You can create an FCoE network by creating a Shared Uplink Set and then adding an FCoE network to it. You cannot create an FCoE network independently outside of a Shared Uplink Set.
Dual-hop FCoE support
Prior to the VC v4.01 release, VCM support of FCoE did not extend outside of the enclosure. All FCoE traffic was converted to native FC prior to reaching VC interconnect uplinks. This solution required a FC switch to be connected to the VC interconnects. The Dual-hop FCoE feature of VC allows FCoE traffic to be propagated out of the enclosure to an external FCoE-capable bridge, which handles the conversion of FCoE to FC traffic and vice-versa. This allows server connections to use Ethernet transport and results in the following benefits:
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Cable consolidation•
Reduction in the number of per server adapters and interconnects required•
Reduction in utilization of the upstream switch ports•
Ease and simplification of managementThis feature is called FCoE Dual Hop because there are two FCoE ‘hops’ between the server and the conversion point from FCoE to FC. The first hop is between the server CNA adapter and the VC Module. The second hop is between the VC Modules and the external FCoE to FC bridge device. No additional external FCoE bridges or gateways can be in this configuration. Introducing an additional external FCoE bridge or gateway would make it impossible to guarantee the lossless handling of the traffic and ensure
congestion-free connectivity.
This feature is supported on VC FlexFabric or VC Flex-10/10D modules. VC FlexFabric modules support FCoE on uplink ports X1-X4, while the VC Flex10/10D modules support FCoE on all uplink ports (X1-X10). FCoE traffic is forwarded to the ToR device, which performs the FCoE to FC traffic conversion. The ToR device must act as either a bridge to the native FC infrastructure or directly connect to FC-based storage devices.
The following FCoE capable ToR switches have been tested and are supported with this feature:
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Cisco Nexus 50x0 switch operating as either NPV Gateway or FC Forwarder (FCF). In FCF mode, FC SAN switches must be Cisco MDS family for interoperability.•
Cisco Nexus 55xx switch operating as either NPV Gateway or FC Forwarder (FCF). In FCF mode, FC SAN switches must be Cisco MDS family for interoperability.The following figure shows a high-level topology configuration using a Cisco Nexus 5xxx switch:
Restrictions
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No congestion notification (QCN) support is implemented. Only direct connections between VC modules and external FCoE bridge ports are supported.•
Only one FCoE network can be associated with any single set of uplink ports.•
FCoE traffic does not cross stacking links, and a configuration using uplinks from different bays is not allowed.•
FCoE is not supported on c3000 enclosures. You cannot create an FCoE network on a c3000 enclosure.•
Double-dense server blades are not supported by this feature.•
FCoE networks are not supported on uplink ports with SFP-LR transceivers.HP recommends that you add any FCoE networks before adding ports. If you add the ports first, the port selection must be eligible for an FCoE network. Otherwise, the FCoE network Add button is disabled. The selected ports are eligible for an FCoE network if all of the ports are FCoE capable and belong to the same bay. If you are using multiple enclosures, the same port on all enclosures must be selected.
To define an FCoE network:
2. Enter the Network Name. The name can be up to 64 characters in length (no spaces). 3. Enter an external VLAN ID.
4. To add a color to the network, select a color from the Color pull-down menu. The network color is used as a visual identifier for the network within VCM.
5. To add labels to the network, type a label in the Labels field, and then press Enter. Labels are used as text-based identifiers for the network within VCM. Each label can contain up to 24 characters, excluding spaces. Each network can have up to 16 labels.
6. To set the preferred or maximum connection speed, select the Advanced Network Settings check box. To change these settings:
a. Click the selection box.
b. Select a setting (100Mb to 10Gb):
— Set preferred connection speed. This value is the default speed for server profile connections mapped to this network. The server administrator can override this setting on an individual profile connection.
— Set maximum connection speed. This value is the maximum speed for server profile connections mapped to this network. This setting limits the maximum port speed from the server to the network connection associated with the multiple networks.
7. Click Apply. The associated network is now defined and available for use in creating server profiles. After you add an FCoE network, the Add port menu now displays the bay information instead of a list of enclosures.