HCP has both back-end and front-end networks. The isolated back-end network connects the HCP nodes to each other through two redundant back-end Ethernet switches. Each node has a pair of bonded Ethernet ports that are used to connect the node to these switches.
CAUTION:
The back-end network must remain separate from the front-end network. Interfering with the operation of the back-end network or back-end switches can cause the HCP system to become inoperable and can result in data loss.
Each storage node is configured with an additional pair of bonded Ethernet ports that allow external applications to access the system. The configuration options are:
- Two independent Ethernet switches that connect these ports to the front-end network
- One Ethernet switch, with both HCP and the switch configured for active-active bonding
HCP supports virtual networking for the front-end network. This enables the segregation of network traffic between clients and different HCP tenants, between management and data access functions, and between system-level and tenant-level traffic. For information about virtual networking with HCP, see Administering HCP.