Q-Logic MKII-BASE16 user manual Cable N or NLPort Adapters to the Switch, Ports, Tuning, Distance

Installation

Step 7 unless the POST passed.

7.Cable N or NL_Port Adapters to the Switch

Ports

All 16 ports on the Switch may connect to N_Ports. Ports 1, 2, 5, 6, 9, 10, 13, and 14 may connect to NL_Ports or N_Ports. The type of media used (fiber optic cable or copper) depends on the type of N or NL_Port adapters used and the type of GBICs used in the Switch. You may populate the Switch with any assortment of approved GBICs appropriate for your interconnection media type.

Tuning

You can optimize the system performance by connecting nodes which interchange the greatest amount of traffic to ports on the Switch which are more efficiently interconnected.

Connect nodes which interchange the least amount of traffic to ports on the Switch which are less efficiently interconnected.

The most efficient performance is within a group of four ports. These groups are:

Ports 1-4

Ports 5-8

Ports 9-12

Ports 13-16

When a frame source-port and destination-port are within the same port group, you will realize:

The lowest Class 2/Class 3 frame latency

The highest Class 2/Class 3 point-to-point bandwidth The highest Class 2/Class 3 aggregate bandwidth

The lowest Class 1 connect and disconnect latency — Class 1 frame latency, point-to-point bandwidth, and aggregate bandwidth are not affected by port groups, and are always the theoretical maximum.

When a frame source-port and destination-port are not within the same port group the interconnection is slightly less efficient.

Distance

The maximum distance between each adapter and the Switch depends on the type of GBICs and the type of cable installed. Refer to the Reference Information in Appendix A of this manual for this information. Also, the speed and Fibre Channel Revision Level of each adapter must be compatible with the Switch and the type of I/O media of each adapter must be compatible with the particular GBIC on the Switch.

Hot-Pluggable

All GBICs and cables are “hot-pluggable”. That is, you may have the Switch powered-up while you plug or unplug GBICs or cables of any interconnection media type. Hot-swapping and unplugging does not affect other operating ports.

2-8Installation	GigWorks MKII-16 Switch Model MKII-BASE16
	59003-01 Rev. A	Installer's/User's Manual