Hardware Support; Diagnostic Coverage; Interoperability; Switch Interoperability - IBM 3534-F08 Installation And User Manual

Hardware support

Loop-back paths for frame traffic are provided in the hardware for diagnostic
purposes. A loop-back path within the ASIC, at the final stages of the Fibre Channel
interface, can be used to verify that the internal Fibre Channel port logic is
functioning properly, as well as paths between the interface and the central memory.
Additionally, the SERIALLINK macro within the ASIC includes a serial data
loop-back function that can be enabled through a register in the corresponding
ASIC.
Diagnostics are provided to allow traffic to be circulated between two switch ports
that are connected with an external cable. This allows the diagnostics to verify the
integrity of the final stage of the SERDES interface, as well as the media interface
module.

Diagnostic coverage

The POST and diagnostic commands concentrate on the Fibre Channel ports and
verify switch functionality of the 3534 Model F08.

Interoperability

This section includes information about interoperability.

Switch interoperability

The 3534 Model F08 supports both 1 Gbps and 2 Gbps transmit and receive rates
with auto-negotiation. The actual data signaling rate that is used on a port is
automatically sensed and is set to the rate that is supported by a device or devices
that are attached to the port. The 3534 Model F08 has been tested and is compliant
with the current FC standards. The 3534 Model F08 is compatible with most
current-generation switches N_ports, NL_ports, and E_ports, as well as host
adapters, Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAIDs) storage devices, hubs,
and Fibre-SCSI bridge devices, including the 3534 and 2109 series of switches.
Implementation in existing environments
Because the 3534 Model F08 has a compatible 1 Gbps auto-negotiated signaling
rate on each port, you can use it as a replacement for current 3534 and 2109
series switches. As newer technology is added to existing systems that support
2 Gbps signaling, the ports can accept these devices and interoperate with existing
1 Gbps devices. If the 3534 Model F08 is connected to a third-party device but is
unable to negotiate the signaling rate, the 3534 Model F08 allows you to manually
set the speed of each port through the management interfaces.
Heterogeneous interswitch operations
Fabric OS version 3.1 or later supports interoperability for the following functions:
v Basic switch functions
v Basic services
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IBM TotalStorage SAN Switch: 3534 Model F08 Installation and User's Guide
– Link initialization
– Principal switch selection
– Routing Fibre Channel shortest path first (FSPF)
– Simple name service
– State change notification
– WWN zoning (typically referred to as soft zoning or name server zoning)