The SuperStack 3 Switch 4900 Family GBIC Module can
be used to create an XRN Distributed Fabric when
installed in any two units from the SuperStack 3 Switch
4900 Family or 3Com Switch 40x0 Family. To do this you
need to:
1
Ensure that both units that you wish to interconnect
using the GBIC Module have GMS software version 4.0
or later (Advanced Feature License 3C1770V40) installed.
2
Ensure that there are no connections to the GBIC
Module ports.
3
Configure the GBIC Modules in both Switch units to
XRN mode using the
fabric portMode
CLI
command.
CAUTION
: The modules must be identically configured
before physically connecting together otherwise you may
experience corrupted packets on your network and
adversely affect the stability of the Distributed Fabric.
4
At the
Select ports (unit:port.....,?):
prompt enter the Switch unit and GBIC Module port
numbers that you wish to set to XRN mode. For
example, enter
1:25-28
.
5
At the
Enter mode (interconnect,switch)
[Switch]:
prompt, enter
interconnect
. A warning
prompt will display stating that the unit will reset and
the GBIC Module ports will form a Fabric Interconnect.
Enter
yes
to continue. The unit will reset.
6
Connect all four ports on the GBIC Module to the other
identically configured GBIC Module to create the Fabric
Interconnect.
Points to Note when using the GBIC Module as a
Fabric Interconnect
The units in an XRN Distributed Fabric created using
the GBIC Module assume their unit IDs from the
MAC address of the Switch unit within which the
GBIC Module is installed. So the unit with the lowest
MAC address will assume unit 1 ID and the unit with
the highest MAC address will assume unit 2 ID.
You can not use the
fabric portMode
command
as part of a configuration restore as the restore
operation requires the Distributed Fabric to be already
set up and established. The
fabric portMode
command must only be used when the unit is offline
and disconnected.
When a GBIC Module is operating in XRN mode its
ports will no longer be configurable in the normal
way, that is, you can not control port features such as
auto-negotiation, VLANs, static addresses, STP,
Aggregated Links, Resilient Links, and so on.
It is possible for one or more of the GBIC Module
ports to be disconnected. The Fabric Interconnect will
continue to operate on the remaining ports, but with
reduced performance.
When in XRN mode the device mimic for the GBIC
Module displays all four individual ports but only
shows the status of the ports. You can not invoke the
port setup screen for GBIC ports operating in XRN
mode.
CAUTION
: You should not attempt to use
media-converters with the GBIC Module operating in
XRN mode as the port settings cannot be manually
adjusted. Only direct GBIC to GBIC connections are
supported when the Module is in XRN mode.
When using the GBIC Module, note the following:
The ports only operate at 1000 Mbps.
The ports only operate in full duplex mode.
The Module is not hot-insertable.
The Module is not hot-swappable (note that GBIC
transceivers
are
hot-swappable)
.
The 3Com approved GBIC transceivers are:
3CGBIC91 GBIC (SX)
3CGBIC92 GBIC (LX)
3CGBIC97 GBIC (LH70)
To access the latest list of approved GBIC transceivers for
the Module on the 3Com Corporation World Wide Web
site, enter this URL into your Internet browser:
http://www.3com.com
C
REATING
AN
XRN D
ISTRIBUTED
F
ABRIC
!
!
M
ODULE
R
ESTRICTIONS
A
PPROVED
GBIC T
RANSCEIVERS
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