Removing and installing I/O modules

For blade server communication with the network, the BladeCenter T unit supports up to four hot-swap I/O modules. Table 5 identifies the types of I/O modules that you can install in each I/O-module bay. Go to the IBM Support Web site at http://www.ibm.com/support/ to see the list of supported I/O modules.

The BladeCenter T unit supports a minimum of one hot-swap Ethernet switch module or pass-thru module, in I/O-module bay 1 or 2. This I/O module provides an internal connection to an integrated Ethernet controller in all the blade servers in the BladeCenter T unit, up to eight internal connections per I/O module. To provide an internal connection for the second integrated Ethernet controller in each blade server, install an Ethernet switch module or pass-thru module in the available I/O-module bay of the pair (I/O-module bay 1 or bay 2). The management modules are connected to the switch module through the backplane using a transformerless 100 Mbps connection and an I2C interface.

The BladeCenter T unit supports two additional I/O modules in I/O-module bays 3 and 4. Each of these I/O modules provides an internal connection to one of the two network-interface controllers on each of the I/O expansion options that are installed on blade servers in the BladeCenter T unit. The I/O module must be compatible with the network interface on each of the I/O expansion options. For example, if you install a Fibre Channel I/O expansion card on a blade server, the I/O modules that you install in I/O-module bays 3 and 4 must be Fibre Channel switch modules or pass-thru modules.

Important: The switch modules in I/O module bays 3 and 4 and all blade server interface options in the BladeCenter T unit, must use the same interface type. For example, if you install an Ethernet interface option on a blade server, the switch modules that you install in I/O module bays 3 and 4 must be Ethernet. All other interface options in the BladeCenter T unit must also be Ethernet interface options.

Note: You can use a pass-thru module in any I/O-module bay, provided that the associated controller in the blade servers or I/O expansion options is compatible with it.

The following table summarizes the types of modules that can be used in each I/O-module bay. See “Rear view” on page 15 for the location of the I/O-module bays on the BladeCenter T unit.

Table 5. Hot-swap I/O module types by location for redundancy

Bays

I/O-module function

Permissible I/O module

 

 

 

1 and 2

Network connections 1 and 2

One of the following combinations:

 

(Ethernet) for all blade servers in the

v Two Ethernet switch modules

 

BladeCenter T unit

v Two pass-thru modules

 

 

 

 

v One Ethernet switch module and

 

 

one pass-thru module

 

 

 

60BladeCenter T Type 8720 and 8730: Hardware Maintenance Manual and Troubleshooting Guide

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IBM Type 8730, Type 8720 manual Removing and installing I/O modules, Bays Module function Permissible I/O module

Type 8730, Type 8720 specifications

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