Interconnects

Q1. Are there other HP interconnects that support Flex-10?

A1. Flex-10 is unique to HP and Virtual Connect products. The HP Virtual Connect Flex-10 10Gb
Ethernet Module is the only interconnect that supports connectivity to FlexNIC's on HP servers.
Q2. Can HP servers with 1Gb NIC's connect to the Virtual Connect Flex-10 Module?
A2. Yes - standard 1Gb server NIC's can connect to VC Flex-10 Ethernet Modules but do nott receive
the benefits of FlexNIC 10Gb NIC's such as dividing each NIC port into four independent physical
NIC's or custom setting the FlexNIC speed.
Q3. Are there any special features for 1Gb NIC's connecting to the Virtual Connect Flex-10 Module?
A3. Yes - for some servers with Broadcom 1Gb NIC's, there is the ability to more than double their
speed to 2.5Gb when the connect to a VC Flex-10 module.
Q4. Are there any servers that are not supported by the Virtual Connect Flex-10 Module?
A4. All HP Proliant and Integrity Blade servers using HP NIC's and certified third party NIC's are
supported. Formal support for newly released servers may lag in support for a few months until
testing concludes. Check the HP support website and Virtual Connect combatibility matrix for the
latest updates.
Q5. Why did HP create this new category of Blade Interconnect?
A5. Because of the inherent density in Blade Servers, space is limited for I/O modules such as NIC's.
As a result most Blade vendors can only support 4 to 6 NIC's per server. As servers become
more powerful and able to handle more specialized application loads like Virtual Machines, there
is a need to provide many more physical NIC connections. Flex-10 technology solves this
problem and allows you to expand server network connections while keeping high server
densities.

Management Software
Q1. How do I manage my FlexNIC connections?
A1. FlexNIC's are set up as part of a server profile in the Virtual Connect Manager. Each 10Gb Server
port can be subdivided in up to 4 individual NIC's which are recognized by the Server ROM as
PCI Physical Function devices. Each has their own MAC address and driver. In addition, speed is
selectable for each FlexNIC in 100MB increments from 100MB to 10Gb not to exceed 10Gb for
all FlexNIC's combined.
Q2. Are these non-standard NIC"s? What NIC do they emulate?
A2. FlexNIC's are not software NIC's. They are Broadcom NIC's with standard driver support and can
be managed like any other NIC.
Q3. Does the Flex-10 Module also manage a Virtual Connect domain?
A3. The Virtual Connect Flex-10 Module ships with the Virtual Connect management application
included. It is able to set up and manage an entire Virtual Connect domain of server profiles just
like other Virtual Connect modules. The only difference is FlexNIC support.

Q4. If I have servers with 1Gb LOM's and 10Gb Mezz cards, what VC module should I use in bays 1
and 2 for management?
A4. You can use any Virtual Connect module in bays 1 and 2 for managing a domain even if VC Flex10 modules are in other I/O bays. The management is the same for all modules and the VC Flex10 Ethernet module will be recogonized in other bays supporting 10Gb Mezz cards.

Complimentary Products
Q1. What HP products support Flex-10 and FlexNIC's?
A1. The VC Flex-10 Ethernet module supports all NIC connections, but to enable a FlexNIC in a
server it must be a 10Gb LOM or Mezzanine card. The HP BL495c is the first in a line of servers
with 10Gb LAN on Motherboard NIC's supporting Flex-10. In addition, two new dual port 10Gb
NIC's have been introduced to support legecy servers and additional FlexNIC's in new servers.
Q2. Can I mix and stack VC Flex-10 modules in an enclosure with other Virtual Connect modules?
A2. Yes, all Virtual Connect modules including Fibre Channel modules are designed to work with one
another within a Virtual Connect management domain.
Q3. Can I use the HP 10Gb Ethernet BL-c Switch with 10Gb FlexNIC's?
A3. No. The HP 10Gb Ethernet BL-c Switch must be paired with the NC512m Dual Port 10GbE
Adapter.
Q4. Does HP offer SFP+ modules and cables for Virtual Connect?
A4. Yes, we offer a full line of SFP+ fiber and copper options for Virtual Connect. Please reference the
Virtual Connect Flex-10 10Gb Ethernet Module Quickspecs for details.

Performance
Q1. Is there any performance loss in having these network virtualization capabilities in Flex-10?
A1. All of the server profile virutalization and FlexNIC capabilities are transparent to network traffic.
The Virtual Connect modules run at wire speed and have the same performance and latency
characteristics as their switch alternatives. There is no performance penalty for running Virtual
Connect.
Q2. How is the FlexNIC's traffic separated?
A2. FlexNIC's share a 10Gb connection between the server LAN port and the Virtual Connect Flex-10
module. The Flex-10 module manages the speed of each pre-defined NIC connection and keeps
each FlexNIC's traffic independent from the other FlexNIC's within a connection. HP has
collaborated with our NIC silicon vendors to design the low-level LAN interface which controls the
bandwidth and connection for each FlexNIC.
Q3. Why would I want to have different speeds for my NIC's?
A3. In most cases, network speeds are never optimized for the application. Some applications only
require low speed connection such as a Management Port. while others may need more than
1Gb but less than 10Gb such as a disk backup port. The Flex-10 archtecture allows you to fine
tune your network speeds based on your application needs.