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Abstract
The QLogic 4Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CFFv) for IBM BladeCenter enables you to quickly and simply connect the BladeCenter servers with CFFv expansion slots to a Fibre Channel storage area network (SAN). Simply pick any Fibre Channel storage solution from the IBM System Storage DS3000, DS4000, DS5000, or DS8000 series, and begin accessing data over a high-speed interconnect.
Changed in the 6/19/2013 update:
* The IBM BladeCenter Optical Pass-thru Module, 39Y9316, is not supported
Introduction
The QLogic 4Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CFFv) for IBM BladeCenter enables you to quickly and simply connect the BladeCenter servers with CFFv expansion slots to a Fibre Channel storage area network (SAN). Simply pick any Fibre Channel storage solution from the IBM System Storage DS3000, DS4000, DS5000, or DS8000 series, and begin accessing data over a high-speed interconnect.
This card is installed into the PCI-X CFFv slot of a supported blade server. It provides connections to Fibre Channel-compatible modules located in bays 3 and 4 of a supported BladeCenter chassis. A maximum of one QLogic 4Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CFFv) is supported per single-wide (30 mm) blade server.
The QLogic 4Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CFFv) is shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1. QLogic 4Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CFFv)
Did you know?
The adapter connects to the midplane directly, without having to use cables or SFP modules. By eliminating these components for up to 14 servers, the resulting savings alone cover the BladeCenter chassis investment.
When using the CFFv adapter, you can simultaneously use a CFFh adapter to enable more types of I/O to supported blade servers such as the HS21 when installed in the IBM BladeCenter H chassis. The innovative design of the CFFv adapter works with the CFFh adapter to support this combination.
When using the CFFv adapter, you can simultaneously use a CFFh adapter to enable more types of I/O to supported blade servers such as the HS21 when installed in the IBM BladeCenter H chassis. The innovative design of the CFFv adapter works with the CFFh adapter to support this combination.
Part number information
The part number to order this card is shown in Table 1.
Table 1. Ordering part number and feature code
* Part number 41Y8527 was withdrawn in November 2012, and was rereleased as the new part number, 00Y3276.
The part number includes the following items:
Table 1. Ordering part number and feature code
| Description | Part number | Feature code |
| QLogic 4Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CFFv) | 00Y3276 | A3JD |
| QLogic 4Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CFFv) for IBM BladeCenter* | 41Y8527* | 2970* |
The part number includes the following items:
- One QLogic 4Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CFFv) for IBM BladeCenter
- The Documentation CD that contains the QLogic 4Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CFFv) for IBM BladeCenter Installation and User’s Guide
- The IBM Important Notices document
Features
The QLogic 4Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CFFv) has the following features:
Each BladeCenter server provides redundant connections to data and storage networks. Clients can configure their blade servers with dual port host bus adapters and be assured that they will always have a connection to their SAN via BladeCenter's high-availability midplane. Through integration, BladeCenter eliminates the fiber cables from the server to the switch. This not only reduces the opportunity for misconfiguration, it lowers the expense for cables and optical transceivers (SFPs), and reduces potential points of failure, while increasing network availability.
- CFFv form factor
- PCI-X host interface, 64-bit, 100 MHz bus-master direct memory access (DMA) data transfers up to 800 MBps
- Support for two full-duplex Fibre Channel ports at 4 Gbps maximum per channel
- Support for Fibre Channel Protocol SCSI (FCP-SCSI) and Fibre Channel Internet Protocol (FC-IP)
- Support for Fibre Channel service (class 2 and class 3)
- Support for switched fabric, point-to-point, and Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL) connections
- Configuration and boot support in Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) (Fast!UTIL via Ctrl+Q)
Each BladeCenter server provides redundant connections to data and storage networks. Clients can configure their blade servers with dual port host bus adapters and be assured that they will always have a connection to their SAN via BladeCenter's high-availability midplane. Through integration, BladeCenter eliminates the fiber cables from the server to the switch. This not only reduces the opportunity for misconfiguration, it lowers the expense for cables and optical transceivers (SFPs), and reduces potential points of failure, while increasing network availability.
Operating environment
The expansion card is supported in this environment:
- Temperature:
- Operating: 0° to 45°C (32° to 113°F) at 0 to 914 m (0 to 3,000 ft)
- Storage: -40° to 70°C (-40° to 158°F) at 914 m to 2,133 (3,000 to 7,000 ft)
- Relative humidity: 5% to 95% (noncondensing)
Supported servers and I/O modules
The QLogic 4Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CFFv) is supported in the IBM BladeCenter servers listed in Table 2.
Table 2. Supported servers
The QLogic 4Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CFFv) is also supported in an expansion blade when the blade server supports both the expansion card and that particular expansion blade.
See IBM ServerProven for the latest information about the expansion cards supported by each blade server type: http://ibm.com/servers/eserver/serverproven/compat/us/.
Figure 2 shows where the CFFv card is installed in a BladeCenter server.
Figure 2. Location on the BladeCenter server planar where the CFFv card is installed
The QLogic 4Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CFFv) supports the I/O modules listed in Table 3. The table also lists the BladeCenter chassis that support each I/O module.
The card requires that a supported I/O module is installed in bay 3 or bay 4 of the chassis, however for redundancy and performance purposes, we recommend that you install two I/O modules in the chassis, one in bay 3 and one in bay 4 of the chassis.
Table 3. I/O modules supported with the QLogic 4Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CFFv)
Important considerations:
Table 2. Supported servers
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
QLogic 4Gb FC Expansion Card (CFFv) |
41Y8527 |
Y |
Y |
Y |
N |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
N |
N |
The QLogic 4Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CFFv) is also supported in an expansion blade when the blade server supports both the expansion card and that particular expansion blade.
See IBM ServerProven for the latest information about the expansion cards supported by each blade server type: http://ibm.com/servers/eserver/serverproven/compat/us/.
Figure 2 shows where the CFFv card is installed in a BladeCenter server.
Figure 2. Location on the BladeCenter server planar where the CFFv card is installed
The QLogic 4Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CFFv) supports the I/O modules listed in Table 3. The table also lists the BladeCenter chassis that support each I/O module.
The card requires that a supported I/O module is installed in bay 3 or bay 4 of the chassis, however for redundancy and performance purposes, we recommend that you install two I/O modules in the chassis, one in bay 3 and one in bay 4 of the chassis.
Table 3. I/O modules supported with the QLogic 4Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CFFv)
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Brocade 4 Gb 20-port SAN Switch Module |
32R1812 |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
Brocade 4 Gb 10-port SAN Switch Module |
32R1813 |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
Brocade Enterprise 20-port 8Gb SAN Switch Module |
42C1828 |
N |
Y |
Y |
N |
Y |
|
Brocade 20-port 8Gb SAN Switch Module |
44X1920 |
N |
Y |
Y |
N |
Y |
|
Brocade 10-port 8Gb SAN Switch Module |
44X1921 |
N |
Y |
Y |
N |
Y |
|
Cisco 4 Gb 20-port Fibre Channel Switch Module |
39Y9280 |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
Cisco 4 Gb 10-port Fibre Channel Switch Module |
39Y9284 |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
McDATA 4 Gb 20-port Fibre Channel Switch Module |
32R1833 |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
McDATA 4 Gb 10-port Fibre Channel Switch Module |
32R1905 |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
QLogic 4 Gb 20-port Fibre Channel Switch Module |
26R0881 |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
QLogic 4 Gb 10-port Fibre Channel Switch Module |
32R1904 |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
QLogic 20-port 4 Gb SAN Switch Module |
43W6725 |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
QLogic 10-port 4 Gb SAN Switch Module |
43W6724 |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
QLogic 20-Port 8 Gb SAN Switch Module |
44X1905 |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
QLogic 8 Gb Intelligent Pass-thru Module |
44X1907 |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
QLogic 4 Gb Intelligent Pass-thru Module |
43W6723 |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Important considerations:
- The IBM BladeCenter Optical Pass-thru Module, 39Y9316, is not supported
- The BladeCenter S does not support all I/O modules, as shown in Table 3.
- When using an IBM BladeCenter Optical Pass-thru Module (OPM), the speed of the Fibre Channel link will be limited to 2 GB. This is a limitation of the OPM.
- Many of the I/O modules listed in the table also support the Mutli-Switch Interconnect Module (MSIM) and MSIM-HT. However, we do not list that support here since CFFv expansion cards do not support the use of the MSIM or MSIM-HT.
Popular configurations
Figure 3 shows how the QLogic 4Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CFFv) can be used in configurations. It shows the CFFv card installed in a supported blade server, which is in turn 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.
Figure 3. IBM BladeCenter connected to an external IBM System Storage DS3400 storage solution
The parts used in this configuration are listed in Table 4.
Table 4. Components used when connecting QLogic 4Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CFFv) 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 will lose the ability to connect to the BladeCenter S Disk Storage Modules (DSMs). The Fibre Channel expansion card will go in the place of the SAS expansion card needed to connected to the DSMs.
This configuration also requires cabling between the chassis and the storage server and between the storage server and the expansion units. (The cable part numbers are not listed in Table 4.)
Figure 3. IBM BladeCenter connected to an external IBM System Storage DS3400 storage solution
The parts used in this configuration are listed in Table 4.
Table 4. Components used when connecting QLogic 4Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CFFv) to external disk storage (as shown in Figure 3)
| Diagram reference | Part number/machine type | Description | Quantity |
 |
Varies | IBM BladeCenter HS21 or other supported server | 1 to 14 |
 |
41Y8527 | QLogic 4Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CFFv) | 1 per server |
 |
Varies | Supported BladeCenter chassis* | 1 |
 |
Varies | Supported Fibre Channel Switch module or Optical Pass-thru Module (see Table 3) | 1 or 2 |
 |
1726-41X or 1726-42X | IBM System Storage DS3400 (Single or Dual Controller) | 1 |
 |
1727 | Optional IBM System Storage EXP3000 (Single or Dual ESM) | 1 to 3 |
 |
39R6536 | DS3000 Partition Expansion License | 1 |
This configuration also requires cabling between the chassis and the storage server and between the storage server and the expansion units. (The cable part numbers are not listed in Table 4.)
Supported operating systems
The QLogic 4Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CFFv) supports the following operating systems:
See IBM ServerProven for the latest information about the specific versions and service packs 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.
- IBM AIX 5L for POWER Version 5.3
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003/2003 R2, Datacenter Edition
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003/2003 R2, Datacenter x64 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 HPC 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 Storage Server 2003/2003 R2, Enterprise Edition x64
- Microsoft Windows Storage Server 2003/2003 R2, Standard Edition
- Microsoft Windows Storage Server 2003/2003 R2, Standard Edition x64
- Microsoft Windows Storage Server 2003/2003 R2, Workgroup Edition x64
- NetWare 6.5
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 AS for AMD64/EM64T
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 AS for x86
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 ES for AMD64/EM64T
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 ES for x86
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 WS for AMD64/EM64T
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 WS for x86
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 AS for AMD64/EM64T
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 AS for iSeries and pSeries
- 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 5 for System i and System p
- 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
- Solaris 10 Operating System
- 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 11 for AMD64/EM64T
- SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 11 for x86
- SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 11 with Xen for AMD64/EM64T
- SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 9 for AMD64/EM64T
- SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 9 for x86
- VMware ESX 3.5
- VMware ESX 4.0
- VMware ESX Server 3.0
- VMware ESXi 3.5
- VMware ESXi 4.0
See IBM ServerProven for the latest information about the specific versions and service packs 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 product families
Product families related to this document are the following:
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The following terms are trademarks of Lenovo in the United States, other countries, or both:
Lenovo®
BladeCenter®
ServerProven®
The following terms are trademarks of other companies:
Linux® is the trademark of Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and other countries.
Microsoft®, Windows Server®, and Windows® are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.
Other company, product, or service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.
