect Switch architecture

The ProLiant BL p-Class system provides integrated switching technology for network cable reduction.
The following diagram illustrates the Ethernet signal connectivity between server bays and the interconnect bays

through the backplane for the p-Class server enclosure.

Figure 3 Ethernet signal connectivity via backplane

Introduction 10

The following diagram illustrates the Ethernet signal connectivity between server bays and the interconnect bays
through the backplane for p-Class server enclosures with enhanced backplane components that support high-density
blade servers.

Figure 4 Ethernet signal connectivity for server enclosures with enhanced backplane components

The interconnect switch does not affect or determine NIC enumeration and the associated mapping of NIC interfaces
to interconnect switch ports. The numbering of the NICs on the server (for example, NIC 1, NIC 2, NIC 3) is
determined by the server type, the server operating system, and what NICs are enabled on the server.

Introduction 11

HP Ethernet Connectivity Mapper utility (hpecm)

The HP Ethernet Connectivity Mapper is a utility used to determine the NIC name enumeration and the associated
mapping to switch ports. The physical connections between server blade network interface controllers (NICs) and
switch ports depend on the server blade type and the enclosure backplane type, as described above. The logical NIC
name enumeration depends on the operating system software (such as Local Area Connection, Local Area
Connection 2, etc. for Windows; eth0, eth1, etc. for Linux).

hpecm is a graphical tool which collects information about the contents of a ProLiant BL blade enclosure, including
enclosure type, blade type, and blade operating system (OS). It then displays the mapping between the switch or
patch panel ports and the OS enumeration (naming order) of the blade network interface controller (NIC) ports.
Configuration validation is performed as items are selected, so hpecm may also be used as an aid to configuration
and/or deployment planning.

To obtain the HP Ethernet Connectivity Mapper, download the Interconnect Switch Management Utilities from the HP
website (http://www.hp.com/support

). Search for GbE2.

GbE2 Interconnect Switches

Two GbE2 Interconnect Switches in the ProLiant BL p-Class server blade enclosure provide switch redundancy and
redundant paths to the network ports on the server blades. Each GbE2 Interconnect Switch has six external Ethernet
ports and sixteen internal Gigabit Ethernet ports providing connectivity to the blade servers within the enclosure.

Each pair of GbE2 Interconnect Switches consolidates up to thirty-two 10/100/1000 Ethernet signals into one-to­eight Gigabit ports (on the back of the system) plus four additional Gigabit Ethernet ports (on the front of the GbE2
Interconnect Switches). This design eliminates up to 31 network cables from the back of the server blade enclosure.

Redundant crosslinks

The two GbE2 Interconnect Switches are connected through redundant 10/100/1000 crosslinks. These two
crosslinks provide an aggregate throughput of 2 Gb/s for traffic between the GbE2 Interconnect Switches.

Redundant paths to server bays

Redundant Ethernet signals from each blade server are routed through the enclosure backplane to separate GbE2
Interconnect Switches within the enclosure. Two Ethernet signals are routed to Switch A and two are routed to Switch
B. This configuration provides redundant paths to each server bay.

Redundant Ethernet signals from each blade server are routed through the enclosure backplane to separate GbE2
Interconnect Switches within the enclosure. However, specific switch port to server mapping varies depending on
which type of server blade is installed. For example, for ProLiant BL20p series servers, two Ethernet signals are routed
to Switch A and two are routed to Switch B. This configuration provides redundant paths to each server bay.

On a heavily used system, using a single uplink port for 32 Ethernet signals can cause a traffic bottleneck. For
optimum performance, HP recommends that at least one uplink port per GbE2 Interconnect Switch be used.

The two front panel 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T ports per GbE2 Interconnect Switch may also be used for
additional uplink bandwidth to the network.

Supported technologies

The ProLiant BL p-Class GbE2 Interconnect Switch supports the following technologies.

Layer 2 switching

The ProLiant BL p-Class GbE2 Interconnect Switch uses 10/100/1000 Gigabit Layer 2 switching technology. Layer 2
refers to the Data Link layer of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model, which is concerned with moving data
packets across a network by enforcing Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD). This layer
performs the following tasks:

• Ethernet packet framing

• Medium Access Control (MAC) addressing

• Physical medium transmission error detection

• Medium allocation (collision avoidance)

• Contention resolution (collision handling)

Introduction 12

Layer 2 switching technology allows the GbE2 Interconnect Switch to look into data packets and redirect them based
on the destination MAC address. This reduces traffic congestion on the network because packets, instead of being
transmitted to all ports, are transmitted to the destination port only.

IEEE 802.1Q-based Virtual Local Area Network

The ProLiant BL p-Class GbE2 Interconnect Switch provides support for a total of 255 IEEE 802.1Q Virtual Local Area
Networks (VLANs) for server grouping and isolation. A VLAN is a network segment configured according to a logical
scheme rather than a physical layout. VLANs can be used to combine any collection of local area network (LAN)
segments into an autonomous user group that appears as a single LAN.

VLANs also logically segment the physical network into different broadcast domains so that packets are forwarded
only between ports within the VLAN. This technology enhances performance by conserving bandwidth and improves
security by limiting traffic to specific domains. For example, you may want to isolate the server blade iLO ports from
the rest of the NICs. The iLO ports on interconnect Switch B can be assigned to their own VLAN and go to a
dedicated uplink or share an uplink using VLAN tagging.

IMPORTANT: The greater the number of VLANs, the greater the GbE2 Interconnect Switch central processing

unit (CPU) utilization. For maximum interconnect switch performance, HP recommends that you be judicious
when configuring the number of VLANs.

Spanning Tree Protocol

The GbE2 Interconnect Switch supports IEEE 802.1D Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), which allows the blocking of links
that form loops between switches in a network. When multiple links between switches are detected, a primary link is
established. Duplicated links are blocked from use and become standby links. If the primary link fails, the standby link
is activated.

In addition, the GbE2 Interconnect Switch provides a spanning tree domain per VLAN. The switch is compatible with
Cisco® PVST+ and Cisco PVST, when the other device is configured as untagged or configured to use 802.1q
tagging. Sixteen spanning tree domains are supported per GbE2 Interconnect Switch.

Release 2.0 also provides IEEE 802.1s-based MSTP and IEEE 802.1w-based RSTP.

Simple Network Management Protocol

Each GbE2 Interconnect Switch can be configured and monitored remotely from a Simple Network Management
Protocol (SNMP)-based network management station. The GbE2 Interconnect Switch supports industry-standard SNMP
Management Information Bases (MIBs) and proprietary HP enterprise switch MIBs for fault detection and monitoring
of switch functionality. In addition, the GbE2 Interconnect Switch supports various environmental traps such as
temperature and fan failure traps.

To secure the management interface, the switch administrator can configure community strings with two levels of
access: Read and Read/Write. Access to the GbE2 Interconnect Switch can also be restricted to only management
stations that are members of a specific Internet Protocol (IP) network. This can be achieved by configuring the
address/mask of that specific network as a restricted management network address/mask.

Port mirroring

The GbE2 Interconnect Switch allows you to mirror one or multiple ports (source ports) to another port (destination
port) for network monitoring and troubleshooting purposes. This technology offers a way for network packet
analyzers to view the traffic moving through the GbE2 Interconnect Switches by providing a copy of the traffic that is
currently being passed through any other port. The packets are normally sent to a network packet analyzer or other
monitoring device attached to the mirror port.

Port trunking and load balancing

The GbE2 Interconnect Switch supports EtherChannel compatible IEEE 802.3ad (without LACP) port trunking allowing
several ports to be grouped together and act as a single logical link called a trunk. This feature provides a bandwidth
that is a multiple of the bandwidth of a single link. It also improves reliability since load balancing is automatically
applied to the ports in the trunked group. A link failure within the group causes the network traffic to be directed to
the remaining links in the group.

Trivial File Transfer Protocol support

Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) support allows the GbE2 Interconnect Switch firmware to be upgraded by
downloading a new firmware file from a TFTP server to the GbE2 Interconnect Switch. Firmware images of the GbE2

Introduction 13

Interconnect Switch can also be uploaded to a TFTP server, a configuration file can be downloaded into a GbE2
Interconnect Switch from a TFTP server, and configuration settings can be saved to the TFTP server.

Store and forward switching scheme

The GbE2 Interconnect Switch provides a store and forward switching scheme that allows each packet to be buffered
(stored) before it is forwarded to its destination. While this method creates latency, it improves reliability in a heavily
used interconnect switch. Packets that cannot be forwarded are saved immediately, rather than dropped, so that
packets behind them are less likely to be dropped in periods of heavy usage.

Bootstrap Protocol

By default, the GbE2 Interconnect Switch is configured to obtain an IP address from a Bootstrap Protocol (BOOTP)
server during the boot process. The IP settings can also be manually configured by means of the serial interface. The
IP settings are configurable from the browser-based interface, but because the connection is based on an IP address
for these interfaces, users will have to reconnect with the newly assigned IP address.

Network Time Protocol

The GbE2 Interconnect Switch can maintain the current date and time. This information displays on the management
interfaces and is used to record the date and time of switch events. Current date and time information can be
manually set on the GbE2 Interconnect Switch or can be obtained through Network Time Protocol (NTP). NTP allows
the GbE2 Interconnect Switch to send a request to a primary NTP server in each polling period asking for Greenwich
Mean Time (GMT).

Remote Authentication Dial-in User Service (RADIUS)

The GbE2 Interconnect Switch supports the Remote Authentication Dial-in User Service (RADIUS) method to
authenticate and authorize remote administrators for managing the GbE2 Interconnect Switch. This method is based
on a client/server model. The Remote Access Server (RAS)—the switch—is a client to the back-end database server. A
remote user (the remote administrator) interacts only with the RAS, not the back-end server and database.

RADIUS authentication consists of the following components:

• A protocol with a frame format that utilizes User Datagram Protocol (UDP) over IP, based on Request For

Comments (RFC) 2138 and 2866

• A centralized server that stores all the user authorization information

• A client, in this case, the GbE2 Interconnect Switch

The GbE2 Interconnect Switch, acting as the RADIUS client, communicates to the RADIUS server to authenticate and
authorize a remote administrator using the protocol definitions specified in Request For Comments (RFC) 2138 and

2866. Transactions between the client and the RADIUS server are authenticated using a shared key that is not sent
over the network. In addition, the remote administrator passwords are sent encrypted between the RADIUS client (the
switch) and the back-end RADIUS server.

The benefits of using RADIUS are:

• Authentication of remote administrators

• Identification of the administrator using name/password

• Authorization of remote administrators

• Determination of the permitted actions and customizing service for individual administrators

Terminal Access Controller Access Control System Plus (TACACS+)

Starting with Release 2.0, the GbE2 Interconnect Switch supports the Terminal Access Controller Access Control
System Plus (TACACS+) method to authenticate, authorize, and account for remote administrators managing the
GbE2 Interconnect Switch. This method is based on a client/server model. The switch is a client to the back-end
TACACS+ AAA server. A remote user (the remote administrator) interacts only with the client, and not with the
back-end AAA server.

The TACACS+ AAA method consists of the following components:

• A protocol with a frame format that utilizes TCP over IP

• A centralized AAA server that stores all the user authentication, authorization, and accounting (of usage)

information

• A Network Access Server (NAS) or client (in this case, the GbE2 Interconnect Switch)

The GbE2 Interconnect Switch, acting as the TACACS+ client or NAS, communicates to the TACACS+ server to
authenticate, authorize, and account for user access. Transactions between the client and the TACACS+ server are

Introduction 14

authenticated using a shared key that is not sent over the network. In addition, the remote administrator passwords
are sent encrypted between the TACACS+ client (the switch) and the back-end TACACS+ server.

The GbE2 Interconnect Switch supports:

• Only standard ASCII inbound login authentication. PAP, CHAP, or ARAP login methods are not supported. One-

time password authentication is also not supported.

• Authorization privilege levels of only 0, 3, and 6. These map to management levels of user, oper, and admin,

respectively.

• The accounting attributes of protocol, start_time, stop_time, and elapsed_time. For WebUI (BBI) users,

accounting stop records are only sent if the user presses the QUIT button.

Secure Shell and Secure Copy

Secure Shell (SSH) and Secure Copy (SCP) use secure tunnels to encrypt and secure messages between a remote
administrator and the GbE2 Interconnect Switch. Telnet does not provide this level of security. The Telnet method of
managing a GbE2 Interconnect Switch does not provide a secure connection.

SSH is a protocol that enables remote administrators to log securely into the GbE2 Interconnect Switch over a network
to execute management commands.

SCP is typically used to copy files securely from one machine to another. SCP uses SSH for encryption of data on the
network. On a GbE2 Interconnect Switch, SCP is used to download and upload the switch configuration via secure
channels.

XModem

The GbE2 Interconnect Switch supports XModem for transferring files during direct dial-up communications. XModem
sends blocks of data in 128-byte blocks, and includes an error-detection system called a checksum. When the data is
received, the error detection system ensures that the entire message reached its destination. If not, the receiving
computer sends a request for retransmission of the data.

Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) Snooping

The GbE2 Interconnect Switch supports IGMP Snooping for multicasting, starting with Release 2.0. Both Version 1­and Version 2-based IGMP Snooping is supported. In addition, auto detection of the multicast router port and manual
configuration of the multicast router port is supported. For efficient multicast traffic management, the IGMP Filtering
option is supported.

Jumbo frames

By default, the GbE2 Interconnect Switch module supports jumbo frames up to 9216 bytes, which may help reduce
server central processing unit (CPU) utilization and may increase application throughput. No configuration is
required. The GbE2 Interconnect Switch does not fragment frames as they exit, or assemble packets into jumbo
frames as they enter the switch.

Auto-MDI/MDIX

The GbE2 Interconnect Switch Ethernet ports are medium dependent interface (MDI)/MDI crossover (MDIX) capable.
MDI/MDIX is a type of Ethernet port connection using twisted pair cabling. The medium dependent interface (MDI) is
the component of the media attachment unit (MAU) that provides the physical and electrical connection to the cabling
medium. An MDI crossover (MDIX) is a version of MDI that enables connection between like devices. MDI ports
connect to MDIX ports via straight-through twisted pair cabling whereas both MDI-to-MDI and MDIX-to-MDIX
connections use crossover twisted pair cabling. The GbE2 Interconnect Switch has the capability to automatically
detect the cable selection/type, making the distinction between a straight-through cable and a crossover cable
unimportant.

Auto-negotiation of duplex mode and speed

Auto-negotiation of duplex mode and speed can be configured on the GbE2 Interconnect Switch. Network adapters
that support multiple data speeds, such as Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet, choose the speed at which they run
through a procedure called auto-negotiation. Auto-negotiation involves probing the capability of the network using
low-level signaling techniques to select compatible Ethernet speeds. Auto-negotiation was originally developed to
make the migration from traditional Ethernet to Fast Ethernet products easier.

Introduction 15

Redundant images in firmware

The GbE2 Interconnect Switch can store up to two different software images, called image1 and image2, as well as
boot software, called boot. When you download new software, you are given the ability to specify where it is to be
placed: either into image1, image2, or boot.

For example, if your active image is currently loaded into image1, you should probably load the new image software
into image2. This lets you test the new software and revert back to the original image stored in image1, if needed.

CAUTION: Unlike the firmware that has two images, there is only one image of boot supported. Upgrading the

boot image replaces the original boot image.

External components

This section describes the front panel of the ProLiant BL p-Class GbE2 Interconnect Switch, the QuadT2 Interconnect
Module Panel, and the QuadSX Interconnect Module Panel.

GbE2 Interconnect Switch front panel

The front panel of the GbE2 Interconnect Switch has LEDs to indicate link activity, link speed, power status, and
management status. It has two RJ-45 connectors for 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T Ethernet management ports,
one RS-232 (DB-9) serial management port, and a power/reset (Pwr/Rst) button.

Figure 5 GbE2 Interconnect Switch front panel

Table 1 GbE2 Interconnect Switch front panel

Item Description Status

1 10G LED Reserved for future use

2 SAN LED Green = OctalFC Interconnect Module and Fibre Channel Signal Conditioning Card

match

Amber = OctalFC Interconnect Module and Fibre Channel Signal Conditioning Card
do not match

Off = No OctalFC Interconnect Module installed

Refer to the “HP ProLiant BL p-Class GbE2 Storage Connectivity Kit option” section in
the “Setting up and installing the GbE2 interconnect switch” chapter for information
about the GbE2 Storage Connectivity Kit.

3 Front panel RJ-45

connector link speed LEDs

4 Pwr/Rst button Forces the GbE2 Interconnect Switch to power up or reboot
5 DB-9 connector Used to access the local management console

Amber = 1000 Mb/s

Green = 100 Mb/s

Off = 10 Mb/s

Introduction 16

Table 1 GbE2 Interconnect Switch front panel

Item Description Status

6 Front panel RJ-45

connector link activity LEDs

7 Management status LED Flashing = Management session active

8 Power status LED Green = Power on

9 Link activity and speed

LEDs

Green = Link and no activity

Green flashing = Link and activity

Amber = Port disabled

Off = No link

Off = No management session active

Amber = Stand-by mode

Off = Power off
Refer to the following figures and tables for LED assignments and functions.

Figure 6 GbE2 Interconnect Switch front panel NIC LED assignments

Table 2 GbE2 Interconnect Switch front panel NIC LED assignments

Item Description

1 Downlink ports 1-16

2 Crosslink ports 17-18
3 Rear panel Uplink ports 19-22
4 Front panel RJ-45 port 23
5 Front panel RJ-45 port 24

Introduction 17

Figure 7 GbE2 Interconnect Switch front panel NIC LED functions

Table 3 GbE2 Interconnect Switch front panel NIC LED functions

Item LED Description Status

1 Link speed Amber = 1000 Mb/s

Green = 100 Mb/s

Off = 10 Mb/s

2 Link activity Green = Link and no activity

Green flashing = Link and activity

QuadT2 Interconnect Module panel

The QuadT2 Interconnect Modules are inserted into the bottom-left-most and bottom-right-most bays on the rear side of
the server blade enclosure. Each QuadT2 Interconnect Module has four RJ-45 connectors with link activity and speed
LEDs for uplink network cabling. Four RJ-45 connectors support Gigabit Ethernet connections for uplink connectivity.

Figure 8 QuadT2 Interconnect Module connectors

Table 4 QuadT2 Interconnect Module connectors

Amber = Port disabled

Off = No link

Item Description

1 Port 22 RJ-45 connector for 10/100/1000 Mb uplink for Switch B
2 Port 21 RJ-45 connector for 10/100/1000 Mb uplink for Switch B
3 Port 20 RJ-45 connector for 10/100/1000 Mb uplink for Switch B
4 Port 19 RJ-45 connector for 10/100/1000 Mb uplink for Switch B

Introduction 18

Table 4 QuadT2 Interconnect Module connectors

Item Description

5 Port 22 RJ-45 connector for 10/100/1000 Mb uplink for Switch A
6 Port 21 RJ-45 connector for 10/100/1000 Mb uplink for Switch A
7 Port 20 RJ-45 connector for 10/100/1000 Mb uplink for Switch A
8 Port 19 RJ-45 connector for 10/100/1000 Mb uplink for Switch A

Figure 9 QuadT2 Interconnect Module LEDs

Table 5 QuadT2 Interconnect Module LEDs

Item LED Description Status

1 Link activity Green = Link and no activity

2 Link speed Amber = 1000 Mb/s

QuadSX Interconnect Module panel

The QuadSX Interconnect Modules are inserted into the bottom-left-most and bottom-right-most bays on the rear side of
the server blade enclosure. Each QuadSX Interconnect Module has four LC connectors with link activity LEDs for
uplink network cabling. The LC connectors support 1000SX Ethernet short-haul fiber connections for uplink
connectivity.

Green flashing = Link and activity

Amber = Port disabled

Off = No link

Green = 100 Mb/s

Off = 10 Mb/s

Introduction 19

Figure 10 QuadSX Interconnect Module connectors

Table 6 QuadSX Interconnect Module connectors

Item Description

1 Port 22 LC fiber connector for 1000SX uplink on Switch B
2 Port 21 LC fiber connector for 1000SX uplink on Switch B
3 Port 20 LC fiber connector for 1000SX uplink on Switch B
4 Port 19 LC fiber connector for 1000SX uplink on Switch B
5 Port 22 LC fiber connector for 1000SX uplink on Switch A
6 Port 21 LC fiber connector for 1000SX uplink on Switch A
7 Port 20 LC fiber connector for 1000SX uplink on Switch A
8 Port 19 LC fiber connector for 1000SX uplink on Switch A

Figure 11 QuadSX Interconnect Module LEDs

Table 7 QuadSX Interconnect Module LEDs

Item LED Description Status

1 Link speed Amber = 1000 Mb/s

2 Link activity Green = Link and no activity

Green flashing = Link and activity

Amber = Port disabled

Off = No link

Introduction 20

Setting up and installing the GbE2 interconnect switch

Overview

This chapter describes how to set up and install the ProLiant BL p-Class GbE2 Interconnect Switches and the
interconnect modules.

The setup and installation process includes the following tasks:

1. Installing the GbE2 Interconnect Switches and interconnect modules

2. Planning the GbE2 Interconnect Switch configuration

3. Cabling the GbE2 Interconnect Switch to the network

4. Powering up the GbE2 Interconnect Switch

5. Accessing the GbE2 Interconnect Switch

6. Logging on and configuring the GbE2 Interconnect Switch

Installing the GbE2 Interconnect Switches and Interconnect Modules

This section describes how to:

• Install the hardware in a new GbE2 Interconnect Switch deployment

• Replace an existing ProLiant BL p-Class GbE2 Interconnect Switch

• Upgrade from a ProLiant BL p-Class GbE Interconnect Switch

• Upgrade from a ProLiant BL p-Class RJ-45 Patch Panel

• Upgrade from a ProLiant BL p-Class RJ-45 Patch Panel 2

HP ProLiant BL p-Class GbE2 Storage Connectivity Kit option

The HP ProLiant BL p-Class GbE2 Storage Connectivity Kit option provides ProLiant BL20p G2 Fibre Channel signal
pass-through connectivity for the HP ProLiant BL p-Class C-GbE2 and F-GbE2 Interconnect Kits. The GbE2 Storage
Connectivity Kit may be ordered separately and installed during a new deployment or later as an upgrade.

The GbE2 Storage Connectivity Kit contains two ProLiant BL p-Class OctalFC Interconnect Modules that are inserted
into the top-left-most and top-right-most bays on the rear side of the server blade enclosure. Two ProLiant BL p-Class
Fibre Channel Signal Conditioning Cards are also included in the kit; one is installed in each GbE2 Interconnect
Switch.

If you are installing the GbE2 Storage Connectivity Kit, refer to the HP ProLiant BL p-Class GbE2 Storage Connectivity
Kit Quick Setup Instructions included with the GbE2 Storage Connectivity Kit for more information.

Installation guidelines

Observe the following guidelines:

• Always install GbE2 Interconnect Switches in pairs. Each server blade enclosure requires two GbE2 Interconnect

Switches for proper connectivity. Both GbE2 Interconnect Switches are identical. They get their identities (Switch
A or Switch B) from the server blade enclosure slots they are plugged into.

• For proper operation, you must run like pairs in the interconnect slot.

• Always install the QuadT2 or QuadSX Interconnect Modules into the bottom-left-most and bottom-right-most bays

on the rear side of the server blade enclosure.

• Be sure that each interconnect module is fully seated. The latch/handle will drop into place when the module is

firmly seated.

• Always install the GbE2 Interconnect Switches into the interconnect bays, which are the left-most (side A) and

right-most (side B) bays on the front side of the server blade enclosure.

IMPORTANT: Record the switch MAC address printed on the MAC address label attached to your GbE2

Interconnect Switch. The MAC address can be used to find the IP address from a BOOTP server.

Installing a new GbE2 Interconnect Switch for a new deployment

To install a new GbE2 Interconnect Switch for a new deployment:

Setting up and installing the GbE2 interconnect switch 21