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Multi-Switch Interconnect Module for IBM BladeCenter

Product Guide (withdrawn product)

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Updated
23 Oct 2009
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TIPS0711
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Abstract

The Multi-Switch Interconnect Module (MSIM) for IBM BladeCenter is a switch module container that converts a stacked pair of high-speed I/O bays into two standard I/O bays. It is supported only in the BladeCenter H chassis. Two MSIMs can be installed in the BladeCenter H: one in the space of switch bays 7 and 8 and one in the space of switch bays 9 and 10. The MSIM accepts two supported standard switch modules and enables a blade server to have up to a total of eight network connections. To connect to the switch modules in the MSIM, a blade server must have a CFFh-type adapter installed.

Note: The MSIM is withdrawn from marketing.

Introduction


The Multi-Switch Interconnect Module (MSIM) for IBM BladeCenter is an innovative solution if you are looking to use additional standard form-factor switches in place of the high-speed switch bays in the BladeCenter H chassis. By using redundant MSIMs, you can deploy virtualization-ready solutions by providing up to eight Ethernet network interface cards (NICs) to each blade server in the chassis.

Figure 1 shows the MSIM.

Figure 1. Multi-switch Interconnect Module
Figure 1. Multi-Switch Interconnect Module
 

Did you know?

Two MSIMs can be used in each BladeCenter H chassis, making it ideal for those who are looking for redundancy. The use of the MSIM to add four additional ports makes it ideal for application such as server consolidation and virtualization.

Up to two standard form-factor switches can be supported per MSIM, for a total of eight switches in the BladeCenter H chassis.

 

Part number information

Table 1 shows the part number to order this card.

Table 1. Part number and feature code for ordering

Description Part number Feature code
Multi-Switch Interconnect Module for IBM BladeCenter 39Y9314 1465


The part number includes the following items:

 

  • One Multi-Switch Interconnect Module for IBM BladeCenter
  • Multi-Switch Interconnect Module Installation and User's Guide
  • The documentation CD
  • Safety information

 

 

 

Features

The MSIM has the following features:

  • Provides standard I/O module support in the high-speed switch bays of BladeCenter H
  • Accommodates two standard I/O modules (Ethernet Switch Modules, Fibre Channel Switch Modules, or Pass-thru Modules), side by side
  • Leverages the I/O design of BladeCenter H to provide increased connectivity to each blade

 

 

 

 

 

Operating environment

The expansion card is supported in this environment:

  • Temperature: 10° to 35°C (50° to 95°F)
  • Relative humidity: 8% to 80%, noncondensing

 

 

 

Supported BladeCenter chassis

Table 2 lists the IBM BladeCenter chassis that supports the Multi-Switch Interconnect Module.

Table 2. IBM BladeCenter chassis that supports the Multi-Switch Interconnect Module

BladeCenter S BladeCenter E BladeCenter H BladeCenter T BladeCenter HT

Multi-Switch Interconnect Module for IBM BladeCenter

39Y9314

N

N

Y

N

N


The MSIM is a switch module container that converts a stacked pair of high-speed I/O bays into two standard I/O bays. Figure 2 shows the MSIM being installed into bays 7 and 8 of the BladeCenter H chassis.

MSIM installed in bays 7 and 8 of the BladeCenter H chassis
Figure 2. MSIM installed in bays 7 and 8 of the BladeCenter H chassis

Figure 3 shows how two MSIMs can be installed in the BladeCenter H: one in the space of switch bays 7 and 8, and one in the space of switch bays 9 and 10. The MSIM accepts two supported standard switch modules and enables a blade server to have up to a total of eight network connections. To connect to the switch modules in the MSIM, a blade server must have a CFFh-type adapter installed.

Two MSIMs installed in the BladeCenter H chassis
Figure 3. Two MSIMs installed in the BladeCenter H chassis

 

Supported expansion cards

To use the MSIM, each blade must have a supported CFFh expansion cards installed. Table 3 lists the supported CFFh cards.

Table 3. Expansion cards that can be used to connect to I/O modules in an MSIM


CFFh expansion card

Part number

Supported with MSIM

2/4 Port Ethernet Expansion Card (CFFh)

44W4479

Supported

NetXen 10 Gb Ethernet Expansion Card (CFFh)

39Y9271

No

Broadcom 2-port 10 Gb Ethernet Expansion Card (CFFh)

44W4466

No

Broadcom 4-port 10 Gb Ethernet Expansion Card (CFFh)

44W4465

No

QLogic Ethernet and 4Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CFFh)

39Y9306

Supported

QLogic Ethernet and 8Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CFFh)

44X1940

Supported

4X InfiniBand DDR Expansion Card

43W4423

No

Voltaire 4X InfiniBand DDR Expansion Card

43W4420

No

QLogic 2-port 10Gb Converged Network Adapter (CFFh)

42C1830

No

Emulex Virtual Fabric Adapter (CFFh)

49Y4235

No


The ports on the CFFh expansion cards in each server are hard wired to specific bays in the switch modules in each MSIM. Table 4 lists the mapping of expansion card ports to the I/O bays of MSIMs.

Table 4. Mapping of expansion card ports to the I/O bays of MSIMs

Port number of the CFFh expansion card Corresponding switch module bay in the MSIM
1 7 (upper left interconnect module bay)
2 8 (upper right interconnect module bay)
3 9 (lower left interconnect module bay)
4 10 (lower right interconnect module bay)

 

Supported I/O modules

Table 5 lists the supported standard form factor I/O modules and the MSIM bays in which they are supported.

For each of the expansion cards that support the MSIM (see Table 3), the MSIM supports I/O modules in the left bay, the right bay, or both bays of the MSIM. Table 5 summarizes this support. Because the supported expansion cards are Ethernet or Fibre Channel only, no SAS or InfiniBand switch modules are supported in the MSIM.

Note the following explanation when viewing the table:

  • Right means that the module is only supported in the rightmost I/O slot of the MSIM.
  • Left means that the module is only supported in the leftmost I/O slot of the MSIM.
  • Both means that the module is supported in both the rightmost and leftmost I/O slots.
  • No means that the module is either not supported or not recommended for performance reasons (for example, mixing a 4 Gb FC with an 8 Gb FC).


Table 5. Supported standard form factor I/O modules and the MSIM bays in which they are supported (left bay, right bay, both bays) for each expansion card

QLogic Ethernet & 4Gb Fibre Channel (39Y9306) QLogic Ethernet & 8Gb Fibre Channel (44X1940) 2/4 Port Ethernet Switch Module (44W4479)

Ethernet switch modules

Cisco Intelligent Gb Ethernet Switch

32R1892

Left

Left

Both

Cisco Intelligent Gb Fiber Ethernet Switch

32R1888

Left

Left

Both

Cisco Catalyst Switch Module 3110G

41Y8523

Left

Left

Both

Cisco Catalyst Switch Module 3110X

41Y8522

Left

Left

Both

Cisco Catalyst Switch Module 3012

43W4395

Left

Left

Both

Server Connectivity Module

39Y9324

Left

Left

Both

BNT Layer 2-7 Gb Ethernet Switch

32R1859

No

No

No

BNT Layer 2/3 Copper Gb Ethernet Switch

32R1860

Left

Left

Both

BNT Layer 2/3 Fiber Gb Ethernet Switch

32R1861

Left

Left

Both

BNT 10Gb Uplink Ethernet Switch

32R1783

Left

Left

Both

BNT 1/10 Gb Uplink ESM

44W4404

Left

Left

Both

Fibre Channel switch modules

Brocade 20-port 4Gb SAN Switch

32R1812

Right

Right¹

No

Brocade 10-port 4Gb SAN Switch

32R1813

Right

Right¹

No

Brocade Enterprise 20-port 8Gb SAN Switch Module

42C1828

Right²

Right

No

Brocade 20-port 8Gb SAN Switch Module

44X1920

Right²

Right

No

Brocade 10-port 8Gb SAN Switch Module

44X1921

Right²

Right

No

Cisco 4Gb 20-port Fibre Channel Switch

39Y9280

Right

Right¹

No

Cisco 4Gb 10-port Fibre Channel Switch

39Y9284

Right

Right¹

No

QLogic 20 port 4Gb Fibre Channel Switch

26R0881

Right

Right¹

No

QLogic 20-port 4Gb SAN Switch Module

43W6725

Right

Right¹

No

QLogic 10-port 4Gb SAN Switch Module

43W6724

Right

Right¹

No

QLogic 4Gb Intelligent Pass-thru Module

43W6723

Right

Right¹

No

QLogic 20-port 8Gb SAN Switch Module

44X1905

Right²

Right

No

QLogic 8Gb Intelligent Pass-thru Module

44X1907

Right²

Right

No

x

Table 5 (continued). Supported I/O modules and the MSIM bays they are supported in (left bay, right bay, both bays) for each expansion card

QLogic Ethernet & 4Gb Fibre Channel (39Y9306) QLogic Ethernet & 8Gb Fibre Channel (44X1940) 2/4 Port Ethernet Switch Module (44W4479)

Pass-thru Modules

Optical Pass-thru Module

39Y9316

Both³

Both³

Both

Copper Pass-thru Module

39Y9320

Left

Left

Both

Intelligent Copper Pass-thru Module

44W4483

Left

Left

Both

QLogic 4Gb Intelligent Pass-thru Module

43W6723

Right

Right¹

No

QLogic 8Gb Intelligent Pass-thru Module

44X1907

Right²

Right

No

Notes:

  1. When this 4Gb I/O module is used with the QLogic Ethernet and 8Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CFFh), the card operates only at 4 Gbps.
  2. When this 8Gb I/O module is used with the QLogic Ethernet and 4Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CFFh), the module operates only at 4 Gbps.
  3. When the Optical Pass-thru Module is installed in the right-hand MSIM bay (for use with a Fibre Channel expansion card), the Optical Pass-thru Module only operates at 2 Gbps. This is a limitation of the OPM.

 

 

 

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