HP Cisco MDS 8/12c HP Virtual Connect: Common Myths, Misperceptions, and Objec - Page 13

: VC doesn't offer Access Control Lists or VLAN Access Control Lists

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#20: VC doesn't support stacking multiple VC modules Incorrect: As of VC firmware v2.10, Virtual Connect fully supports stacking up to 8 VC Ethernet modules within a single enclosure, or up to 32 total Virtual Connect modules (16 Ethernet and 16 Fibre Channel) across a maximum of 4 enclosures. All 32 modules are managed using a single GUI or CLI interface. Any external VC Ethernet port can be used as a stacking link, an uplink to the external network, or a network analyzer port. #21: VC doesn't offer Access Control Lists or VLAN Access Control Lists (ACLs or VACLs) Correct: Like virtual server hypervisor vSwitches, VC isn't a traditional switch, and therefore does not currently support Access Control Lists (ACLs) or VLAN ACLs (VACLs). Depending on customer demand, the Virtual Connect architecture could support the implementation of ACLs or VACLs in a future firmware update. As an alternative, however, VC can be configured to extend the ACL or VACL configuration from external switches. For additional information, see the section entitled "ACLs and VLAN ACLs" on page NN of the whitepaper "Virtual Connect for the Cisco Network Administrator". #22: VC Ethernet doesn't support user configurable Quality of Service (QoS) features Correct: VC does not currently support any user configurable Quality of Service features. Virtual Connect uses a FIFO queuing mechanism with head of line blocking prevention. The Virtual Connect architecture supports the implementation of advanced QoS mechanisms and these features are on the roadmap for future implementation. For users concerned about dedicated bandwidth for certain servers, HP would recommend dedicating the use of one or more of the many VC uplinks provided or HP would recommend enabling Quality of Service features on the first upstream switch port. For examples of deploying customized VC configurations to provide dedicated bandwidth to one or more servers, please refer to the whitepaper "Virtual Connect for the Cisco Network Administrator". #23: VC Ethernet doesn't provide diagnostic tools (SPAN) Incorrect: VC supports port mirroring or monitoring of server NIC traffic to a VC uplink on the same VC module (equivalent to Cisco's SPAN) and VC supports port mirroring of server NIC traffic to any VC uplink on any VC module in the VC Domain (equivalent to Cisco's RSPAN). A user can also configure RSPAN on an external Cisco switch port, in conjunction with VC's port monitoring feature, to send mirrored server blade traffic to any remote device within the network. #24: VC Ethernet doesn't support the Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP) Correct: VC supports Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) - the industry standard (IEEE) version of the Cisco proprietary protocol CDP. Many Cisco devices support both CDP and LLDP (for example, 13

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#20: VC doesn’t support stacking multiple VC modules
Incorrect:
As of VC firmware v2.10, Virtual Connect fully supports stacking up to 8 VC Ethernet
modules within a single enclosure, or up to 32 total Virtual Connect modules (16 Ethernet and 16
Fibre Channel) across a maximum of 4 enclosures. All 32 modules are managed using a single GUI
or CLI interface. Any external VC Ethernet port can be used as a stacking link, an uplink to the
external network, or a network analyzer port.
#21: VC doesn’t offer Access Control Lists or VLAN Access Control Lists
(ACLs or VACLs)
Correct:
Like virtual server hypervisor vSwitches, VC isn’t a traditional switch, and therefore does not
currently support Access Control Lists (ACLs) or VLAN ACLs (VACLs).
Depending on customer
demand, the Virtual Connect architecture could support the implementation of ACLs or VACLs in a
future firmware update.
As an alternative, however, VC can be configured to extend the ACL or VACL configuration from
external switches.
For additional information, see the section entitled “ACLs and VLAN ACLs” on
page
NN
of the whitepaper “
Virtual Connect for the Cisco Network Administrator
”.
#22: VC Ethernet doesn’t support user configurable Quality of Service
(QoS) features
Correct:
VC does not currently support any user configurable Quality of Service features.
Virtual
Connect uses a FIFO queuing mechanism with head of line blocking prevention. The Virtual Connect
architecture supports the implementation of advanced QoS mechanisms and these features are on the
roadmap for future implementation.
For users concerned about dedicated bandwidth for certain servers, HP would recommend dedicating
the use of one or more of the many VC uplinks provided or HP would recommend enabling Quality of
Service features on the first upstream switch port.
For examples of deploying customized VC
configurations to provide dedicated bandwidth to one or more servers, please refer to the whitepaper
“
Virtual Connect for the Cisco Network Administrator
”.
#23: VC Ethernet doesn’t provide diagnostic tools (SPAN)
Incorrect:
VC supports port mirroring or monitoring of server NIC traffic to a VC uplink on the same
VC module (equivalent to Cisco’s SPAN) and VC supports port mirroring of server NIC traffic to any
VC uplink on any VC module in the VC Domain (equivalent to Cisco’s RSPAN).
A user can also
configure RSPAN on an external Cisco switch port, in conjunction with VC’s port monitoring feature,
to send mirrored server blade traffic to any remote device within the network.
#24: VC Ethernet doesn’t support the Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP)
Correct:
VC supports Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) – the industry standard (IEEE) version of
the Cisco proprietary protocol CDP.
Many Cisco devices support both CDP and LLDP (for example,