Comments on: Using Multiple VLANs with HP Virtual Connect Flex-10 http://blog.scottlowe.org/2009/07/09/using-multiple-vlans-with-hp-virtual-connect-flex-10/ The weblog of an IT pro specializing in virtualization, storage, and servers Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:13:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: slowe http://blog.scottlowe.org/2009/07/09/using-multiple-vlans-with-hp-virtual-connect-flex-10/comment-page-1/#comment-52287 slowe Sat, 17 Dec 2011 05:35:15 +0000 http://blog.scottlowe.org/?p=1457#comment-52287 Tayo, I'm not 100% sure I understand your question. If you designate the physical switch port as a VLAN trunk, then VLAN tags will be carried into the Flex-10 Virtual Connect switches and then onto the vSwitches in the ESX/ESXi host (with the limitations described in this post). Search this site for other posts I've written on working with VLANs in a VMware environment for more information. Good luck! Tayo, I’m not 100% sure I understand your question. If you designate the physical switch port as a VLAN trunk, then VLAN tags will be carried into the Flex-10 Virtual Connect switches and then onto the vSwitches in the ESX/ESXi host (with the limitations described in this post). Search this site for other posts I’ve written on working with VLANs in a VMware environment for more information. Good luck!

]]> By: tayo dada http://blog.scottlowe.org/2009/07/09/using-multiple-vlans-with-hp-virtual-connect-flex-10/comment-page-1/#comment-52284 tayo dada Sat, 17 Dec 2011 00:56:27 +0000 http://blog.scottlowe.org/?p=1457#comment-52284 hi scott, please clarify how one is able to have vlan tagging on a virtual switch in esx out to the flexnic and onto a physical switch. hi scott,
please clarify how one is able to have vlan tagging on a virtual switch in esx out to the flexnic and onto a physical switch.

]]> By: Rob Yeichner http://blog.scottlowe.org/2009/07/09/using-multiple-vlans-with-hp-virtual-connect-flex-10/comment-page-1/#comment-51944 Rob Yeichner Fri, 28 Oct 2011 13:35:12 +0000 http://blog.scottlowe.org/?p=1457#comment-51944 Basheer, the maximum amount of VLANs you can select for a particular Flex-10 NIC, is 28. I have seen environments with many more VLANs than this - you simply pass one set of VLANs up through one NIC, a second set of VLANs through a second, etc. With up to date firmware on your Virtual Connects - this configuration maximum gets a boost to 162 VLANs per Flex-10 NIC. The latest firmware is 3.30 as of this date. Basheer, the maximum amount of VLANs you can select for a particular Flex-10 NIC, is 28. I have seen environments with many more VLANs than this – you simply pass one set of VLANs up through one NIC, a second set of VLANs through a second, etc.

With up to date firmware on your Virtual Connects – this configuration maximum gets a boost to 162 VLANs per Flex-10 NIC. The latest firmware is 3.30 as of this date.

]]> By: Basheer http://blog.scottlowe.org/2009/07/09/using-multiple-vlans-with-hp-virtual-connect-flex-10/comment-page-1/#comment-51888 Basheer Tue, 18 Oct 2011 11:35:27 +0000 http://blog.scottlowe.org/?p=1457#comment-51888 Thanks for sharing this info. Since I have a large ENV, I have more than 28 VLANIDs. Maximum vNets you can choose is 28. Any improvements on this ? Thanks for sharing this info.

Since I have a large ENV, I have more than 28 VLANIDs.

Maximum vNets you can choose is 28.

Any improvements on this ?

]]> By: Bestin http://blog.scottlowe.org/2009/07/09/using-multiple-vlans-with-hp-virtual-connect-flex-10/comment-page-1/#comment-51504 Bestin Thu, 08 Sep 2011 07:56:34 +0000 http://blog.scottlowe.org/?p=1457#comment-51504 Hi, we can see that NICs are not going down on HP UX 11.3 on Bl 860s with smart link enabled feature eventhough the uplink is down. any suggestion Hi,
we can see that NICs are not going down on HP UX 11.3 on Bl 860s with smart link enabled feature eventhough the uplink is down.
any suggestion

]]> By: Jeremy Pack http://blog.scottlowe.org/2009/07/09/using-multiple-vlans-with-hp-virtual-connect-flex-10/comment-page-1/#comment-51204 Jeremy Pack Mon, 25 Jul 2011 13:21:41 +0000 http://blog.scottlowe.org/?p=1457#comment-51204 >>If you need to make any changes to a server profile like adding a VLAN or adjusting the bandwidth of the Flex NICs you have to reboot the host I'm not an expert on this but from my own personal experience in July2011 This restriction has gone away. (At least for Hyper-V) As I have seen repeated changes to the VC configuration immediately visible in the OS, with out the need for a reboot. >>If you need to make any changes to a server profile like adding a VLAN or adjusting the bandwidth of the Flex NICs you have to reboot the host

I’m not an expert on this but from my own personal experience in July2011
This restriction has gone away. (At least for Hyper-V) As I have seen repeated changes to the VC configuration immediately visible in the OS, with out the need for a reboot.

]]> By: slowe http://blog.scottlowe.org/2009/07/09/using-multiple-vlans-with-hp-virtual-connect-flex-10/comment-page-1/#comment-50048 slowe Fri, 21 Jan 2011 02:26:30 +0000 http://blog.scottlowe.org/?p=1457#comment-50048 Sam, I have not personally seen this behavior, but perhaps other readers can weigh in and let us know if anyone has a solution. Sam, I have not personally seen this behavior, but perhaps other readers can weigh in and let us know if anyone has a solution.

]]> By: Sam http://blog.scottlowe.org/2009/07/09/using-multiple-vlans-with-hp-virtual-connect-flex-10/comment-page-1/#comment-50046 Sam Fri, 21 Jan 2011 00:25:05 +0000 http://blog.scottlowe.org/?p=1457#comment-50046 We have an performance issue when using flex 10 with Nexus 7k or 5k we have latest firmware on VC 3.15 and OA 3.21 and we ran a backup on one of our blade that connected to flex 10 and Nexus 7k it will ran about 2 or 3 hours more, but if we bypass the flex 10 and go from cisco 3120 to Nexus 7k or 5k this will be much faster. Has anyone seen any issue between flex 10 talking to nexus 7k or 5k please let me know Thanks We have an performance issue when using flex 10 with Nexus 7k or 5k
we have latest firmware on VC 3.15 and OA 3.21 and we ran a backup on one of our blade that connected to flex 10 and Nexus 7k it will ran about 2 or 3 hours more, but if we bypass the flex 10 and go from cisco 3120 to Nexus 7k or 5k this will be much faster. Has anyone seen any issue between flex 10 talking to nexus 7k or 5k please let me know

Thanks

]]> By: Chris C http://blog.scottlowe.org/2009/07/09/using-multiple-vlans-with-hp-virtual-connect-flex-10/comment-page-1/#comment-49169 Chris C Wed, 15 Sep 2010 18:09:16 +0000 http://blog.scottlowe.org/?p=1457#comment-49169 geeko71, that is the exact solution that i ended up with. hosts have to do active/passive interfaces if uplinks are on different physical switches. etherchannels cannot span multiple devices by default. if uplinks are on the same switch or cisco vss is implemented (etherchannel spanning) then you can do mode 4 bonding or lacp on os's. we have two hp c7000 chassis with two flex10 modules with one uplink per module. one uplink goes to 6500 A and the second goes to 6500 B. i have two vnet's defined in VC on each chassis. this config is cumbersome but its the only way without having to purchase 4 more sfp's for module interconnects which i cannot do at this time. all vlan are configured as smartlink and natve vlan is set. all flexnic's are set up as multiple networks type interfaces. this allows for kickstart/jumpstart via rarpd or dhcpd which are untagged broadcast type traffic. this type of traffic will be dropped if native vlan isn't set. os's are then configured to do mode 1 active/passive bonding or ipmp and vlan tagging. this keeps things very simple. great article btw. /C geeko71, that is the exact solution that i ended up with.

hosts have to do active/passive interfaces if uplinks are on different physical switches. etherchannels cannot span multiple devices by default. if uplinks are on the same switch or cisco vss is implemented (etherchannel spanning) then you can do mode 4 bonding or lacp on os’s.

we have two hp c7000 chassis with two flex10 modules with one uplink per module. one uplink goes to 6500 A and the second goes to 6500 B. i have two vnet’s defined in VC on each chassis. this config is cumbersome but its the only way without having to purchase 4 more sfp’s for module interconnects which i cannot do at this time. all vlan are configured as smartlink and natve vlan is set. all flexnic’s are set up as multiple networks type interfaces. this allows for kickstart/jumpstart via rarpd or dhcpd which are untagged broadcast type traffic. this type of traffic will be dropped if native vlan isn’t set. os’s are then configured to do mode 1 active/passive bonding or ipmp and vlan tagging. this keeps things very simple.

great article btw.

/C

]]> By: geeko71 http://blog.scottlowe.org/2009/07/09/using-multiple-vlans-with-hp-virtual-connect-flex-10/comment-page-1/#comment-48426 geeko71 Thu, 20 May 2010 13:32:05 +0000 http://blog.scottlowe.org/?p=1457#comment-48426 just found this dokument from HP... http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c01990371/c01990371.pdf Page 156 It seems that the only solution is to split the Uplinks in 2 Groups... just found this dokument from HP…

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c01990371/c01990371.pdf

Page 156
It seems that the only solution is to split the Uplinks in 2 Groups…

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