HP Storevirtual 4000 - 4 Managing the Network; Network Best Practices

4 Managing the network
Correctly setting up the network for HP LeftHand Storage ensures data availability and reliability.
IMPORTANT: The network settings must be the same for the switches, clients, and storage systems.
Set up the end-to-end network before creating storage volumes.
Network best practices
• Isolate the SAN, including CMC traffic, on a separate network. If the SAN must run on a
public network, use a VPN to secure data and CMC traffic.
• Configure all the network characteristics on a storage system before creating a management
group, or before adding the storage system to a management group and cluster.
• Use static IP addresses, or reserved addresses if using DHCP.
• Have flow control enabled.
• Configure storage system settings for speed and duplex, frame size, and flow control BEFORE
bonding NICs and before putting the storage system into a management group and cluster.
• If adding a second IP address to a storage system, the second IP address must be on a separate
subnet. If the two IP addresses are on the same subnet, they must be bonded.
Split network configurations
Implement a split network configuration to use the CMC on a management network separate from
the storage network. HP recommends that you only configure a management network when the
storage systems are equipped with a sufficient number of network adapters so that the storage
systems can support both bonded NICs for optimal redundancy and performance on the storage
network, along with a separate management interface. Keep in mind the following requirements
when considering the creation of a management network.
• Configure a management network only if your storage systems have more than two NICs.
Two NICs are the minimum number required to create a bonded interface for the storage
network to provide maximum redundancy and performance.
• Use only available HP LeftHand upgrade kits to alter the hardware configuration of a HP
LeftHand Storage system. Alterations using any other hardware are not supported.
• Be aware that the CMC can manage storage systems via a routed network or by installation
of a second NIC on the storage network on the CMC host. This is the most common method
for CMC management.
• When configuring a management interface on a HP LeftHand Storage system, make sure that
interface is on a separate network. Configuring two separate interfaces on the same IP network
is not supported and will result in communication problems in the cluster.
• When configuring a management interface on a HP LeftHand Storage system, be aware that
only one interface can be configured with a default gateway, and that interface should be
the management interface. Configuring two default gateways will result in communication
problems in the cluster.
• When configuring a management interface on a HP LeftHand Storage system, you must
designate the storage interface as the SAN/iQ software interface for that storage system in
the CMC. This is done on the Communications tab in the Network configuration category for
that storage system.
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