support.dell.com
Dell PowerVault 56F 16-Port Fibre Channel Switch User’s Guide
1-3
DELL CONFIDENTIAL - Preliminary 4/11/00
(Rev. 11/3/98) FILE LOCATION: S:\SYSTEMS\Labrador\Ug\89TMRc10.fm
0RGXODULW\
The modularity built into the switch allows:
Support of 16-unit (U) universal ports
GBIC interface support of different transmission media for each port
The switch has the following features, ensuring reliability:
Power-on self test (POST)
Error monitoring
Temperature and fan-speed monitoring
Low component count
Optional redundant power supply
Redundant fans
The switch has the following features, enhancing serviceability:
Simple enclosure
Loopback test modes for service
Hot-pluggable fans and power supply
No jumpers or switch settings
Components are enclosed in an air-cooled chassis that may be either mounted in a
standard rack or used as a stand-alone unit. The front panel has controls with an LCD
that you can use to view status or configuration, and an RJ-45 Ethernet connector
that allows you to manage the switch remotely.
The switching function is based on a central memory bank associated with its data
path control. Each switch port stores received frames in this memory, passing a buffer
pointer to the forwarding port’s transmitter. The switch uses
cut-through
routing to
route frames from the receiving port to the transmitting port, providing the transmit
port is free, without waiting for the end of the frame to be received. This provides a
low-latency data path within the switch. The frame can be temporarily stored in the
memory bank but only if the transmit port is busy.
