Chapter 2. Installing And Replacing A Switch Module - IBM Brocade 4 Gb SAN Switch Module Installation Manual

Chapter 2. Installing and replacing a switch module

This chapter provides instructions for installing a switch module in the
BladeCenter unit, and for removing a switch module from the BladeCenter
unit.
Note: The blade server or BladeCenter units shown in the illustrations in this
document might be different from your blade server or BladeCenter
unit. For additional information, see the documentation that comes with
the blade server or the BladeCenter unit.
Fibre Channel switch modules must only be installed in I/O-module bays 3
and 4 of the BladeCenter unit. Each blade server that you want to
communicate with must have a Fibre Channel expansion card installed. At
least one Fibre Channel expansion card must be installed for the switch
module to communicate with a blade server.
Note: If you are installing only one switch module, use I/O bay 3.
Installing a second switch module enables a redundant path and a separate
Fibre Channel connection from the blade server to the external Fibre Channel
network and SAN.
The Fibre Channel expansion card has two 2 or 4 Gbps Fibre Channel ports. At
least one switch module is required when you install a Fibre Channel
expansion card in the blade server.
Important:
v When the switch module is installed in a BladeCenter T unit, the internal
ports operate at 2 Gbps, and the external ports operate at speeds up to 4
Gbps.
v The switch modules and all blade server expansion cards in the BladeCenter
unit must use the same interface type. Therefore, you must install Fibre
Channel expansion cards when you install Fibre Channel switch modules
into the BladeCenter unit.
The following table summarizes the application for each switch module.
Bay Fibre Channel switch-module function
3 Port 0 connection on the Fibre Channel expansion card in the BladeCenter
unit
4 Port 1 connection on the Fibre Channel expansion card in the BladeCenter
unit
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2005
11