Question: It appears that further clarification is required on Multi-Enclosure stacking? As it would seem that this statement would prevent NIC?s 1,2, 3 & 4 on a half-height blade correct?
?In a stacked configuration, bays 1 and 2 of the base enclosure may not contain HP 1/10Gb Virtual Connect Ethernet Modules Bays 3 through 8 within the base enclosure, as well as all bays within other enclosures may contain any of the three Virtual Connect Ethernet modules without issue?
Answer: This is a question that has been asked a couple times since sending out the Multi Enclosure Stacking drawer statement. Remember there are three generations of Virtual Connect Modules currently shipping and supported as of today:
VC 1/10 Virtual Connect Ethernet Module
- VC 1/10F Virtual Connect Ethernet Module
- VC 10/10 (Flex-10) Virtual Connect Ethernet Module
What we are saying is that the first generation VC module cannot be in bays 1 and 2 of the primary enclosure. You need to have either the generation 2 or 3 modules in those bays. The other bays inside of a stacked environment can be the generation 1 module.
It might be easier to see a side by side example:
| Supported | Unsupported | ||
| Enclosure 1 (Primary Enclosure) | Enclosure 1 (Primary Enclosure) | ||
| Bay 1 | VC 10/10 | Bay 1 | VC 1/10 |
| Bay 2 | VC 10/10 | Bay 2 | VC 1/10 |
| Bay 3 | VC 1/10 | Bay 3 | VC 1/10 |
| Bay 4 | VC 1/10 | Bay 4 | VC 1/10 |
| Bay 5 | VC 1/10 | Bay 5 | VC 1/10 |
| Bay 6 | VC 1/10 | Bay 6 | VC 1/10 |
| Bay 7 | VC 1/10 | Bay 7 | VC 1/10 |
| Bay 8 | VC 1/10 | Bay 8 | VC 1/10 |
| Enclosure 2 | Enclosure 2 | ||
| Bay 1 | VC 10/10 | Bay 1 | VC 1/10 |
| Bay 2 | VC 10/10 | Bay 2 | VC 1/10 |
| Bay 3 | VC 1/10 | Bay 3 | VC 1/10 |
| Bay 4 | VC 1/10 | Bay 4 | VC 1/10 |
| Bay 5 | VC 1/10 | Bay 5 | VC 1/10 |
| Bay 6 | VC 1/10 | Bay 6 | VC 1/10 |
| Bay 7 | VC 1/10 | Bay 7 | VC 1/10 |
| Bay 8 | VC 1/10 | Bay 8 | VC 1/10 |
| Enclosure 1 (Primary Enclosure) | |||
| Bay 1 | VC 1/10F | ||
| Bay 2 | VC 1/10F | ||
| Bay 3 | VC 1/10 | ||
| Bay 4 | VC 1/10 | ||
| Bay 5 | VC 1/10 | ||
| Bay 6 | VC 1/10 | ||
| Bay 7 | VC 1/10 | ||
| Bay 8 | VC 1/10 | ||
| Enclosure 2 | |||
| Bay 1 | VC 1/10F | ||
| Bay 2 | VC 1/10F | ||
| Bay 3 | VC 1/10 | ||
| Bay 4 | VC 1/10 | ||
| Bay 5 | VC 1/10 | ||
| Bay 6 | VC 1/10 | ||
| Bay 7 | VC 1/10 | ||
| Bay 8 | VC 1/10 | ||
In essence it boils down to what is the managing module for the stacked domain. You need to have either a VC1/10F or a VC10/10 module managing the domain. That is not to say that there can?t be VC1/10 modules in the domain, they just can?t be the managing modules in the domain.
update: a nice document with complete pictures can be found here.