HP Virtual Connect Enterprise Manager v6.0

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General

HP Virtual Connect Enterprise Manager (VCEM) is a software application that centralizes connection management and workload mobility for HP BladeSystem server blades that use Virtual Connect to control access to LANs and SANs. VCEM , helps organizations increase productivity, respond faster to infrastructure and workload changes, and reduce operating costs.

Built on the Virtual Connect architecture integrated into every BladeSystem c-Class enclosure, VCEM provides a central console to programmatically administer LAN and SAN address assignments, perform group-based configuration management, and execute the rapid deployment, movement and failover of server connections and their workloads for up to 250 Virtual Connect domains (1,000 BladeSystem enclosures and 16.000 servers when used with Virtual Connect Ethernet enclosure stacking).

Together, Virtual Connect and Virtual Connect Enterprise Manager create a change-ready infrastructure that enables system administrators to add, replace and recover servers across the datacenter without impacting LAN and SAN configurations and availability.

Virtual Connect Manager is a web console built into the firmware of Virtual Connect Ethernet modules, and is designed to configure and manage a single Virtual Connect domain, up to 64 servers. This could be a single enclosure, or a multi enclosure domain containing up to 4 physically linked enclosures in the same or adjacent racks. This option is ideal for environments with up to 4 enclosures that have no plans to expand further

In contrast, Virtual Connect Enterprise Manager is HP’s primary application for managing multiple Virtual Connect environments. It provides centralized management for up to 250 Virtual Connect domains with the VCEM v6.0 release and administers a total of 256K LAN and SAN addresses from a central pool.

VCEM also provides the ability to create Domain Groups that use a master configuration profile for multiple VC domains that connect to the same networks. With VCEM, administrators can move profiles and server workloads between any enclosures that belong to the same Domain Group, which could be the same rack, across the datacenter or even a different physical location.

For organizations that use BladeSystem c-Class configured with Virtual Connect, VCEM provides the following functionality and benefits:

• A single console that centralizes connectivity management and workload mobility for thousands of HP BladeSystem servers that use Virtual Connect to control access to LANs and SANs , helping organizations increase productivity, respond faster to change and reduce operating costs
  
  
• The VCEM central address repository provides programmatic administration for over 256K LAN and SAN assignments (MAC and WWN), which reduces administration overheads and eliminates the risk of address conflicts
  
  
• Group based management of Virtual Connect domains using common configuration profiles - simplifies new and bare-metal deployment of Virtual Connect domains, increases infrastructure consistency and enables rapid change management across hundreds of BladeSystem enclosures.
  
  A Virtual Connect Domain Group is a software container that logically groups Virtual Connect domains that are configured the same and connect to the same LANs and SANs. Each Domain Group uses a master configuration profile that applies to all group members
  
  
• Add, change, and failover blade servers and their workloads across the datacenter in minutes without impacting production LAN and SAN configurations and availability.
  
  Using manual or scripted tasks, system administrators can make server changes without requiring network changes, by simply reassigning server connection profiles to another enclosure bay or enclosure within the same Virtual Connect Domain Group. System administrators can now add or change servers when their business needs to, and network administrators no longer need to be involved in routine server-centric tasks.
  
  The profile and workload movement capabilities provided by VCEM include automated failover to customer defined spare servers, which can be used for cost effective server recovery, to rapidly repurpose server workloads, to complete system maintenance with limited downtime, or perform other datacenter tasks quickly and reliably

VCEM v6.0 is the latest release of the software. VCEM v6.0 is an update to VCEM v1.20 through v1.40 that adds support for the latest Virtual Connect hardware and management functionality delivered with Virtual Connect firmware v2.30.

The Virtual Connect Domain Group and profle movement capabilities provided by VCEM can be used to complete core datacenter tasks quickly, reliably and without disruption to production LAN and SAN environments.

• Deploying, new Virtual Connect domains, BladeSystem servers and enclosures
• Performing fast and cost-effective server recovery
• Scheduling planned system maintenance with minimal downtime
• Rapidly migrating and repurposing server resources across the datacenter to meet changing workloads and application priorities

Functionality

A Virtual Connect Domain is simply the term used to describe an HP BladeSystem enclosure configured with Virtual Connect Ethernet and Fibre Channel modules, which are used to control server access to LANs and SANs.

Yes, VCEM can be used to assign and move server connection profiles in both local boot and boot-from-SAN environments.

VCEM is designed to centrally manage server connection profiles, their assignments to enclosure bays, and to maintain connectivity when server profiles are modified or moved.

In the event that a server profile is moved to another enclosure bay, such as during server recovery operations or planned maintenance, VCEM will complete the operations in the fastest time if the server connection profile is configured to boot-from-SAN.

Availability

Major VCEM software releases are included on the HP Insight Software media kit provided with each BladeSystem c-Class enclosure. The DVD media can also be downloaded as ISO images from this website.

Selected VCEM software updates are provided as downloads from this website

Virtual Connect Enterprise Manager is licensed per BladeSystem c-Class enclosure.

Purchasable VCEM license options are available for single and multiple c3000 and c7000 BladeSystem enclosures. All purchased license options include 1year of 24x7 technical support and updates

Service & Support

Each purchased license for HP Virtual Connect Enterprise Manager includes one year of 24 x 7 HP Software Technical Support and Update Service, ensuring rapid access to HP support staff and proactive delivery of software updates. For more information about this service and learn about available support extensions, please visit this website.