Chapter 5
I/O Sub System
I/O Modules
Hitachi engineers go to great lengths to design systems that provide high I/O throughput. BladeSymphony 1000 PCI I/O Modules deliver up to 160 Gb/sec. throughput by providing a total of up to 16 PCI slots (8 slots per I/O module). I/O modules accommodates industry standard PCIe or PCI-X cards, supporting current and future technologies as well as helping to preserve investments in existing PCI cards. In addition, by separating I/O from the server blades, the BladeSymphony 1000 overcomes the space contraint issues of other blade server designs, which can only support smaller PCI cards.
Three I/O modules are available: PCI-X I/O Module, PCIe I/O Module, and an Embedded Fibre Channel Switch Module. Two I/O modules are supported per chassis.
PCI-X I/O Module
The PCI-X I/O Module supports eight PCI-X cards in total, with a maximum of two PCI-X cards assigned to a single server blade for Chassis A and four for Chassis B. In Chassis A, eight PCI cards can be attached to four server blades, at a two-to-one ratio. In Chassis B, four PCI cards can be attached to four server blades for a four to one ratio. Hot plug is supported in specific conditions.
See the BladeSymphony 1000 Users Manual for more information. The block diagram for the PCI-X I/O Module is shown in Figure 16.
PCI-X (133 MHz)
8 slot
(Hot Plug Support)
| | PCI Express x4 link | | | | | | SCSI |
| D2 D1 | C2 C1 | | B2 | B1 | A2 | A1 |
| | Bus connection |
| | | | | | | | | I2C SW |
Legacy | Bridge | Bridge | Legacy | | Bridge | Bridge | FRU |
| |
Interrupt | SW SW | SW SW | Interrupt | | SW | SW | SW | SW | I2C |
| | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | Reg. |
| | | | | | | | | Card |
| | | | | | | | | Status |
| | | | | | | | | Error LED |
Figure 16. PCI-X I/O Module block diagram
26 BladeSymphony 1000 Architecture White Paper | www.hitachi.com |
