Lenovo 44X1945 QLogic 8Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card Owner’s Manual

Lenovo 44X1945 QLogic 8Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card Owner's Manual

The QLogic 8Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CIOv) for BladeCenter enables high-speed access for blade servers to connect to a Fibre Channel storage area network (SAN). When compared to the previous-generation 4 Gb adapters, the new adapter doubles the throughput speeds for Fibre Channel traffic. As a result, you can manage increased amounts of data and possibly benefit from a reduced hardware expense. For example, in bandwidth constrained Microsoft Exchange environments, by using 8 Gb adapters and switches, you can deploy 68% less adapter and switch hardware to support the same number of users as 4 Gb adapters.

The performance bottleneck with Fibre Channel storage typically exists in the switching. By moving to 8 Gb adapters and switches, you can optimize the bottleneck to the storage controller, where it can be managed by expanding the disks attached to storage.
The adapter connects to the midplane directly, without having to use cables or small form-factor pluggable (SFP) modules. By eliminating these components for up to 14 servers, the resulting savings alone covers the investment in the BladeCenter chassis.

QLogic 8Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CIOv) for BladeCenter (withdrawn product)

Part number information

Table 1 shows the part number to order this card.

Table 1. Part number and feature code for ordering

• Withdrawn from marketing
  ** The first feature code listed is for configurations available through the System x sales channel. The second feature code listed is for configurations available through the Power Systems sales channel

The part number includes the following items:

• One QLogic 8Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CIOv) for BladeCenter
• Documentation package

Features

The QLogic 8Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CIOv) has the following features:

• CIOv form factor

• QLogic 2532 8Gb ASIC

• PCI Express 2.0 host interface

• Support for two full-duplex Fibre Channel ports at 8 Gbps maximum per channel

• Support for Fibre Channel Protocol Small Computer System Interface (FCP-SCSI) and Fibre Channel Internet
  Protocol (FC-IP)

• Support for Fibre Channel service (class 3)

• Support for switched fabric, point-to-point, and Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL) connections
  Support for NPIV when installed in the JS23/JS43

• Configuration and boot support in BIOS and UEFI

Operating environment

The expansion card is supported in the following environment:

• Temperature: 10°C to 35°C (50°F to 95°F)
• Relative humidity: 8% to 80% non-condensing

Supported servers and I/O modules
This card is installed in the PCI Express CIOv slot of a supported blade server. It provides connections to Fibre Channel-compatible modules in bays 3 and 4 of the supported BladeCenter chassis. A maximum of one CIOv is supported per single-wide (30 mm) blade server. Table 2 lists the BladeCenter servers that support the QLogic 8Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CIOv).
Table 2. Supported servers

See IBM ServerProven at the following Web address for the latest information about the expansion cards that are supported by each blade server type: http://ibm.com/servers/eserver/serverproven/compat/us/

CIOv expansion cards are installed in the CIOv slot in supported servers, such as the HS22, as highlighted in green in Figure 2.

The QLogic 8Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CIOv) requires that a supported I/O module is installed in bay 3 and bay 4 of the chassis in which the cards and servers are installed.

Table 3 lists the supported I/O modules that can be used to connect to the expansion card. The 8 Gb switch modules are recommended. The card also supports 4 Gb Fibre Channel switch modules and the 4 Gb Intelligent Pass-thru Module. However, the card must operate at the 4 Gbps rate.

Table 3. I/O modules recommended for use with the QLogic 8Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CIOv)

Consider the following restrictions regarding the use of the switch modules in Table 3:

• The BladeCenter Optical Pass-thru Module, 39Y9316, is not supported
• () When any of the switch modules that have an asterisk () is installed in BladeCenter T, the internal switch connections to blade ports operate at 2 Gbps. The external ports operate at up to 8 Gbps (or 4 Gbps for 4 Gb switch modules).
• When any of these switch modules that have the dagger indicator symbol () is installed in BladeCenter HT, the internal switch connections to blade ports are supported at 4 Gbps. The external ports operate at up to 8 Gbps (or 4 Gbps for 4 Gb switch modules).
• The QLogic 8Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CIOv) can be installed in servers in the BladeCenter S and used with supported switch modules as shown in the table. However, by doing so, you lose the ability to connect to the BladeCenter S Disk Storage Modules (DSMs). The Fibre Channel expansion card goes in the place of the SAS expansion card that is needed to connect to the DSMs.

Popular configurations

The QLogic 8Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CIOv) can be used in various configurations. Figure 3 shows the CIOv card installed in a supported blade server, which in turn is installed in a BladeCenter chassis. The chassis is connected to the IBM System Storage DS3400. The RAID functionality is provided by the external storage system.

Table 4 lists the parts that are used in the configuration shown in Figure 3.

Table 4. Components used when connecting the QLogic 8Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CIOv) to external disk storage (as shown in Figure 3)

*Note: The expansion card can be installed in servers in the BladeCenter S (8886). However, by doing so, you lose the ability to connect to the BladeCenter S DSMs. The Fibre Channel expansion card goes in the place of the SAS expansion card that is needed to connect to the DSMs.
This configuration also requires cabling between the chassis and the storage server and between the storage server and expansion units. The cable part numbers are not listed in Table 4. Note that the DS3400 storage solution operates at 4 Gbps.

Supported operating systems

The QLogic 8Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CIOv) supports the following operating systems:

• IBM AIX 5L for POWER Version 5.3
• IBM AIX Version 6.1
• IBM Virtual I/O Server
• IBM i operating system 6.1
• Microsoft Windows Essential Business Server 2008 Premium Edition
• Microsoft Windows Essential Business Server 2008 Standard Edition
• Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Web Edition
• Microsoft Windows Server 2003/2003 R2, Enterprise Edition
• Microsoft Windows Server 2003/2003 R2, Enterprise x64 Edition
• Microsoft Windows Server 2003/2003 R2, Standard Edition
• Microsoft Windows Server 2003/2003 R2, Standard x64 Edition
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Datacenter x64 Edition
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Datacenter x86 Edition
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Enterprise x64 Edition
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Enterprise x86 Edition
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Standard x64 Edition
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Standard x86 Edition
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Web x64 Edition
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Web x86 Edition
• Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003/2003 R2 Premium Edition
• Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003/2003 R2 Standard Edition
• Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2008 Premium Edition
• Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2008 Standard Edition
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 AS for AMD64/EM64T
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 AS for x86
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 ES for AMD64/EM64T
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 ES for x86
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 WS/HPC for AMD64/EM64T
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 WS/HPC for x86
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 for IBM POWER
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Server Edition
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Server Edition with Xen
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Server with Xen x64 Edition
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Server x64 Edition
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 for IBM POWER
• SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 10 for AMD64/EM64T
• SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 10 for IBM POWER
• SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 10 for x86
• SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 10 with Xen for AMD64/EM64T
• SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 10 with Xen for x86
• SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 11 for AMD64/EM64T
• SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 11 for IBM POWER
• SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 11 with Xen for AMD64/EM64T
• VMware ESX 3.5
• VMware ESX 4.0
• VMware ESXi 3.5
• VMware ESXi 4.0

See IBM ServerProven at the following address for the latest information about the specific versions and service packs that are supported: http://ibm.com/servers/eserver/serverproven/compat/us/
Select the blade server and then select the expansion card to see the supported operating systems.

Related publications
For more information, see the following resources:

• QLogic 8Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CIOv) Installation and User Guide http://ibm.com/support/entry/portal/docdisplay?lndocid=MIGR-5082206
• U.S. Announcement Letter http://ibm.com/common/ssi/cgi-bin/ssialias?infotype=dd&subtype=ca&&htmlfid=897/ENUS109-283
• U.S. Announcement Letter for NPIV support on JS23/JS43 http://ibm.com/common/ssi/cgi-bin/ssialias?infotype=dd&subtype=ca&&htmlfid=897/ENUS109-545
• BladeCenter Interoperability Guide http://lenovopress.com/bcig
• BladeCenter Products and Technology, SG24-7523 http://lenovopress.com/sg247523

Related product families
Product families related to this document are the following:Blade Storage Adapters

Notices
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This information could include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes are periodically made to the information herein; these changes will be incorporated in new editions of the publication. Lenovo may make improvements and/or changes in the product(s) and/or the program(s) described in this publication at any time without notice.

The products described in this document are not intended for use in implantation or other life support applications where malfunction may result in injury or death to persons. The information contained in this document does not affect or change Lenovo product specifications or warranties. Nothing in this document shall operate as an express or implied license or indemnity under the intellectual property rights of Lenovo or third parties. All information contained in this document was obtained in specific environments and is presented as an illustration. The result obtained in other operating environments may vary. Lenovo may use or distribute any of the information you supply in any way it believes appropriate without incurring any obligation to you.

Any references in this publication to non-Lenovo Web sites are provided for convenience only and do not in any manner serve as an endorsement of those Web sites. The materials at those Web sites are not part of the materials for this Lenovo product, and use of those Web sites is at your own risk. Any performance data contained herein was determined in a controlled environment. Therefore, the result obtained in other operating environments may vary significantly. Some measurements may have been made on development-level systems and there is no guarantee that these measurements will be the same on generally available systems. Furthermore, some measurements may have been estimated through extrapolation. Actual results may vary. Users of this document should verify the applicable data for their specific environment.
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This document, TIPS0692, was created or updated on June 19, 2013.
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The following terms are trademarks of Lenovo in the United States, other countries, or both:
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BladeCenter Interoperability Guide
BladeCenter®
ServerProven®
System x®
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References

• Enterprise Business Server Solutions | IBM
• IBM Support
• BladeCenter Interoperability Guide (withdrawn product) > Lenovo Press
• IBM BladeCenter Products and Technology (withdrawn product) > Lenovo Press
• Blade Storage Adapters > Lenovo Press
• QLogic 8Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CIOv) for BladeCenter Product Guide (withdrawn product) > Lenovo Press
• Copyright and Trademark Information | Lenovo US | Lenovo US

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