How to View All Profile Configuration Summary and Cut/Paste fields like WWN

I’m not sure how many people know this. If you want to quickly view the configuration for all Virtual Connect server profiles in a list format, there is a small GUI button for it. It’s there but not very obvious.

If you look at top right corner of “Server Profiles” page, you should see a button like “printer” sign.

 image

If you click it, it will pop up a separate window showing config for all server profiles and you can cut/paste any field like WWN/MAC, which is something you can’t do from a profile edit view.

image

You can even filter by specific profile and it will switch promptly to the configuration for that particular profile.

image

Feel free to let me know anything else you like or don’t like for VC Manager GUI or CLI. I can aggregate feedbacks back to VC engineering.

Virtual Connect 3.70 Release New Features

VC3.70 was just released and it’s a feature release, which means that it includes more features compared with VC3.60 and VC3.51 where both of them are primarily bug-fix releases with VC3.51 starts to support Gen8 server(BL460Gen8).

One of the major features in VC3.70 is Virtual Connect 3PAR storage array direct attach. Now you can direct attach 3PAR storage array directly with VC FlexFabric module without any SAN switching layer. I created a presentation to show how to config 3PAR and VC FlexFabric for this feature. Please download the deck Here.

Another feature in VC3.70 is to support newly release Virtual Connect Flex-10/10D module. Comparing this module with original Flex-10, this module provides more uplink ports(10) and also 4 internal 10G stack links. I don’t see you’ll use too much of internal 40G stacking bandwidth, especially if you use VC Active/Active design, where your user traffic will go directly from downlink to uplink and vice versa without using stacking link. The best thing is that you can now use all 10 uplink ports without worrying about original Flex-10 X7/X8 shared stacking link. You can check the module spec from the quick link in my VC bookmark page at the top of the web page.

Also, Flex-10/10D module is planned to provide FCOE uplink(Not FC uplink) and FCOE downlink in the future.

For more information on this new module and 3.70 new features, please check my Virtual Connect Technical Overview Presentation. I just updated it with the new contents.

Virtual Connect Flexfabric Common Cabling Diagram

One of commonly asked questions is how to cable up Virtual Connect Flexfabric modules to LAN and SAN switches. It’s quite simple after you understand the module but a little confusing when you are first learning it. I created a short powerpoint deck trying to show users very common used VC cabling in real-world scenario.

You can download the deck here.

 

image

HP BladeSystem Firmware/Driver Matrix

With latest SPP and SUM5.0, HP is trying to make firmware management easier for customers. SPP is HP’s direction to have customers manage firmware/driver/software on Proliant servers from single DVD ISO.

SPP offers 3 documents: Contents Report, Server Support Guide and Release Notes. They cover all products and components in a very detailed way.

However, many times people just need a very quick table to pinpoint which version is included in latest SPP for the most important and popular components and sometimes we’d like to download firmware/driver of individual component. Another most commonly asked question is firmware/driver for G7 and Gen8 servers LOM and Flexible LOM.

I created this table trying to help people saving time on these questions. I’ll try my best to maintain it and we’ll see. We all know most of matrix table ended up with out-of-date info after some time.

I’d appreciate if you let me know any out-of-date or incorrect info you see. Any feedbacks are also welcomed. I read all feedbacks and will definitely improve my doc upon popular requests.

The table is created in .doc format as table functionality on blog is very limited. you can click HERE to download or just click the image below.

image

Virtual Connect Integration with HP Networking IRF Technology

If you are interested with how to design and configure HP Networking Intelligent Resilient Framework (IRF) along with HP BladeSystem Virtual Connect, this is the white paper I created that may be helpful.

Some concepts like IRF conversion sample is independent of Virtual Connect.  Also, the same Virtual Connect design and configuration rule can be used when VC is connected to Cisco vPC or VSS technology.

This is the pdf download link.

http://bizsupport1.austin.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c02843088/c02843088.pdf

Virtual Connect Network Configuration/Management CLI Guide with Nexus vPC Configuration

This is the white paper I made to show case how to use Virtual Connect CLI to manage and configure its network part along with Cisco Nexus vPC topology. It also has a comparison table of network terminology and CLI syntax between Cisco and Virtual Connect.

You can do everything in this guide by GUI if you are a server admin but many network admins prefer CLI access hence the creation of this guide.

VC CLI network configuration guide with Nexus vPC configuration:

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c03178759/c03178759.pdf

Virtual Connect Enterprise Manager(VCEM) Quick Start white paper is published on HP.com

The white paper is good for anyone new to VCEM and want to quickly go through docs for look and feel of the VCEM. It’s also good for anyone wants to set up a quick POC on VCEM.

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c03115781/c03115781.pdf

 

HP Virtual Connect Technical Overview Presentation

HP Virtual Connect has its great strength compared with traditional blade switch and pass-trough modules for HP BladeSystem I/O connectivity.

I have developed a Virtual Connect Technical Overview Presentation and hopeful it can help you with learning VC.

HP Emulex CNA Firmware and Driver for ESXi5.0

The following Emulex CNA FW and driver should be used on HP G7 servers working with ESXi5.0

[update on 9/21/2012]

please use this post to track FW/Driver versions.

http://hongjunma.wordpress.com/2012/06/11/hp-bladesystem-firmwaredriver-matrix/

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 43 other followers