Server profile templates connection settings

You can configure connections in a server profile template. Setting network connections through a server profile template is supported for HPE Synergy servers.

You can add a connection to a server profile without assigning a network or network set by choosing the Unassigned selection. By selecting Unassigned from the network drop-down, you reserve the associated server port to assign networks later.

You can use this selection to temporarily stop traffic forwarding on the interconnect port associated with the profile connection.

Valid networks or network sets can be selected for an active connection while the server power is on and without the need to reboot the server. Connection types, including Ethernet and Fibre Channel (FC), can be created without assigning a network using the Unassigned selection from the network drop-down.

The Unassigned selection also reserves virtual MAC and WWN addresses for a virtual port.

Manage connections

By default, the Manage connections check box is selected, which enables you to add connections to the server profile template.

Deselect Manage connections to create a server profile template without connections. Deselecting Manage connections enables you to add connections to the server profile without causing compliance issues with the server profile template.

Network

The Ethernet network, network set, Fibre Channel, FCoE, or iSCSI network for this connection. An Ethernet network or network set can be accessed by an Ethernet device. A Fibre Channel or FCoE network can be accessed by a Fibre Channel device. To access an iSCSI device with an Ethernet connection, you must select UEFI or as the boot mode in the Boot Settings pane. Networks are filtered to both Fibre Channel and FCoE when Type is set to Fibre Channel.

You can create Ethernet connections for rack servers. These unmanaged connections specify the wanted network configuration for a server. Use tools external to HPE OneView to configure networking for the server. These connections are used for configuring NIC type OS deployment settings in the OS Deployment section, which helps you to configure network interface with an IP address on the deployed operating system

Typically, you assign each connection in a server profile template to a single network. Network sets enable you to select multiple networks for a single connection defined in a server profile template. Network sets are useful with hypervisors, where server profile templates need the ability to define multiple networks.

You can deploy Large network sets when using the HPE Virtual Connect SE 100Gb F32 Module for HPE Synergy. Large network sets can contain up to 4,094 networks minus the number of networks that are in the reserved VLAN range, which can range from 60 to 128 networks. The default is 128 networks. Generally, the maximum number of networks is 3,966 networks. A maximum of 60 distinct large network sets can be simultaneously deployed per logical interconnect.

Port

You can place a connection on:
  • A specific FlexNIC

  • Any FlexNIC of a specific adapter port

  • An automatically selected FlexNIC

    NOTE:

    In an active/active configuration, Hewlett Packard Enterprise does not recommend using this option.

You specify FlexNICs by adapter, physical port number, and FlexNIC identifier. Adapter identifiers include LOM, FlexibleLOM 1, FlexibleLOM 2, Mezzanine 1, Mezzanine 2, and Mezzanine 3. FlexNIC identifiers are a, b, c, and d. For example, selecting Mezzanine 1:2-c configures the connection on the third FlexNIC (c) on the second physical port of the adapter in Mezzanine slot 1.

Some physical ports are identified by adapter, physical port number, and the suffix (Auto). For example, selecting FlexibleLOM 1:1 (Auto) places the connection on the first available FlexNIC on the first physical port of the first FlexibleLOM. These connections are assigned in order of connection ID. If both connection 5 and connection 8 specify FlexibleLOM 2:1 (Auto), and no other connections are assigned to FlexibleLOM 2, connection 5 is assigned to the first FlexNIC, and connection 8 is assigned to the second FlexNIC.

Selecting Auto assigns the connection to a FlexNIC in a predetermined order. Connections with Auto specified are assigned (in connection ID order) to FlexNICs after connections with specific FlexNICs or ports are assigned. All Fibre Channel connections are assigned to FlexNICs before Ethernet connections are assigned. Auto connections are assigned according to function type in the following order:
  1. Fibre Channel

  2. iSCSI

  3. Ethernet (with PXE)

  4. Ethernet (without PXE)

In general, you must assign a connection to the first FlexNIC on every physical port before a connection is assigned automatically to the second, third, or fourth FlexNIC of any port.

Before you assign a connection to a FlexNIC, the following conditions must be met:
  • You cannot configure the same network on multiple FlexNICs of a single physical port. This includes networks in a network set.

  • For the number of networks you can configure on a single physical port, see the HPE OneView Support Matrix for HPE Synergy.

  • The sum of the requested bandwidth values cannot exceed the capacity of the port, which is determined by the adapter.

In general, connections with an Auto FlexNIC setting are assigned to FlexNICs in a predetermined order; however, this can result in the required conditions not being met. In these cases, selecting specific FlexNICs or specific adapter ports enables you to specify a valid configuration.