7
Organizations can easily enable Access Gateway mode via IBM Network Advisor or a
command-line interface (CLI). Access Gateway mode includes these key benefits:
Improved scalability for large or rapidly growing server and virtual server environments
Reduced management of the network edge because Access Gateway does not have a
domain identity and appears transparent to the core fabric
Support for heterogeneous SAN configurations without reduced functionality for server
connectivity
Specifications
Table 1 lists the system architecture specifications for the SAN24B-6 switch.
Table 1 System architecture
Product number
8960-F24
a
Fibre Channel ports
Switch mode (default): 8, 16, and 24-port configurations (8-port
increment through PoD license); E, F, M, and D ports
Access Gateway default port mapping: 16 F_Ports, 8 N_Ports
Scalability
Full-fabric architecture with a maximum of 239 switches
Certified maximum
9,000 active nodes; 56 switches, 19 hops in Fabric OS fabrics;
larger fabrics certified as required
Performance
Fibre Channel: 4.25 Gbps line speed, full duplex; 8.5 Gbps line
speed, full duplex; 14.025 Gbps line speed, full duplex;
auto-sensing of 4, 8, 16, and 32 Gbps port speeds
ISL Trunking
Frame-based trunking with up to eight 32 Gbps ports per ISL trunk;
up to 256 Gbps per ISL trunk. Exchange-based load balancing
across ISLs with DPS included in Fabric OS.
Aggregate bandwidth
768 Gbps end-to-end full duplex
Maximum fabric latency
Latency for locally switched ports is 900 ns (including FEC)
Maximum frame size
2,112-byte payload
Frame buffers
2,000 dynamically allocated
Classes of service
Class 2, Class 3, Class F (inter-switch frames)
Port types
F_Port, E_Port, M_Port, D_Port (ClearLink Diagnostic Port) on
24 SFP+ ports.
Access Gateway mode: F_Port and NPIV-enabled N_Port
Data traffic types
Fabric switches supporting unicast
Hot-swap components
Small form-factor pluggables (SFPs)
Warranty
One-year; customer-replaceable unit (CRU) and on-site, 9×5
next-business-day response
Warranty service upgrades are available
Media types
32 Gbps: SAN24B-6 requires hot-pluggable SFP+, LC connector;
32 Gbps SWL, LWL
16 Gbps: SAN24B-6 requires hot-pluggable SFP+, LC connector;
16 Gbps SWL, LWL, ELWL
Fibre Channel distance subject to fiber-optic cable and port speed
