# Configuring the HVM host using the hpe-vm console

## About this task

The hpe-vm console is an utility built by HPE to simplify host management tasks like setting up the timezone, configure the networks and bootstrapping the VM Essentials manager. Use it to configure important settings in the network bond and to configure the iSCSI storage networks, if iSCSI storage is applicable.

## Procedure

1. Open the hpe-vm console utility by running: `sudo hpe-vm`.

   ![hpe-vm console-1](https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/api/document/sd00007332en_us/GUID-B7AC083D-9D23-4B04-A95F-0FA38B768450-high.png)
2. Select **Configure Network**. You are presented with a menu where you can make all the needed network configuration changes without any manual editing using the host's CLI.

   ![hpe-vm console-2](https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/api/document/sd00007332en_us/GUID-CB4843C8-4741-437E-86B0-F9F7C7D98520-high.png)
3. Adjust bond configuration.

   For the active-backup bond to perform interface failover, the mii-monitor-interval needs to be configured as described in this KB article [Setting active/backup bond type parameters with the hpe-vm cli tool](https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/docDisplay?docLocale=en_US&docId=sf000109520en_us). You can do this from the hpe-vm console.

   1. Navigate to **Device Type** and select **bond**.

      ![hpe-vm console-3](https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/api/document/sd00007332en_us/GUID-C2F3E3B3-5A3E-47F6-8259-9F82CDD20E84-high.png)
   2. Select your bond.

      ![hpe-vm console-4](https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/api/document/sd00007332en_us/GUID-34D3C2F5-AC44-45A6-BAE7-0ED729241AF9-high.png)
   3. Navigate to the Bond section and select **<edit>** in the parameters option.

      ![hpe-vm console-5](https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/api/document/sd00007332en_us/GUID-7FE8127D-6326-46FD-9607-245106210107-high.png)
   4. Enter the following values and then select **<Done>**.

      ![hpe-vm console-6](https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/api/document/sd00007332en_us/GUID-3F7E8FD1-1909-4375-80DB-E484EFD3A542-high.png)

      - Mii-monitor-interval: 100
      - up delay: 200
      - down delay: 200
   5. Select **<Done>** to navigate away from the bond menu

      ![hpe-vm console-7](https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/api/document/sd00007332en_us/GUID-C1F02698-2037-44CA-9F15-1F29BC66760A-high.png)
   6. Select **<Save>**.

      ![hpe-vm console-8](https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/api/document/sd00007332en_us/GUID-54EF7436-C8F4-4ED8-8B9D-E2BBF3E6F7A7-high.png)
   7. Select **Confirm** in the pop-up notification.
4. Next, configure the iSCSI interfaces, if applicable.

   iSCSI interfaces are just ethernet adapters so you can configure them from the same hpe-vm console.

   1. Make sure **ethernet** is selected under **Device type**.
   2. Select **Add**.

      ![hpe-vm console-9](https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/api/document/sd00007332en_us/GUID-A0A99DAB-A81F-40B9-822F-1A2461036407-high.png)
   3. Under **Device ID**, enter the interface name and select **<Continue>**.

      ![hpe-vm console-10](https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/api/document/sd00007332en_us/GUID-8A7406B8-9433-44F4-8C98-F68F6A855442-high.png)

      NOTE

      The interface name can be obtained by running `ip a` at the host’s CLI.
   4. Select **<edit>** on the addresses row to configure the IP Address.

      ![hpe-vm console-11](https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/api/document/sd00007332en_us/GUID-FF6888DD-5B72-43E2-9C52-A7023868248A-high.png)

      NOTE

      iSCSI traffic is not usually routed, you won’t need to configure other network parameters unless your specific network requires it.

      Switch ports for iSCSI traffic are usually untagged access ports.
   5. Set the MTU to `9000`

      ![hpe-vm console-12](https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/api/document/sd00007332en_us/GUID-94729772-4544-437C-953A-5EC4693B9A69-high.png)

      NOTE

      Most iSCSI storage networks use Jumbo Frames for performance, this configuration needs to be consistent across the network.
   6. Select <Done> and then <Save> from the main network configuration menu.
   7. Repeat this process for the second interface.

      TIP

      It is not advised to bond storage interfaces as the storage layer at the host handles multipathing to the storage array.

      NOTE

      - Do not use the same subnet for both storage interfaces, this might cause storage access problems.
      - iSCSI networks should not be routable and do not need a gateway.
