Interconnect Modules - HP Xw460c - ProLiant - Blade Workstation Overview

Figure 8 illustrates how the physical lanes can be logically overlaid onto sets of four traces. Interfaces
such as Gigabit Ethernet (1000-base-KX) or Fibre Channel need only a 1x lane, or a single set of four
traces. Higher bandwidth interfaces, such as InfiniBand DDR, use up to four lanes.
Figure 8. Logically overlaying physical lanes (right) onto sets of four traces (left)
The NonStop signal midplane has eight 200-pin connectors to support eight individual switches, four
double bay switches, or a combination of the two. It provides the flexibility of 1x, 2x, or 4x
connections from the server blade mezzanine cards which connect the interconnect bays. The rear of
the enclosure includes eight interconnect bays that can accommodate eight single or four redundant
interconnect modules. All interconnect modules plug directly into these interconnect bays. Each HP
BladeSystem c-Class Enclosure requires two interconnect switches or two pass-thru modules, side-by-
side, for a fully redundant configuration.

Interconnect modules

The c7000 enclosure offers a variety of interconnect options, including pass-thru modules, Ethernet
and Fibre Channel switches, and high-bandwidth fabrics such as InfiniBand. The most up-to-date
information about c-Class interconnect modules is available at this website:
www.hp.com/go/bladesystem/interconnects.
Switches offer a traditional approach to administering the network. The primary value in switches is
cable consolidation through high-speed uplinks and the shared power and cooling infrastructure.
Ethernet and Fibre Channel pass-thru modules are available when direct one-to-one connections
between servers and LAN or SAN are required. HP Ethernet and Fibre Channel Pass-Thru Modules
provide 16-port, transparent, 1 to 1 port connectivity between the server and an external switch.
Interconnect modules in the c7000 are available in two widths: single- and double-wide. Single-wide
modules provide sixteen internal ports, each connected to a separate device bay in the front of the
enclosure. Double-wide modules provide sixteen internal ports, each double-wide, providing
connectivity to DDR InfiniBand and other 4-lane, high speed interconnects.
GUID for InfiniBand. Memory-semantic interconnect protocols use memory addresses in the packet headers to
deposit or retrieve data where these addresses can be memory-mapped registers of a chip or system memory
location.
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