Two-Stage Switch Cable Paths; Quantities Of Switch-To-Switch Cables Required Per Sp System - IBM RS/6000 SP Handbook

An SP Switch frame (F/C 2031 or F/C 2032) is required for systems using more
than five switches (known as two-stage switching). Each switch in a two-stage
system is cable-connected only to the SP Switch frame. Figure 5-8 illustrates an
example of a two-stage switch configuration that has eight switch-equipped
frames.
1 2
16
16
8 7
Figure 5-8 Two-stage switch cable paths
The quantity of switch cables depends on the quantity of switch-equipped frames
in the system. Table 5-3 shows quantities of switch-to-switch cables required per
SP system.
Table 5-3 Quantities of Switch-to-Switch cables required per SP system
Switch Quantity of
Configuration Switch-Equipped
Type Frames
(excluding SP
Switch frame)
Single-Stage 1
Single-Stage 2
Single-Stage 3
Single-Stage 4
Single-Stage 5
Two-Stage 6
Two-Stage 7
Two-Stage 8
3
16
16
16
16
6
Quantity of
Cables Between
Any Two Switches
N/A
16
8
5 / 6 (See Note 1)
4
16
16
16
4
16
F/C
2031/2
16
5
Total Quantity of
Cables Required
N/A
16
24
32
40
96
112
128
173
Chapter 5. The Switch