HP Virtual Connect Enterprise Manager Software User Manual
HP Virtual Connect Enterprise Manager 6.1
User Guide
HP Part Number: 460927-007
Published: June 2010, Seventh Edition
© Copyright 2007, 2010 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
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The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express
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not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.
Acknowledgments
Microsoft® and Windows® are U.S. registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Table of Contents
About this document......................................................................................9
Intended audience..................................................................................................................................9
Publishing history....................................................................................................................................9
Related documents..................................................................................................................................9
HP encourages your comments.................................................................................................................9
1 Introduction.............................................................................................11
Key features and benefits.......................................................................................................................11
Key features....................................................................................................................................11
Key benefits....................................................................................................................................11
What's new.........................................................................................................................................12
Platform support....................................................................................................................................12
Product licensing...................................................................................................................................12
Architectural overview............................................................................................................................13
HP Virtual Connect technology..........................................................................................................13
Managing HP Virtual Connect...........................................................................................................15
HP Virtual Connect Manager.......................................................................................................15
HP Virtual Connect Enterprise Manager.........................................................................................15
VCEM operations............................................................................................................................15
Setup and configuration summary...........................................................................................................17
2 Installing and configuring VCEM................................................................19
Preparing for a VCEM installation...........................................................................................................19
Installation prerequisites.........................................................................................................................19
Hardware requirements....................................................................................................................19
Software requirements......................................................................................................................19
Virtual Connect requirements.............................................................................................................20
Managed servers.............................................................................................................................20
Installing VCEM....................................................................................................................................21
Removing VCEM...................................................................................................................................21
Performing post-installation configuration tasks..........................................................................................22
Post-installation configuration tasks.....................................................................................................22
Upgrading incompatible firmware modes and versions....................................................................23
VCEM home page................................................................................................................................24
3 Managing VC Domains............................................................................25
VC Domains.........................................................................................................................................25
Requirements for adding a VC Domain to a VC Domain Group.............................................................27
Mixed Virtual Connect firmware versions and firmware compatibility in a VC Domain Group................29
Virtual Connect 3.0x features that must be disabled in a VC Domain to be part of the VC Domain Group
with Virtual Connect firmware 2.1x and 2.3x..................................................................................30
Virtual Connect 2.3x features that must be disabled in a VC Domain to be part of the VC Domain Group
with Virtual Connect firmware 2.1x................................................................................................31
VC Domain tasks.............................................................................................................................34
Licensing an enclosure for VCEM.......................................................................................................34
Creating a VC Domain Group...........................................................................................................35
Adding a VC Domain to a VC Domain Group.....................................................................................37
Removing a VC Domain from a VC Domain Group..............................................................................38
Working with multienclosure VC Domains...........................................................................................39
VC Domain Maintenance..................................................................................................................41
VC Domain Group configuration replicated to other VC Domains during VC Domain Maintenance.......43
Performing VC Domain Maintenance.............................................................................................44
Table of Contents 3
Backing up and restoring domain configurations through VC Domain Maintenance.............................45
Changes in Virtual Connect Manager that might affect completing VC Domain Maintenance...............46
Working with HP Virtual Connect 8Gb Fibre Channel Module for c-Class BladeSystem........................46
Adding or removing remote enclosures from a multienclosure domain in VC Domain Maintenance........46
Canceling a VC Domain Maintenance task.........................................................................................46
Resynchronizing a VC Domain with Configuration Mismatch..................................................................47
4 Managing VC Domain Groups..................................................................49
VC Domain Groups...............................................................................................................................49
Creating a VC Domain Group...........................................................................................................50
Maintaining a VC Domain from the VC Domain Group page................................................................52
Canceling a VC Domain Group maintenance task...............................................................................52
Upgrading VC Domain Group Firmware Mode....................................................................................52
Deleting a VC Domain Group...........................................................................................................53
Adding or removing VC modules to VC Domain Group configuration.....................................................54
Moving Ethernet networks (VLANs tagged) from one shared uplink to another.........................................55
Correlating VCEM operations in HP SIM and Virtual Connect logs.........................................................55
5 Managing server profiles...........................................................................57
Profiles................................................................................................................................................57
Creating a profile............................................................................................................................59
Configuring the target boot LUN........................................................................................................60
Configuring multiple networks............................................................................................................60
Configuring Network Port Speed........................................................................................................61
Deleting a profile.............................................................................................................................62
Editing a profile...............................................................................................................................62
Verifying the presence of EFI partition data.........................................................................................62
Assigning a profile...........................................................................................................................63
Unassigning a profile.......................................................................................................................63
Copying and assigning a profile to a bay...........................................................................................63
Moving a profile..............................................................................................................................64
Performing a VC Profile Failover.........................................................................................................64
Preconditions for VC Profile Failover..............................................................................................65
Designating spare bays...............................................................................................................65
Initiating VC Profile Failover through the VCEM CLI.........................................................................65
Initiating VC Profile Failover through the VCEM GUI........................................................................65
Initiating VC Profile Failover using HP SIM Automatic Event Handling................................................65
6 Managing enclosure bay assignments.........................................................67
Bays....................................................................................................................................................67
Powering down a bay......................................................................................................................68
Assigning a profile to a bay..............................................................................................................69
Unassigning a profile from a bay.......................................................................................................69
Designating spare bays....................................................................................................................70
Performing a VC Profile Failover.........................................................................................................70
Preconditions for VC Profile Failover..............................................................................................71
Designating spare bays...............................................................................................................71
Initiating VC Profile Failover through the VCEM CLI.........................................................................71
Initiating VC Profile Failover through the VCEM GUI........................................................................71
Initiating VC Profile Failover using HP SIM Automatic Event Handling................................................71
7 Managing MAC and WWN addresses.......................................................73
MAC Addresses....................................................................................................................................73
Tracking individual MAC addresses....................................................................................................73
Creating MAC exclusion ranges.........................................................................................................74
Deleting MAC exclusion ranges.........................................................................................................74
4 Table of Contents
Reclaiming external MAC addresses...................................................................................................74
Adding custom MAC address ranges..................................................................................................75
Editing custom MAC address ranges..................................................................................................75
Removing custom MAC address ranges...............................................................................................75
WWN Addresses.................................................................................................................................75
Tracking individual WWN addresses.................................................................................................76
Creating WWN exclusion ranges......................................................................................................76
Deleting WWN exclusion ranges.......................................................................................................77
Allocating WWN addresses.............................................................................................................77
Reclaiming external WWN addresses................................................................................................78
Adding custom WWN address ranges...............................................................................................78
Editing custom WWN address ranges................................................................................................79
Deleting custom WWN address ranges..............................................................................................79
8 Working with Logical Serial Numbers.........................................................81
Logical Serial Numbers..........................................................................................................................81
Identifying logical serial number values...............................................................................................81
9 Tracking VCEM job status..........................................................................83
Jobs....................................................................................................................................................83
Job status message window...............................................................................................................83
Reviewing job details.......................................................................................................................84
Deleting jobs...................................................................................................................................84
10 Upgrading Virtual Connect firmware after VCEM is managing VC Domains...85
Preparation checklist..............................................................................................................................85
Performing the firmware update using the VC Domain Maintenance capability..............................................85
11 Removing an external manager account.....................................................87
12 Command Line Interface usage in VCEM...................................................89
Perform VC profile failover on specified VC Domain bay server...................................................................89
List details for specified VCEM job...........................................................................................................89
Show CLI usage online help...................................................................................................................90
CLI exit and error codes.........................................................................................................................91
13 Troubleshooting VCEM............................................................................93
..........................................................................................................................................................93
Installation and configuration issues...................................................................................................93
VCEM is prompting for Onboard Administrator credentials on a configured VC Domain......................93
Virtual Connect Manager does not accept Onboard Administrator credentials....................................93
Unable to add VC Domain to a VC Domain Group.........................................................................93
Unable to add an unconfigured VC Domain to a VC Domain Group.................................................94
VC Domain displays Configuration Mismatch status........................................................................94
VC Domain displays Connectivity failure status...............................................................................94
Cannot resynchronize VC Domain that is in Configuration Mismatch state..........................................95
Remove from VC Domain Group job is successful but with errors.......................................................96
VC Domain displays Expired License status....................................................................................96
Uninstalling VCEM......................................................................................................................97
No HP-predefined ranges for MAC and WWN addresses in VC Domain Groups...............................97
HP SIM customizations for VCEM have not taken place....................................................................97
VC Domain not discovered by HP SIM...........................................................................................97
Operations issues............................................................................................................................97
Unauthorized error when trying to access the VCEM home page......................................................97
Table of Contents 5
A job appears with Failed status...................................................................................................98
Enclosure has two Onboard Administrators, and one fails................................................................98
Cannot access VC Domain from Virtual Connect Manager after a data migration has been
performed.................................................................................................................................98
Cannot manage a VC Domain when VC module failover is taking place...........................................98
VC Domain displays Missing External Manager lock status..............................................................98
Operation fails to perform in the VC Domain or VC Domain Group under maintenance status..............99
Completed with warning job status...............................................................................................99
Error on database operation occurs............................................................................................100
Errors occur while loading VCEM pages......................................................................................100
Failed to execute VCEM operation because VC firmware not supported...........................................100
Creating a server profile or adding a VC Domain to a VC Domain Group fails.................................101
Cannot change the MAC/WWN/Serial Number ranges in Virtual Connect Manager when there are
server profiles...........................................................................................................................101
Enclosure has a hardware failure and must be replaced.................................................................101
Replace VC modules in a VC Domain managed by VCEM.............................................................101
Failover fails to initiate with an ERROR (30) - Could not initiate failover; nested exception is:
java.net.SocketTimeoutException: Read timed out..........................................................................102
VC Profile Failover fails during Onboard Administrator replacement................................................102
VCEM cannot power down ProLiant server model BL465 G1..........................................................102
After VC Domain is removed from VC Domain Group in VCEM, profile with external-managed status
cannot be edited through Virtual Connect Manager......................................................................102
Server profile edit operation fails when target server is powered on.................................................103
VC Domain status is "Mismatch Configuration" after cancel VC Domain Maintenance operation fails...103
Server profile job completed with success but changes have not occurred........................................103
After a server profile failover, some connections defined in the server profile are not functional...........104
Server profiles are not displaying physical port mapping and allocated bandwidth information...........104
VCEM page displays "Communication with the HP SIM server has been lost"...................................104
Create VC Domain Group or Add VC Domain to VC Domain Group operations fail and the message
"An invalid boot LUN was entered. Check the storage arrays for the proper LUN number" appears.....105
Profile move, assign, or failover operations fail and the message "An invalid boot LUN was entered.
Check the Storage arrays for the proper LUN number" appears......................................................105
VC Domain Maintenance operation fails when moving Ethernet networks (VLANs tagged) from a deleted
shared uplink set to another.......................................................................................................105
Backup and Restore issues...............................................................................................................106
Backing up and restoring VCEM.................................................................................................106
VCEM database is inaccessible or irretrievable with no backup, or VCEM file systems are corrupt with
no backup...............................................................................................................................106
14 HP services and technical support...........................................................109
HP contact information.........................................................................................................................109
Glossary..................................................................................................111
Index.......................................................................................................115
6 Table of Contents
List of Figures
1-1 HP Virtual Connect technology..........................................................................................................14
1-2 Virtual Connect Enterprise Manager homepage .................................................................................16
1-3 Virtual Connect Enterprise Manager architecture overview....................................................................16
1-4 VC profile movement example..........................................................................................................17
2-1 VCEM home page..........................................................................................................................24
3-1 VC Domains page..........................................................................................................................25
3-2 Server profiles with more than 32 Ethernet network connections............................................................31
3-3 Enhanced SNMP configuration.........................................................................................................31
3-4 Adding or editing a compatible SNMP trap destination.......................................................................32
3-5 Disabling trap severities...................................................................................................................32
3-6 Selecting trap categories..................................................................................................................33
3-7 Disabling Virtual Connect Manager traps...........................................................................................33
3-8 Select any value other than 8Gb as uplink and downlink configuration speeds.......................................34
3-9 Valid configuration of Ethernet and Fibre Channel Virtual Connect modules............................................40
3-10 VC Domain Group with VC Domains that have different numbers of enclosures.....................................41
4-1 VC Domain Groups.........................................................................................................................49
5-1 Profiles page..................................................................................................................................57
5-2 Auxiliary Blade Range.....................................................................................................................59
5-3 Server VLAN tag to vNet Mappings window......................................................................................60
5-4 Copying a profile using the Copy from button.....................................................................................61
5-5 Force same VLAN mappings as Shared Uplink Sets checkbox...............................................................61
5-6 Custom Port Speed window..............................................................................................................61
6-1 Bays page.....................................................................................................................................67
6-2 Window displaying the power status of a bay....................................................................................68
6-3 Bay status with tab and hold.............................................................................................................69
7-1 MAC Ranges List page....................................................................................................................73
7-2 WWN Ranges List page..................................................................................................................76
7-3 WWN Ranges List page..................................................................................................................78
8-1 Logical serial number page..............................................................................................................81
9-1 Jobs list..........................................................................................................................................83
13-1 Backing up and restoring VCEM...................................................................................................106
7
8
About this document
Intended audience
This document is intended to be used by technical professionals who manage multiple HP BladeSystem
enclosures and use HP Virtual Connect Manager to control network connectivity. HP assumes that you have
installed Virtual Connect, are familiar with the embedded Virtual Connect Manager web console, and have
read the
Publishing history
Related documents
HP Virtual Connect for c-Class BladeSystem User Guide
and understand its concepts.
Publication dateSoftware versionManufacturing part number
June 20106.10484328-008
November 20096.00460924-006
September 20091.40460924-005
April 20091.30460924-004
January 20091.20460924-003
April 20081.10460924-002
November 20071.00460924-001
In addition to this guide, the following resources are available:
• VCEM website at http://www.hp.com/go/vcem
•
HP Insight Software Quick Installation Guide
•
HP Insight Software Support Matrix
•
HP Virtual Connect Enterprise Manager Release Notes
For more information about Virtual Connect Manager, see:
•
BladeSystem c-Class Solution Overview
•
HP Virtual Connect for c-Class BladeSystem User Guide
•
HP Virtual Connect Manager Release Notes
HP encourages your comments
Your comments and suggestions regarding product features will help us develop future editions of VCEM.
For contact information, see chapter 14.
Intended audience 9
10
1 Introduction
HP Virtual Connect Enterprise Manager (VCEM) centralizes network connectivity and workload mobility for
HP BladeSystem servers that use Virtual Connect to access local area networks (LANs), storage area networks
(SANs), and converged network environments. VCEM helps organizations increase productivity, respond
faster to workload and infrastructure changes, and reduce operating costs.
Built on the Virtual Connect architecture integrated into every HP BladeSystem c-Class enclosure, VCEM
provides a central console to administer network address assignments, perform group-based configuration
management, and to rapidly deploy, move, and failover server connections and workloads for 250 Virtual
Connect domains (up to 1,000 enclosures and 16,000 server blades when used with Virtual Connect
multi-enclosure domain configurations).
Use VCEM to complete key data center tasks quickly and reliably, without impacting the configuration and
availability of production networks. VCEM enables you to:
• Deploy new BladeSystem enclosures, server blades, and Virtual Connect (VC) Domains
• Perform fast and cost-effective server recovery
• Complete planned systems maintenance with minimal downtime
• Rapidly migrate and repurpose server blades to meet changing workload and application priorities
Together, Virtual Connect and VCEM create a change-ready infrastructure that enables system administrators
to add, replace, and recover blade servers and their workloads across the data center in minutes without
impacting production networks. This flexible infrastructure also provides the foundation for logical server
deployment and orchestration delivered with HP Insight Dynamics software.
For more information on VCEM, see http://www.hp.com/go/vcem.
Key features and benefits
VCEM delivers the following key features and benefits.
Key features
• Single intuitive console to manage up to 250 VC Domains. VCEM is designed to support up to 1,000
BladeSystem enclosures and 16,000 servers when used with Virtual Connect Ethernet multi-enclosure
domains.”
• Central repository administers a total of 256K Media Access Control (MAC) addresses and World
Wide Names (WWNs) per VCEM console.
• Group-based management of Virtual Connect domains using common configuration profiles.
• Scripted and manual movement of server connection profiles and associated workloads between Virtual
Connect domains .
• Automated failover of server connection profiles and workloads to customer-defined spare servers.
• Seamless integration with existing Virtual Connect infrastructures—discovers and aggregates Virtual
Connect resources into a central console.
• Licensed per c-Class enclosure—simplifies deployment and enables support for current and future
BladeSystem and Virtual Connect hardware.
Key benefits
• Centrally manage connectivity and workloads for hundreds of Virtual Connect domains and thousands
of HP BladeSystem server blades.
• The VCEM address repository enables more efficient administration of data and storage network
assignments (MAC and WWN) and eliminate the risk of address conflicts.
• Group-based management of Virtual Connect domains increases infrastructure consistency, simplifies
system deployment and enables rapid change management across hundreds of HP BladeSystem
enclosures.
Key features and benefits 11
• Add, change, and failover servers and their workloads across the data center in minutes without
impacting production networks.
• Increase productivity and server-to-administrator ratios.
• Release LAN and SAN administrators from routine server-centric tasks.
• Scalable across small and large data centers.
What's new
VCEM 6.1 adds new features and support for the latest Virtual Connect hardware and firmware which
includes:
Virtual Connect firmware v3.0x features:
• HP Integrity BL8x0c i2 series server blades
• HP ProLiant BL465c G7 server blade
• HP ProLiant BL685c G7 server blade
• Up to 128 connections per server profile
• Operations compatibility with future releases of Virtual Connect v3.x firmware
• Enhancements to VCEM role-based access include display filters and new Domain Group Limited
Operator
• VCEM 6.1 can be installed on a new server or used to update existing installations of VCEM 1.20
through 6.0.
NOTE: VCEM 6.1 is delivered on HP Insight Software media 6.1 and can also be downloaded at http:/
/www.hp.com/go/vcem.
Platform support
VCEM is supported on most HP BladeSystem c-Class hardware, storage, software, and third-party operating
platforms. For a full list of supported platforms and components, see Installing and configuring VCEM.
Product licensing
Virtual Connect Enterprise Manager is licensed per BladeSystem c-Class enclosure, with separate options
for BL-c3000 and BL-c7000 enclosures.
A single VCEM license is required for each enclosure to be managed in both single and multi-enclosure
domain configurations, and is valid for the life of the associated enclosure.
The following table lists all available VCEM license options, including Virtual Connect hardware and VCEM
packaged options.
DescriptionPart numberLicense type
591973-B21Combination VC plus VCEM license options
HP Virtual Connect Flex-10 10Gb Enterprise
Edition for BL c-7000
1
12 Introduction
DescriptionPart numberLicense type
HP VCEM BL-c7000 Single enclosure license459864-B21VCEM software licenses
1 Includes 2x Virtual Connect Flex-10 10Gb interconnect modules and 1 x VCEM license for an HP BladeSystem c7000 enclosure
Architectural overview
This section provides an overview of the architecture, functionality, and operations of Virtual Connect
technology and VCEM.
459865-B21
459866-B21
T9094AAE
459868-B21
459869-B21
T9095AAE
HP VCEM BL-c7000 Single flexible quantity
license – covers multiple enclosures
HP VCEM BL-c7000 Tracking license –
quantity license used only with a current
Activation Key Agreements (AKA)
HP VCEM BL-c7000 E-LTU – Electronically
delivered license (email) that can cover
single or multiple c7000 enclosures
HP VCEM BL-c3000 Single enclosure license459867-B21
HP VCEM BL-c3000 Single flexible quantity
license – covers multiple enclosures
HP VCEM BL-c3000 Tracking license –
quantity license used only with a current
Activation Key Agreements (AKA)
HP VCEM BL-c3000 E-LTU – Electronically
delivered license (email) that can cover
single or multiple c3000 enclosures
HP Virtual Connect technology
HP Virtual Connect (VC) is the preferred interconnect technology for HP BladeSystem environments. Virtual
Connect is used in place of traditional pass-through and managed switches to reduce costs and simplify
blade server connectivity to production LANs, SANs and converged networks. VC virtualizes I/O connections
by putting an abstraction layer between the servers and their external networks, so that LANs and SANs see
network interface (NIC) or host bus adapter (HBA) addresses presented by the VC modules instead of the
default burned-in interface addresses. Virtual Connect provides several key advantages:
• Reduces physical server-to-network cabling, complexity and leased network ports.
• Maintains constant end-to-end connections to preferred networks and fabrics.
• Enables administrators to wire LAN and SAN connections once and limit changes.
• Allows network assignments to be pre-provisioned even to empty server bays - enables rapid server
deployment and limits configuration errors.
• Separates server administration from LAN and SAN administration.
• Enables system administrators to be self-sufficient – add, replace, or modify servers in minutes to meet
changing workload and business requirements without impacting production networks.
• Relieves LAN and SAN administrators from server-centric maintenance.
The following figure compares traditional network connections to Virtual Connect technology.
Architectural overview 13
Figure 1-1 HP Virtual Connect technology
The Virtual Connect architecture is integrated into every BladeSystem c-Class enclosure and built on industry
standards, allowing operations with a broad range of switch brands that includes Cisco, Brocade, Juniper,
BNT and HP ProCurve. Virtual Connect functionality is delivered using high performance Virtual Connect
Ethernet and Fibre Channel modules that plug into the standard BladeSystem c-Class enclosure interconnect
bays. Each Virtual Connect module provides dense port aggregation that turns multiple physical network
connections to each server into a few simple high-speed uplinks that greatly reduce infrastructure complexity
and costs. To the external networks, Virtual Connect modules appear as regular pass-through devices, but
provide the benefits of integrated switching. HP BladeSystem enclosures configured with Virtual Connect
Ethernet and Fiber Channel modules are referred to as Virtual Connect domains. A VC domain is a logical
group that can be a single enclosure with up to 16 servers, or up to four physically linked enclosures running
to 64 servers.
To establish server connections to LANs and SANs, Virtual Connect uses server connection profiles in
combination with dynamic pools of unique media access control (MAC) addresses and world wide names
(WWN). A Virtual Connect server profile is a logical grouping of server connection attributes that can be
assigned to any bay in a BladeSystem enclosure. When assigned to an enclosure bay, the server in that
bay assumes the attributes of the profile which can include:
• MAC addresses for all NICs
• WWNs for all Host Bus Adapters (HBAs)
• Fibre Channel boot from SAN parameters
• Logical serial numbers
An important benefit of Virtual Connect is that server connection profiles and associated attributes are
assigned to BladeSystem enclosure bays and not hard wired to individual servers. The physical server in
each bay uses the MAC and WWN assignments in the bay profile instead of its default burned-in network
interface (NIC) or host bus adapter (HBA) addresses. Using this model, even if a server is replaced, the MAC
and WWN assignments for the enclosure bay remain constant, and the change is invisible to the network.
During Virtual Connect installation, the LAN and SAN administrators are still responsible for defining the
networks, subnets, and storage LUNs that the servers will use, but they no longer have to be involved in
every server-centric change. Once implemented, Virtual Connect allows system administrators to be more
14 Introduction
self-sufficient, so they can add, replace, and modify servers in minutes without affecting LAN and SAN
availability or burdening network administration staff.
Managing HP Virtual Connect
To configure and manage Virtual Connect resources, HP provides options for both small and large Virtual
Connect environments.
HP Virtual Connect Manager
Virtual Connect Manager is a simple web console built into the firmware of each Virtual Connect Ethernet
module, and is designed to configure and manage a single Virtual Connect Domain.
Typical environment
Small environments with up to 4 Virtual Connect domains that have no plans to expand further.
HP Virtual Connect Enterprise Manager
VCEM is HP’s primary application that centrally manages server connections and provides workload mobility
for up to 250 Virtual Connect domains and thousands of servers across the datacenter.
Typical Environment
BladeSystem environments with more than one rack of enclosures . VCEM is designed to scale as the
infrastructure grows and simplifies the addition of new and bare metal enclosures. Small environments with
goals to expand beyond a single server rack should use VCEM from the very beginning to get the most
benefit.
• Medium to large HP BladeSystem environments that use Virtual Connect.
• HP BladeSystem environments that extend to multiple locations.
• Organizations that require centralized control of server-to-network connectivity.
• Organizations that require rapid server workload assignment and recovery across enclosures.
VCEM operations
VCEM aggregates network connection management and workload mobility for hundreds of Virtual Connect
domains and thousands of blade servers into a single console. This scalable solution delivers advanced
Virtual Connect management that builds upon and integrates with other HP management tools, including
HP Systems Insight Manager (HP SIM), Virtual Connect hardware, and the Onboard Administrator integrated
into HP BladeSystem c-Class enclosures. VCEM can be installed in a variety of configurations that include
a physical stand-alone console, as a plug-in to HP Systems Insight Manager, and as a virtual server guest.
The majority of VCEM operations are accessed through a dedicated homepage which includes the following
core tasks:
• Discover and import existing VC Domains without system downtime.
• Aggregate individual Virtual Connect address names for LAN and SAN connectivity into a centrally
administered VCEM address repository.
• Create VC Domain Groups.
• Assign and unassign VC Domains to VC Domain Groups.
• Define server profiles and link to available LAN and SAN network resources.
• Assign server profiles to BladeSystem enclosures, enclosure bays, and VC Domain Groups.
• Change, move, or automatically failover server profiles to spare servers.
• Rapidly install new bare-metal HP BladeSystem enclosures by assigning to a VC Domain Group.
The following figure displays the Virtual Connect Enterprise Manager homepage.
Architectural overview 15
Figure 1-2 Virtual Connect Enterprise Manager homepage
The following figure summarizes the Virtual Connect Enterprise Manager architecture.
Figure 1-3 Virtual Connect Enterprise Manager architecture overview
Using VCEM, system administrators can quickly deploy, replace and recover servers and their associated
workloads by simply assigning or reassigning Virtual Connect server connection profile to an enclosure bay.
The example in the following figure illustrates a profile movement operation from “Server A” to “Server C”
using VCEM.
16 Introduction
NOTE: The LANs associated with each uplink port and the attributes of the Virtual Connect server profile
remain exactly the same; only the location of the profile has changed.
When a Virtual Connect server connection profile is moved, the associated MAC, WWN, boot from SAN
parameters and related workload always move with the profile.
From the VCEM GU,I server profiles can be moved manually or scripted using the profile failover capability
to a user-defined spare server. A server profile can be moved within the same VC Domain or to any other
Domain in the same Virtual Connect Domain Group, whether it is in the same rack, across the datacenter
or at another location. The profile movement and failover functionality provided by VCEM can be used to
provide cost-effective server blade recovery, perform proactive hardware maintenance with reduced
downtimes, and control rapid server repurposing to meet changing workload and application priorities.
When moving Virtual Connect server profiles, the fastest completion times are achieved when the
corresponding source and target servers are configured to boot-from-SAN. The automated profile failover
functionality delivered in VCEM requires a boot-from-SAN environment.
Figure 1-4 VC profile movement example
Setup and configuration summary
To set up and configure VCEM into an existing HP BladeSystem environment running Virtual Connect:
Setup and configuration summary 17
1. Verify that the Virtual Connect module and HP Onboard Administrator firmware for all VC Domains to
be managed by VCEM meets the minimum requirements. For a complete list of hardware, firmware,
and software requirements, see Installing and configuring VCEM..
2. Install the VCEM software on a host system running a supported operating system using the HP Insight
Software DVD.
Insight Software media can be downloaded from http://www.hp.com/go/insight.
HP recommends that you use Insight Software media installation wizard to ensure the correct installation,
compatibility, and operation of all required components.
3. Log on to the VCEM console, and discover the VC Domains to be imported into VCEM by entering the
corresponding Onboard Administrator IP addresses.
4. Apply a VCEM license to each VC Domain enclosure to be managed. A VCEM license enables operations
across all bays in an enclosure for the life of the enclosure. See Product licensing in this chapter for a
full list of license options.
5. From the VCEM console, create one or more VC Domain Groups, and assign the corresponding VC
Domains.
• The configuration of the first domain in a VC Domain Group defines the characteristics for all
subsequent group members.
• All domains in a VC Domain Group have the same Virtual Connect moduleconfiguration and
network uplink connections.
After you complete these steps, VCEM is ready to manage your Virtual Connect infrastructures. You can now
add, change, and move blade servers connections and workloads across the data center in minutes.
18 Introduction
2 Installing and configuring VCEM
This chapter describes how to install and configure VCEM.
IMPORTANT: This guide assumes that you have previously installed Virtual Connect using the integrated
Virtual Connect Manager, have read the
understand its concepts.
Preparing for a VCEM installation
If you have VCEM 1.10 or earlier, you must first upgrade to VCEM 1.20 or later using the HP Insight Software
DVDs to ensure the correct installation, compatibility, and operation of all components. VCEM 6.1 can be
installed as a new application or used to directly update installations of VCEM 1.20, 1.3x, 1.40, and 6.0
.
IMPORTANT: HP recommends that you install and upgrade VCEM using the HP Insight Software DVDs. If
you manually upgrade Systems Insight Manager 6.0 to 6.1, you must also upgrade VCEM to an HP Insight
Software compatible version.
Installation prerequisites
This section describes the hardware and software prerequisites for installing VCEM and related components.
For a full list of Insight Software requirements see the
HP Virtual Connect for c-Class BladeSystem User Guide
HP Insight Software Support Matrix
, and
.
Hardware requirements
The following table lists the Insight Software Insight Control CMS hardware installation requirements.
Servers
Memory
Disk space
Software requirements
The following table lists operating systems and related components that are required to install and operate
VCEM v6.1.
SpecificationComponent
HP ProLiant BladeSystem c-Class or p-Class server blades, HP
ProLiant ML or DL 300, 500, and 700 G3 or later recommended
to host HP Systems Insight Manager and VCEM.
At least 4 GB RAM recommended). If you are installing HP Insight
Dynamics software, 6-8 GB is recommended.
Minimum 1.6 GHz (2 GHz or faster recommended).Processor
At least 10 GB for HP Systems Insight Manager, VCEM, and
database storage. Additional space is needed for storing more
comprehensive Insight Software configurations that include server
deployment and other Insight Software plug-ins.
New Technology File System (NTFS)File structure
Local or mapped DVD drive required for software installationDVD
SpecificationComponent
Operating Systems
• Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Standard and Enterprise
Editions SP2 (x86 and x64)
• Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2, Standard and Enterprise
Editions SP2 (x86 and x64)
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Standard and Enterprise
Editions SP2 (x86 and x64)
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard and Enterprise
Edition SP2 (x64)
Preparing for a VCEM installation 19
Hypervisor Guests
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V SP2
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V
• Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 SP2
• Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2
• VMware ESX 3.5 Update 5
• VMware ESX 4.0 Update 1
Services
Browsers
Database
Virtual Connect requirements
The following Virtual Connect hardware and firmware is supported by VCEM v6.1.
Virtual Connect Ethernet modules
• NET 3.0 Framework or later
• Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)
• TCP/IP with DNS
• Microsoft iSCSI Software Initiator 2.06, 2.07 or 2.08
• iSCSI 6.0.6001.18000 (Only required for iSCSI environments)
• Mozilla Firefox 3.x
• Microsoft Internet Explorer v7.0
• Microsoft Internet explorer v8.0 (compatibility mode)
• Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Standard or Enterprise SP1
• Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Express SP1
• Microsoft SQL Server 2005 SP3
• Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition SP3
SpecificationComponent
• HP Virtual Connect 1/10 Gb Ethernet Module
• HP Virtual Connect 1/10 Gb-F Ethernet Module
• HP Virtual Connect Flex-10 10 Gb Ethernet Module
Virtual Connect Fibre Channel modules
Virtual Connect firmware
Managed servers
The following HP BladeSystem c-Class servers are supported by VCEM v6.1 as managed nodes.
• HP Virtual Connect 4 Gb Fibre Channel Module
• HP Virtual Connect 8 Gb 24-port Fibre Channel Module
• HP Virtual Connect 8 Gb 20-port Fibre Channel Module
• Virtual Connect firmware v2.1x and later (full feature support)
• Virtual Connect firmware v3.0x (full feature support)
• Operations compatibility for Virtual Connect firmware v3.x
(limited feature support)
SpecificationComponent
20 Installing and configuring VCEM
• HP ProLiant BL260c
• HP ProLiant BL2x220c
• HP ProLiant BL460c
• HP ProLiant BL465c (G7 model supported only with Virtual
Connect Flex-10)
• HP ProLiant BL480c
• HP ProLiant BL490c
• HP ProLiant BL495c
• HP ProLiant BL680c
• HP ProLiant BL685c (G7 model supported only with Virtual
Connect Flex-10)
• HP ProLiant xw460c Blade Workstation
HP BladeSystem Integrity server
Installing VCEM
For server prerequisites for VCEM installation, including hardware and software prerequisites, see Installation
prerequisites or the
IMPORTANT: VCEM 6.1 supports the Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) browser, but the underlying Virtual
Connect Manager only supports IE8 in IE7 compatibility mode. Using IE8 to perform VCEM Domain
Maintenance tasks that access Virtual Connect Manager might result in failed or incomplete operations. HP
recommends Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) or Firefox 3.x as the preferred browsers for use with VCEM.
For a list of browsers supported by Virtual Connect Manager, see the
BladeSystem User Guide
When you are upgrading to a new and different CMS, or are moving to a 64-bit CMS, then you might need
to migrate your data by using the Systems Insight Manager data migration tool. If you are upgrading to a
new version of VCEM on the same CMS, data migration with the Systems Insight Manager data migration
tool is not necessary. For more information, see the
Guide for Microsoft Windows
To install VCEM, follow the steps provided in the installation wizard. To access online help, click the ? icon
in the upper right-hand corner of the window.
HP Insight Software Support Matrix
.
HP Systems Insight Manager Installation and Configuration
.
• HP Integrity BL860c / 860c i2
• HP Integrity BL870c / 870c i2
• HP Integrity BL890c i2
.
HP Virtual Connect for c-Class
Removing VCEM
WARNING! Removing VCEM could have significant implications. Before removing VCEM, verify that no
other upper level management products such as HP Insight Dynamics - VSE are using VCEM capabilities.
Uninstallation of VCEM requires a release of all VC Domains. Removing VCEM also removes all VCEM-centric
historical tracking of individual WWNs and MAC addresses.
IMPORTANT: Before you remove VCEM, ensure that you have removed all VC Domains from the VC
Domain Groups that are under VCEM control. Otherwise, VCEM removal will not be successful. For more
information see “Removing a VC Domain from a VC Domain Group.”
Choose from one of the following options:
• Select Start→All Programs→HP Insight Software→Uninstall HP Insight Software and select HP
Virtual Connect Enterprise Manager.
• From the Control panel, click Add or Remove Programs, select HP Insight Software, and click HP
Virtual Connect Enterprise Manager.
Installing VCEM 21
1. Confirm the removal.
After removing HP Virtual Connect Enterprise Manager, some files might not be removed. Manually
removing such files might cause an access denied error message. If this occurs, reboot the server
where VCEM is installed, and then remove the files.
2. The removal operation does not remove the following VCEM folder.
C:\Program Files\HP\Virtual Connect Enterprise Manager\
The VCEM folder does not cause any system damage or prevent VCEM from future reinstallation.
3. The removal logs are located in %systemdrive%\HPIC\logs\<timestamp> folder. The
%systemdrive% is the drive where the operating system is installed (such as C:) and the <timestamp>
identifies the system clock timestamp.
Performing post-installation configuration tasks
Post-installation configuration tasks
If you are installing VCEM for the first time, perform the following tasks:
1. To access VCEM, select either of the following:
• Start→All Programs→HP Virtual Connect Enterprise Manager→HP Virtual Connect
Enterprise Manager
• HP SIM→Tools→Integrated Consoles→Virtual Connect Enterprise Manager (VCEM)
If VCEM is a stand-alone installation, click the VCEM desktop icon. The VCEM Home page appears.
2. Enter the credentials that you entered when performing the installation. The VCEM home page appears.
• If an HP SIM discovery has been performed, all Virtual Connect modules appear.
• If an HP SIM discovery has not been previously performed, and no Virtual Connect modules appear,
perform an HP SIM discovery before continuing.
1. Make sure to discover the Onboard Administrator IP addresses with enclosures that have VC
Ethernet modules.
2. To verify whether any VC Domains have been discovered, click the VC Domains tab.
For more information about performing an HP SIM discovery, see the
3. (Optional) If you are installing VCEM as part of the HP Insight Software suite, after performing an HP
SIM discovery, access the HP Managed System Software Wizard and complete the steps in the wizard.
For more information about the wizard, see the
Guide.
NOTE: VCEM 6.1 does not support VC firmware 1.3x , 1.2x or 2.0x. If you have these versions of
VC firmware, an incompatible firmware icon is displayed and VCEM may prevent some VC domain,
VC domain group, and server profile operations. You must upgrade to at least 2.1x. See Upgrading
incompatible firmware modes and versions for more information. While VCEM does not support these
HP Insight Software Installation and Configuration
HP SIM User Guide
.
22 Installing and configuring VCEM
older firmware versions, both VCEM and the HP Management System Software Wizard will not prevent
you from licensing these older firmware versions.
4. (Optional) Configure the MAC addresses to match the needs in the data center.
a. From the VCEM Home page, click the Home tab. In a stand-alone VCEM installation, to return to
the Home page, click the Home link on the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
b. Click the MAC Addresses hyperlink.
c. To create a custom range, click Add custom.
The MAC address range used by the VCEM domain must be unique within the environment. HP
provides a set of predefined ranges that are reserved for use by Virtual Connect and VCEM, and
does not conflict with server factory-default MAC addresses.
When using the HP-predefined MAC address ranges, be sure that each range is used only once
within the environment.
For more information, see Adding custom MAC address ranges.
5. (Optional) Create MAC exclusion ranges. For more information, see Creating MAC exclusion ranges.
6. (Optional) Configure the World Wide Names ranges to meet your requirements.
a. From the VCEM Home page, click the Home tab. In a stand-alone VCEM installation, to return to
the Home page, click the Home link on the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
b. Click the World Wide Names hyperlink.
c. To create a custom range, click Add custom.
The WWN range used by the VCEM domain must be unique within the environment. HP provides
a set of predefined ranges that are reserved for use by Virtual Connect and VCEM, and does not
conflict with server factory-default WWNs.
When using the HP-predefined WWN ranges, be sure that each range is used only once within
the environment.
For more information, see Adding custom WWN address ranges.
7. (Optional) Create WWN exclusion ranges. For more information, see Creating WWN exclusion ranges.
8. Click the VC Domains tab. VC Domains appear as the following:
• Unconfigured VC Domains—Appear as VCD_name, where name is the temporary name
automatically given to the VC Domain.
• Configured VC Domains—Appear with the VC Domain name.
9. Select a VC Domain, and then click License to license the domain. For more information on licensing,
see Licensing an enclosure for VCEM.
10. Create a new VC Domain Group, and then add one or more already licensed VC Domains to it. For
more information on creating a new VC Domain Group, see Creating a VC Domain Group.
You can continue using VCEM and its additional functions such as creating profiles and assigning them to
bays.
VCEM uses a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) connection provided by HP SIM. For more information about the
available cipher suites and how to enable or disable them, see the
paper at http://h18013.www1.hp.com/products/servers/management/hpsim/infolibrary.html.
VCEM uses the same TCP ports as HP SIM. VCEM does not open any other TCP ports.
Upgrading incompatible firmware modes and versions
If unsupported VC Domain firmware versions are detected at the end of an VCEM 6.1 upgrade, a warning
message similar to the following is displayed:
Virtual Connect Enterprise Manager (VCEM) detected there is one or more VC
Domain Group running on an unsupported firmware mode during the upgrade. VCEM
has marked all affected VC Domain Group(s) and VC Domain(s) with an incompatible
status. VCEM 6.1 will be unable to perform server profile operations that
belong to these marked VC Domains.
Understanding HP SIM security
white
Performing post-installation configuration tasks 23
Upgrade to a supported VC firmware by performing the following steps:
1. Select the VC domain with an incompatible status and click VC Domain Maintenance.
2. Upgrade the managed VC Domains to the minimum VCEM 6.1 supported VC firmware version. See
the HP Insight Software Support Matrix for the VCEM supported VC firmware versions.
3. Click Complete VC Domain Maintenance to close the operation.
4. Upgrade the VC Domain Group firmware mode to the minimum VCEM supported VC firmware.
VCEM home page
Virtual Connect Enterprise Manager uses a dedicated graphical user interface to access and control Virtual
Connect operations, which includes the following core tasks:
• Discovers and imports existing VC Domains without system downtime.
• Assigns and administers connection addresses for LANs (MAC) and SANs (WWN) from a centrally
address repository.
• Creates VC Domain Groups.
• Assigns and unassigns VC Domains to VC Domain Groups.
• Defines server profiles and links to available LAN and SAN network resources.
• Assigns server profiles to BladeSystem enclosures, enclosure bays, and VC Domain Groups.
• Changes, moves , or automatically fails over server profiles to spare servers.
• Rapidly installs new bare-metal HP BladeSystem enclosures by assigning to a VC Domain Group.
The following screenshot shows the VCEM home page.
Figure 2-1 VCEM home page
24 Installing and configuring VCEM
3 Managing VC Domains
VC Domains
This section describes how to use VCEM to manage VC Domains.
On the VC Domains page, you can filter the VC Domain list by VC Domain Group. The default filter shows
all VC Domains.
Figure 3-1 VC Domains page
The following table lists and describes the columns on the VC Domains page.
DescriptionItem
Describes VC Domain statusStatus
Identifies the VC Domain nameVC Domain Name
VC Manager
Identifies the domain IP address for the primary VC Ethernet
module
Identifies the enclosure nameEnclosure
Identifies the VC Domain Group name, if anyVC Domain Group
The following table lists and describes VC Domain status icons and descriptions.
DescriptionIconStatus
(no icon)Not licensed
Licensed
The VC Domain enclosures have not been
licensed.
The VC Domain enclosures have been
licensed to VCEM.
VC Domains 25
DescriptionIconStatus
Connectivity failure
Missing external manager lock
Expired license
Managed by VCEM
Configuration mismatch
Failed to connect to the VC Domain. Possible
causes include:
• Connection times out.
• Ethernet VC Module is physically not
available.
• Virtual Connect Manager is failing.
• VC Domain firmware is updating.
• HP Virtual Connect Ethernet IP address
has changed (through DHCP or EBIPA
configuration).
VCEM checks the VC Domain connectivity
before executing any operation that involves
Virtual Connect Manager. VCEM omits the
VC Domains with connection failure
status message when executing an
operation.
VCEM is unable to obtain the necessary
permissions for External Manager user.
VCEM might have lost the External Manager
lock at the VC Domain.
The VC Domain enclosure has an expired
license.
The VC Domain is part of a VC Domain
Group and operating normally.
The VC Domain configuration has changed
and does not match the VC Domain Group
configuration.
Under maintenance
Incompatible firmware
NOTE: For information on how to resolve status issues, see the
Guide
.Troubleshooting.
VC Domain is unlocked for domain, network,
and storage changes through Virtual
Connect Manager. After completing the
domain, network, and storage changes,
confirm the new VC Domain configuration
in VCEM. VCEM operations related to this
VC Domain or its VC Domain Group, such
as create profile, move profile, profile
failover, and so on, are blocked while the
VC Domain is under maintenance.
This status is displayed after a VCEM
upgrade and indicates that an incompatible
firmware mode and version was detected.
Only the following VCEM VC domain
operations are permitted for resources with
an incompatible status:
• Remove VC Domain from Group
• Delete VC Domain Group
• Perform VC Domain Maintenance
• Upgrade Group Firmware Mode
See Upgrading incompatible firmware
modes and versions to upgrade to a
supported firmware.
HP Virtual Connect Enterprise Manager User
To display the properties of a particular VC Domain, click the VC Domain name. Properties include the
primary IP address, status, Virtual Connect firmware version, Ethernet networks, Shared Uplink sets, Fibre
Channel SAN fabrics, Ethernet and Fibre Channel common settings, and SNMP Ethernet and Fibre Channel
alert destinations.
26 Managing VC Domains
Requirements for adding a VC Domain to a VC Domain Group
To add a configured VC Domain to a VC Domain Group, the following requirements must be met:
• The VC Domain must have the minimum number of enclosures required by the VC Domain Group. For
more information, see Working with multienclosure VC Domains.
• VC Domain names must not already exist in VCEM.
• Profile names must not already exist in VCEM.
• MAC or WWN addresses or serial numbers that are assigned to a profile must not be in use by VCEM
or in a VCEM exclusion list. If the MAC or WWN addresses or serial numbers are user-defined, then
you must define an address range in VCEM.
• If the VC Domain contains server profiles, the MAC addresses, WWNs, and the serial numbers allocated
must be compatible with the MAC, WWN, and serial number range types of the VC Domain Group:
• A VC Domain containing server profiles with factory-default addresses can be added to a VC
Domain Group with VCEM-defined range types, and user-defined range types. To add a VC
Domain to a VC Domain Group with factory-default range types, all profiles of the VC Domain
must be configured with factory-default addresses.
NOTE: Keep the following upgrade requirements in mind:
• After upgrading from VCEM 1.20 or 1.3x to VCEM 6.1, VC Domain Groups that were using
HP-predefined ranges for MAC and WWN addresses will start using VCEM-defined ranges
for new server profiles. VCEM 6.0 and later does not use HP-predefined ranges for MAC
and WWN addresses.
• If the VC Domain or VC Domain Group screen displays an incompatible firmware status after
upgrading from an older VCEM version, upgrade the VC firmware for the affected VC
Domains in order to make changes. See Upgrading incompatible firmware modes and
versions for more information.
• A VC Domain containing server profiles with addresses allocated as user-defined range type can
be added to a VC Domain Group with a user-defined or VCEM-predefined range type. A
user-defined (custom) MAC and WWN range that includes all addresses allocated to server profiles
within the VC Domain must be defined in VCEM before adding the domain to the VC Domain
Group.
• A VC Domain containing server profiles with addresses allocated as HP-predefined range type
can be added to a VC Domain Group with an VCEM-predefined or a user-defined range type.
• An unconfigured VC Domain without server profiles has no range type restrictions when adding
in a VC Domain to a VC Domain Group.
The following table summarizes MAC address, WWN address, and serial number range type compatibility
when adding a VC Domain to a VC Domain Group.
VC Domain has profiles with MAC or WWN
addresses or serial number allocated as
user-defined
user-defined
Domain Group
VCEM-supportedMAC or WWN or serial number in VC
YesVCEM-defined or user-definedVCEM-defined
YesVCEM-defined or user-definedUser-defined
YesFactoryFactory (MAC address or WWN address)
YesVCEM-defined or user-definedFactory
YesVCEM-defined or user-definedVCEM-defined, HP-predefined, or
NoFactoryVCEM-Defined, HP-predefined, or
VC Domains 27
VC Domain configuration must be identical to the VC Domain Group configuration. Verify that the following
items are identical:
• Interconnect bays location and model
• Enclosure model
• Domain settings:
Configuration for double density servers (for example, BL2x220c)•
• Configuration for full-height and half-height single density servers (for example, BL460c, BL480c)
• Ethernet settings:
MAC Cache Failover:•
• Enable Fast MAC Cache Failover
• MAC Refresh Interval
• IGMP Snooping:
Enable IGMP Snooping•
• IGMP Idle Timeout Interval
• Server VLAN Tagging support:
Tunnel VLAN Taggings or Map VLAN Taggings•
• Force Server connection setting
• Multiple Network Speeding Settings:
Preferred Link Connections•
• Preferred Link Connection Speed
• Maximum Link Connection
• Maximum Link Connection Speed
• Network SNMP settings:
• Read Community
• System Contact
• IP addresses
• Fibre Channel SAN Fabric settings:
Enables SMI-S•
• Fibre Channel SNMP settings: Read Community, System Contact, and IP addresses
• Network and Fibre Channel SAN Fabrics uplinks
• For each single network uplink:
Network name•
• Smart link
• Private Network
• Enable VLAN Tunneling
• State
• Network port location
• Speed/duplex mode
• Connection mode
• Preferred Link Connection
• Preferred Link Connection Speed
28 Managing VC Domains
• Maximum Link Connection
• Maximum Link Connection Speed
• Number of networks configured in the VC Domain
• For each shared network uplink:
Uplink set name•
• Network port location
• Speed/duplex mode
• Connection mode
• Number of VLANs tagged associated to the shared network uplinks
• Number of shared networks configured in the VC Domain
• For each VLAN-tagged associated to the shared network uplink:
Network name•
• Network state
• VLAN ID
• Native
• Smart Link
• Private network
• Preferred Link Connection
• Preferred Link Connection Speed
• Maximum Link Connection
• Maximum Link Connection Speed
• For each Fibre Channel SAN Fabric:
Fabric name•
• If the VC Domain has firmware 2.1x and later:
• Configuration speed
• Fabric port location
• Number of Fibre Channel SAN Fabrics configured in the VC Domain
To add an unconfigured VC Module to a VC Domain Group, the following items must be identical:
• Interconnect bays location and model
• Enclosure model
• Uplinks of the network and Fibre Channel SAN Fabric
• Power state of the VC Modules
Mixed Virtual Connect firmware versions and firmware compatibility in a VC Domain Group
VCEM enables firmware compatibility using current and future versions of Virtual Connect firmware. This
feature provides these benefits:
• A single VC Domain Group can contain VC Domains running different firmware versions. The following
table shows the supported combinations of Virtual Connect firmware within a single VC Domain Group.
VC firmware mode 2.1xVC firmware mode 2.3xVC firmware mode 3.0xVC Domain Group
1
YesVC Domain firmware 3.0x
Yes
YesNoVC Domain firmware 2.3x
Yes
Yes
YesNoNoVC Domain firmware 2.1x
1
2
VC Domains 29
1 Virtual Connect 3.0x features must be disabled for VC Domains to be in the same group as Virtual Connect 2.1x or 2.3x.
2 Virtual Connect 2.3x features must be disabled for VC Domains to be in the same group as Virtual Connect 2.1x.
NOTE: If you have a VC Domain Group 2.1x and all the VC Domains have been upgraded to Virtual
Connect 2.3x, the group will not automatically function as a VC Domain Group 2.3x.
To enable Virtual Connect 2.3x functionality, see Upgrading VC Domain Group Firmware Mode.
• VCEM 6.1 might be able to support future versions of Virtual Connect firmware in a compatibility mode.
This compatibility mode enables a new Virtual Connect firmware version to be used immediately with a
VCEM 6.1 installation. For example, if Virtual Connect released a 3.1x version of its firmware, a VC Domain
within a 3.0x VC Domain Group could be upgraded to the 3.1x version of the firmware while preserving
the 3.0x level of functionality. The VC Domain Group will operate at the firmware version with which it was
created. A subsequent VCEM release would support the new functionality.
Virtual Connect 3.0x features that must be disabled in a VC Domain to be part of the VC Domain Group with Virtual Connect firmware 2.1x and 2.3x
NOTE:
Keep the following in mind:
• VC 3.0x features must be disabled in order for the firmware to reside in the same groups as VC 2.3x
or 2.1x firmware versions.
• All Virtual Connect 2.3x features not supported by VC firmware 2.1x must be disabled.
• To disable any of the FC SAN 3.0x features, the last connection in the feature table must be deleted
first.
• Multi-blade FC servers are not supported.
Do not configure server profiles assigned to multi-blade servers with more FC SAN connections than
the number of Virtual Connect Fibre Channel modules available in the VC Domain. The additional FC
SAN Connections Connected To column displays duplicate bays.
To disable this feature:
1. Log on to HP Virtual Connect Manager.
2. Expand Server Profiles in the navigation pane and select the server profile with the additional
FC SAN Connections that you want to delete.
3. Right-click and select Delete Connection.
• More than 32 Ethernet network connections in a server profile is not supported.
To disable this feature:
1. Log on to HP Virtual Connect Manager.
2. Expand Server Profiles in the navigation pane and select the server profile with more than 32
Ethernet network connections.
3. Right-click on the last Ethernet connection and select Delete Connection as displayed in the
following figure:
30 Managing VC Domains
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