HP BL e-Class - Manual

1 Introduction Overview This user guide provides installation and reference information for the HP ProLiant BL e-Class C-GbE Interconnect Switch. Configuration and management information provided in this guide applies to interconnect switches running firmware version 2.0.0 and higher and includes ne...

Introduction ProLiant BL e-Class C-GbE Interconnect Switch The ProLiant BL e-Class C-GbE (Copper Gigabit Ethernet) Interconnect Switch uses 10/100/1000 Gigabit Layer 2 switch technology to provide up to a 40-to-1 reduction in the number of networking cables required for each ProLiant BL e-Class serv...

Introduction • Support for saving and downloading switch configurations to a TFTP server, thus allowing for rapid deployment of multiple systems, and backup and restore capabilities • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Uplink and management ports with link activity and speed indicators Extra ports for manage...

Introduction Diagnostic Tools The hardware, software, and firmware diagnostic tools that are available include: • • • • • • • ProLiant BL e-Class Integrated Administrator Insight Manager 7 Power-On Self Test (POST) built into the interconnect switch boot-up process C-GbE Interconnect Switch Manageme...

Introduction Integrated Administrator The ProLiant BL e-Class Integrated Administrator provides centralized, remote management and monitoring for the ProLiant BL e-Class server blade enclosure, interconnect switch module, and 20 server blades. The Integrated Administrator acts as a combination termi...

Introduction Supported Technologies The ProLiant BL e-Class C-GbE Interconnect Switch supports the following technologies. Layer 2 Switching The ProLiant BL e-Class C-GbE Interconnect Switch uses 10/100/1000 Gigabit Layer 2 switching technology. Layer 2 refers to the Data Link layer of the Open Syst...

Introduction Simple Network Management Protocol and Remote Monitoring Each switch module can be configured and monitored remotely from a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)/Remote Monitoring (RMON) based Network Management Station. The switch modules support industry-standard SNMP Management I...

Introduction IEEE 802.1p-Based Class of Service for Packet Prioritization Class of Service (CoS) for packet prioritization allows switch administrators to set priority levels on the interconnect switch for forwarding packets based on the priority setting information in the packets. The interconnect ...

Introduction Simple Network Time Protocol The 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 interconnect swithc ...

Introduction Table 1-1: Interconnect Switch External Panel Item Description Location 1 Gigabit Ethernet port 26 connector on Switch B Interconnect switch 2 Gigabit Ethernet port 25 connector on Switch B Interconnect switch 3 Integrated Administrator management RJ-45 connector (Switch A Port 24—10/10...

2 Setting up and Installing the Interconnect Switch Overview This chapter describes how to set up and install the ProLiant BL e-Class C-GbE Interconnect Switch and connect it to your network. The setup and installation procedure includes the following tasks: 1. Installing the interconnect switch har...

Setting up and Installing the Interconnect Switch Replacing an Existing Interconnect Tray To replace an existing interconnect tray: 1. Upload the current switch configuration to a TFTP server. Refer to the “Saving Settings to a TFTP Server” section in the management interface reference guides. IMPOR...

Setting up and Installing the Interconnect Switch Replacing a Patch Panel Tray To remove the patch panel tray and install an interconnect tray: Figure 2-9: Removing a hot-plug power supply 1. Press the port-colored latch to release one hot-plug power supply (1). IMPORTANT: Port-color indicates hot-p...

Setting up and Installing the Interconnect Switch Planning the Interconnect Switch Configuration Before you configure the switch modules, HP recommends that you plan the configuration. As you plan, keep in mind the default settings, security issues and privileges, and whether you want to configure e...

Setting up and Installing the Interconnect Switch Interconnect Switch Security When planning the configuration for a switch module, secure access to the management interface by: • • • Creating users with various access levels to the local console, remote Telnet, and Web interface. Refer to Table 2-1...

Setting up and Installing the Interconnect Switch Configuring Multiple Switch Modules You can configure multiple switch modules by using scripted Command Line Interface (CLI) commands through Telnet or by downloading a configuration file using a TFTP server. Using Scripted CLI Commands through Telne...

Setting up and Installing the Interconnect Switch Configuring the Integrated Administrator After cabling the interconnect switch to your network, the next step is to configure the Integrated Administrator module. The Integrated Administrator module enables monitoring and managing of all functions wi...

Setting up and Installing the Interconnect Switch IMPORTANT: User name and password are case-sensitive. 4. Determine the Integrated Administrator IP address using one of the following methods: NOTE: For more information, such as determining the Integrated Administrator IP address using the Web-based...

Setting up and Installing the Interconnect Switch 2-16 HP ProLiant BL e-Class C-GbE Interconnect Switch User Guide HP CONFIDENTIAL Codename: DeLorean Part Number: 263682-002 Last Saved On: 2/5/03 10:41 AM • • Supporting Software and Special Considerations The following supporting software is availab...

A Regulatory Compliance Notices Class A Equipment This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is opera...

Regulatory Compliance Notices A-2 HP ProLiant BL e-Class C-GbE Interconnect Switch User Guide HP CONFIDENTIAL Codename: DeLorean Part Number: 263682-002 Last Saved On: 2/5/03 10:42 AM European Union Notice Products bearing the CE marking comply with the EMC Directive (89/336/EEC) and the Low Voltage...

B Technical Specifications Table B-1: General Specifications Standards IEEE 802.1D Spanning Tree IEEE 802.1p QoS prioritization IEEE 802.1Q VLAN IEEE 802.3 10Base-T Ethernet IEEE 802.3ab 1000Base-T Ethernet IEEE 802.3ac Frame Extensions for VLAN IEEE 802.3ad Link Aggregation Protocol (No LACP suppor...

C Runtime Switching Software Default Settings Default Settings This section provides the default settings for the interconnect switch modules. • • • Table C-1 contains general default settings for both Switch Module A and Switch Module B Table C-2 contains Port Names, VLANs, STP/ByPass, Trunking Def...

D Spanning Tree Protocol Introduction When Spanning Tree Protocol determines a port should be transitioned to the forwarding state, the following occurs: • • • • • • The port is put into the listening state where it receives Bridge Protocol Data Units (BPDUs) and passes them to the GbE Interconnect ...

Spanning Tree Protocol • Does not transmit BPDUs received from the CPU. • Receives and responds to network management messages. Figure D-1: Blocking State Listening State The listening state is the first transition for a port from the blocking state. Listening is an opportunity for the switch to rec...

Spanning Tree Protocol Learning State A port in the learning state prepares to participate in frame forwarding. The port enters the learning state from the listening state. A port in the learning state does the following: • • • • • • Discards frames received from the network segment to which it is a...

Spanning Tree Protocol Figure D-3: Learning State Forwarding State A port in the forwarding state forwards packets. The port enters the forwarding state from the learning state when the forward delay timer expires. HP ProLiant BL e-Class C-GbE Interconnect Switch User Guide D-5 HP CONFIDENTIAL Coden...

Spanning Tree Protocol Disabled State A port in the disabled state does not participate in frame forwarding or STP. A port in the disabled state is virtually non-operational. A disabled port does the following: • • • • • • Discards packets received from the network segment to which it is attached. D...

Spanning Tree Protocol Troubleshooting STP This section describes several troubleshooting tips. Spanning Tree Protocol Failure A failure in the STP generally leads to a bridging loop. A bridging loop in an STP environment comes from a port that should be in the blocking state, but is forwarding pack...

Spanning Tree Protocol Full/Half Duplex Mismatch A mismatch in the duplex state of two ports is a very common configuration error for a point-to-point link. If one port is configured as full-duplex, and the other port is left in auto-negotiation mode, the second port will end up in half-duplex becau...

Spanning Tree Protocol Unidirectional Link Unidirectional links can be caused by an undetected failure in one side of a fiber cable, or a problem with a ports transceiver. Any failure that allows a link to remain up while providing one-way communication is very dangerous for STP. Figure D-8: Example...

Spanning Tree Protocol Packet Corruption Packet corruption can also lead to Spanning Tree Protocol failure. If a link is experiencing a high rate of physical errors, a large number of consecutive BPDUs can be dropped and a port in the blocking state would transition to the forwarding state. The bloc...

Spanning Tree Protocol Avoiding Trouble Below are some tips for avoiding trouble. Know Where the Root is Located Although the STP can elect a root bridge, a well-designed network will have an identifiable root for each VLAN. Careful setup of the STP parameters will lead to the selection of this best...

E SNMP/RMON MIBs Support Introduction Management and statistics information is stored in the interconnect switch in the Management Information Base (MIB). The interconnect switch supports several standard MIBs. Values for MIB objects can be retrieved with any SNMP-based network management software. ...

SNMP/RMON MIBs Support Use an SNMP manager, such as HP OpenView or IBM Tivoli NetView, to access the enterprise-specific MIBs. Compile the MIBs into the MIB database and then use a MIB browser to navigate through them. For detailed information, access the individual descriptions of each MIB or refer...

SNMP/RMON MIBs Support • vesubio.mib — swL2BwMgmt—Management of the ingress and egress bandwidth — swL2CosMgmt—Management of Class of Service — swL2PortSecurityMgmt—Management of port security — dswL2DevMgmt—Management of device advanced settings — swL2PortMgmt—Management of the port link • • • • • ...

F Upgrading Firmware through the Serial Port You can upgrade the system firmware of a switch module by connecting your computer to the serial console port of the Integrated Administrator and using terminal emulation software that supports the ZModem or XModem protocol. This procedure is only necessa...

Upgrading Firmware through the Serial Port Figure F-1: POST message 3. Press the pound (#) key as soon as you see the Boot Procedure header. This action forces the switch module into the download mode. A screen similar to the following is displayed. Figure F-2: Download mode message F-2 HP ProLiant ...

Upgrading Firmware through the Serial Port 4. Configure the download protocol (ZModem or XModem) or use the default boot configuration settings. a. Within 60-90 seconds, press the Ctrl+C keys to display the Boot Configuration Menu. b. To use the default boot configuration settings, go to step 9. Fig...

Upgrading Firmware through the Serial Port 8. While the switch module is rebooting, press the pound (#) key again to force the switch module into download mode. The download mode message is displayed. (Refer to Figure F-2.) NOTE: For faster transfers, you may want to change the speed of your console...

Upgrading Firmware through the Serial Port Figure F-4: Connection-established message 13. Before beginning the ZModem transfer, disable the Integrated Administrator escape character to ensure a transparent connection for the file transfer. To disable this character, press the following keys: Ctrl+_ ...

Upgrading Firmware through the Serial Port 15. From the Interconnect Switch HyperTerminal window menu, select Transfer, then Send File. The following window is displayed. Figure F-5: Send File window 16. Click Browse and select the firmware file to be downloaded to the switch module. 17. Select the ...

G Port Trunking and Load Balancing in Blade Switches Introduction IEEE 802.3ad and EtherChannel compatible port trunks allow multiple physical Ethernet links to be combined into one logical channel/trunk. This allows load sharing of traffic among the links in the port trunk as well as redundancy in ...

Port Trunking and Load Balancing in Blade Switches Circumstances can occur where one address in the source/destination pair is a constant. For example, the destination might be a server or, even more likely, a router. In that case, if both the source address and destination address option is selecte...

Port Trunking and Load Balancing in Blade Switches Configuring Load Balancing on Blade Switches To configure the load balancing and forwarding method using the menu-driven interface, access the Configure Advanced Switch Features screen. Toggle the Trunk Load Sharing Algorithm field to the appropriat...

Port Trunking and Load Balancing in Blade Switches Hashing Algorithms for Load Balancing The hashing algorithms use the last three least significant bits (LSB) of the destination MAC address (DA), source MAC address (SA), or destination and source MAC address (DA XOR SA) and the number of links that...

Port Trunking and Load Balancing in Blade Switches G-6 HP ProLiant BL e-Class C-GbE Interconnect Switch User Guide HP CONFIDENTIAL Codename: DeLorean Part Number: 263682-002 Last Saved On: 2/5/03 10:51 AM Redundancy: What Happens When One Link in the Port Trunk Fails? If a segment within the port tr...

H XML Configuration Introduction Beginning in firmware version 2.0.0, interconnect switch firmware configuration files are specified in eXtensible Markup Language (XML) format. In previous versions, the configuration file was stored in binary format. Binary configuration files saved from previous ve...

XML Configuration Safe Mode When inserting a new or replacement interconnect switch into a production environment, you must be certain that the interconnect switch configuration is compatible with the production network. Compatibility with a network can include items such as: • • • • Non-corruption ...

XML Configuration Safe Mode Configuration File Templates Two example template configuration files have been provided as a basis to create an appropriate safe mode configuration. Each file is delivered with the Switch Management Utilities package specific to a particular type of interconnect switch. ...

I Troubleshooting This section provides information on solutions to problems that may occur during the configuration and operation of a Proliant BL e-Class C-GbE Interconnect Switch. The following table lists steps you should take before calling your service representative. Following are four tables...

J RJ-45 Pin Specification When connecting the HP ProLiant BL e-class C-GbE Interconnect Switch to a switch, bridge, or hub, a Category 5 Ethernet cable is necessary. Review these products for matching cable pin assignments. Figure J-1 displays the standard RJ-45 receptacle/connector. Table J-1 provi...

Index data transfer rates B-1 default settings A parameters to set 2-8 accessing switch runtime switching software C-1 procedure 2-14 DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) troubleshooting I-2 overview 1-8 architecture, switch 1-4 diagnostics features 1-4 disabled state, STP D-7 B E blocking sta...