Interfaces and connections

There are four types of interfaces to the interface card:

•Fibre Channel

•SCSI

•3-pin serial port

•Ethernet

The 3-pin serial and Ethernet ports are used for configuration and management of the interface card.

For convenience in configuring ports, key information is indicated on a label located on the face of the interface card such as WWN name, WWP name, and Ethernet MAC ID (Physical Address).

Fibre Channel connections

Before connecting the interface card to other devices, it is important to understand the configuration requirements of the environment to which it is connected. Failure to correctly configure a Fibre Channel device may impair the operation of the Storage Area Network (SAN) to which it is attached.

Typical installations have the interface card connected to a Switched Fabric environment. For an Arbitrated Loop, the unit can be directly attached to the Fibre Channel host bus adapter. In Fibre Channel switched environments, the switch is also directly attached to the interface card.

Both FC switches and hubs may allow for individual ports to be configured for different media types. The interface card must be connected to the hub or switch port with the appropriate FC cabling for the media type in use on both the interface card and the port to which it is connected.

The interface card supports various Fibre Channel media types through the use of external Small Form Factor Pluggable Transceivers (SFPs).

Supported media type: Multi-Mode Fiber - 4.25 Gbit Dual LC connectors. To connect the interface card to the Fibre Channel SAN:

1.Locate the Fibre Channel port on the interface card (see Figure 1 on page 9).

2.Remove the rubber protector from the SFP.

3.With the library powered off, connect the interface card into the Fibre Channel environment using the appropriate cabling. The FC optical connector on the interface card is keyed. Be sure to insert the cable connectors in the proper orientation.

SCSI connection

The interface card can support Fast/Ultra320 Narrow/Wide SCSI, depending on the specific configuration. The interface card is factory configured to support LVD/Single-Ended buses. Two VHDCI 68-pin D-shell, P-type connectors are available, allowing the unit to be attached at the end of up to two SCSI buses. The interface card must always be installed at the end of SCSI buses.

The interface card supplies termination power (TERMPWR) to each SCSI bus. An internal self-resetting fuse in the TERMPWR resets after a fault is cleared.

CAUTION: Do not plug HVD devices to an LVD/SE bus. Failure to follow this caution may result in severe damage to equipment.

CAUTION: SCSI ports on the interface card are not hot-pluggable. Power off the library whenever connecting/disconnecting the SCSI cables.

20 Installation, cabling, and setup