IBM SAN768B-2, Installation, Service And User Manual

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Chapter 1. Introduction
This chapter introduces the features and components of the IBM System Storage
SAN768B-2 fabric backbone. Throughout the remainder of this document, the
product will be referred to as the
SAN768B-2 , or more generically as system , device ,
or chassis , where appropriate. This chapter contains the following information:
v
“Overview of the SAN768B-2”
v
“Hardware components” on page 3
v “High availability” on page 7
v
“Reliability” on page 8
v “Serviceability” on page 8
v
“Software features” on page 8
Overview of the SAN768B-2
The SAN768B-2 is part of IBM's industry-leading backbone-class product line, a
highly robust class of network switching platform that combines breakthrough
performance, scalability, and energy efficiency with long-term investment.
Supporting open systems and System z
®
, SAN backbones are designed to address
the data growth and application demands of evolving enterprise data centers,
achieve server, SAN, and data center consolidation, and reduce infrastructure and
administrative costs. The IBM backbone-class product line provides the most
reliable, scalable, high performance foundation for private cloud storage and
highly virtualized environments. They are designed to increase business agility by
adapting to dynamic growth and change, providing high availability access to
information, and reducing infrastructure and administrative costs.
Key features of the SAN768B-2 include:
v Up to 384 16-Gbps external ports in a single chassis, enabling high density SAN
configurations with reduced footprint.
v
Support for 2, 4, 8, and 16 Gbps auto-sensing Fibre Channel ports. Trunking
technology groups up to eight ports to create high performance 64-Gbps ISL
trunks between switches.
v
Support for 10 Gbps FC-type SFPs in 16 Gbps port blades only, and also
supports 10 GbE SFPs in the FX8-24 extension blades. The two types of SFPs are
not interchangeable.
v The 10 Gbps ports can be configured manually on only the first eight ports of
the 16 Gbps port blades.
v
Support for all of the application, port blade, and control processor (CP) blades
supported in the SAN384B-2 (with the exception of the Core Switch Blade),
providing flexible system configurations and fewer types of new blades.
v Up to five chassis can be connected with the use of 4x16 Gbps quad SFP (QSFP)
inter-chassis links (ICLs).
v Support for high-performance port blades running at 2, 4, 8, 10, or 16 Gbps,
enabling flexible system configuration.
v
Redundant and hot-swappable control processor and core switch blades, power
supplies, blower assemblies, and WWN cards that enable a high availability
platform and enable nondisruptive software upgrades for mission-critical SAN
applications.
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2011
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