Fujitsu BX600 manual Network Planning, Introduction to IBP

Introduction to IBP Network Planning

3 Network Planning

3.1 Introduction to IBP

The Intelligent Blade Panel Module (IBP) provides a simple Ethernet interface option for connecting the PRIMERGY BX600 Blade Server systems to the network infrastructure. The administrative effort and network skills required to connect to the network are minimized. The number and type of configuration options on the IBP are restricted to reduce the initial setup complexity and to minimize the impact on upstream networking devices.

The IBP requires basic administration tasks similar to those required to connect a single multi-linked server to the network. Connecting the Blade Center with up to ten server blades becomes as easy as connecting a single server to the network.

The default network configuration of the IBP is consists of a single, untagged Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN). All of the uplink ports in each Port Group are aggregated together into a static Link Aggregation Group (LAG, or trunk group), which is fully compatible with Cisco Ether Channel technology. This configuration eliminates the need for Spanning Tree Protocol to prevent network loops, since the uplink ports act as a single link.

The IBP provides improved network reliability. All of the uplink ports in each Port Group participates in a static LAG, so if a link fails, the existing traffic is redirected to the other links.

The IBP software permits the copper TX uplink ports to auto-negotiate the speed (10/100/1000 Mbps), duplex (full/half) and flow-control settings of each link (the default set- ting). You can also fix these port characteristics to specified values. All of the uplink ports in each Port Group must be configured to the same port characteristics.

With Network Adaptor Teaming configured on the server blade Ethernet NIC, the servers can maintain redundant links to multiple IBP within the Blade Sever chassis to provide enhanced reliability. The L2 Failover option allows the IBP to disable the server-blade ports when all of its external uplinks are inactive. This causes the Network Adaptor Teaming soft- ware to failover to the other IBP(s) in the Blade Server Chassis.

28 Intelligent Blade Panel Module