HP Cisco MDS 8/24c HP Virtual Connect: Common Myths, Misperceptions, and Objec - Page 4

1. Virtual Connect reduces the number of cables required to connect servers to LANs and SANs without having to increase the number of traditional Ethernet or Fibre Channel switches to manage. a. Presents the entire c-Class enclosure to the LAN and SAN in the same way as a server virtualization hypervisor (for example, VMware ESX, Microsoft Hyper-V, Citrix XenServer, etc.)) b. Doesn't require configuring all the traditional switch-to-switch protocols (STP, VTP, etc.) 2. Virtual Connect enables a clean separation between the server infrastructure and the network and storage infrastructure. a. Enables a server administrator to become self-sufficient when making adds, moves, and changes of servers since no corresponding changes to Ethernet switch or Fibre Channel switch configurations are required. b. Reduces distractions for network and storage administrators who are no longer repeatedly interrupted with server change requests. 3. Virtual Connect manages a server's internal identity and a server's external identity to enable transparent server adds, moves, and replacements. a. Internal Identity: Server hardware replacement is transparent to the OS because Virtual Connect virtualizes, manages, and maintains constant, the server's internal identity, which includes the server's serial number, UUID, BIOS settings, and FC Boot parameters. b. External Identity: Server adds, moves, and replacements in the data center are transparent to external LANs and SANs because Virtual Connect manages, and maintains constant, the server's external identity, which includes the server's Ethernet MAC addresses, Fibre Channel WWNs, LAN assignments (VLANs), and SAN assignments (fabrics). As with any new product that introduces a new way of solving old problems, many assumptions are often made regarding Virtual Connect's operation without fully understanding how VC's technology works. Fundamentally, Virtual Connect presents itself and the c-Class enclosure to the LAN and SAN in a manner very similar to the way a hypervisor presents itself to the network. The key difference is that Virtual Connect provides this capability as a hardware solution rather than a software layer in the server. Virtual Connect allows multiple hosts to share a common Ethernet path to the LAN and a common Fibre Channel path to the SAN without having to configure and deploy lots of traditional Ethernet and Fibre Channel switches. This technique has been proven out with many customers over the years. Virtual Connect has been successfully installed in and used with a variety of different vendor data center networks, such as Cisco and Brocade networks. HP provides extensive installation and integration documentation and professional services to enable successful Virtual Connect deployment. Many potential implementers receive incorrect information regarding Virtual Connect's capabilities. This is generally due to one of three things: 1. A lack of understanding that Virtual Connect is part of the server infrastructure (like server virtualization hypervisor) 2. A general lack of understanding of how the Virtual Connect technology works and the specific features and capabilities it provides 3. Misinformation from competitors or others that don't understand the technology This paper provides factual responses to many of these points to provide the VC implementer with a technically accurate description of VC usage and capabilities. This paper is intended to supplement other HP documentation. 4