Planning how you want the Sun Blade 8000 Modular System to integrate with the networking and storage technologies already in your data center is critical. Deploying modular systems such as the Sun Blade 8000 Modular System need not be complex if you have a plan. This topic provides an overview of all the hardware variables that need to be factored into your planning, including:
I/O Paths
I/O Redundancy
I/O Fabrics
PCI Express ExpressModules (EMs) are supported only in the Sun Blade 8000 Modular System, which also supports up to four Network Express Modules (NEMs). The Sun Blade 8000 P Modular System supports up to two NEMs.
The high-level variables are summarized below.
I/O Paths: A Sun Blade Server Module (blade) can connect to switches and to servers using one I/O path (
[D]
[D]
I/O Redundancy: If you deploy your Sun Blade 8000 Modular System in a mission-critical environment, you can incorporate high levels of redundancy by adding redundant Network Express Modules (NEMs) or PCI Express ExpressModules (EMs) and by enabling the appropriate software running on your server module (blade).
I/O Fabrics: The Sun Blade 8000 Modular System supports external paths through multiple fabrics:
1-Gbps Gigabit Ethernet (pass-through NEM)
4-Gbps Fibre Channel (pass-through NEM)
5-Gbps InfiniBand (pass-through NEM)
4-Gbps Fibre Channel (pass-through EM)
1-Gbps Gigabit Ethernet (pass-through EM)
10-Gbps InfiniBand (pass-through EM)
Because I/O paths can be configured for each blade, you have many options:
Combined boot and data paths through the NEM: You can configure your blade to boot its operating system from the network in addition to
exchanging data over the network. In Scenario-A, a blade (BL0) is configured to exchange data (path
[D]
[D]
You do not need to install or configure an EM for either of these scenarios.
Combined boot and data paths through an EM: Without installing or configuring a NEM, you can configure your blade to boot and to exchange data
through one or more EMs. In Scenario-A, a blade (BL0) is configured to exchange data (path
[D]
[D]
Separate boot and data paths through NEMs and EMs: The most interesting scenarios involve configuring your blade to boot through one path and
exchange data through another. In Scenario-A, a blade (BL0) is configured to exchange data (path
[D]
[D]
[D]
[D]
Connecting these pathways through an Ethernet or IB switch adds another level of management.
Achieving redundancy involves both hardware and software planning.
Once you have decided which I/O paths you plan to implement, you must consider how much redundancy is appropriate for each of those paths. Implementing hardware redundancy for the Sun Blade 8000 Modular System is fairly simple, you simply add secondary NEMs and EMs.
NEM redundancy: If your blades are exercising one or more I/O paths through, for example, a single GbE NEM (Scenario-A), you can add up to three backup NEMs to provide redundancy should one port on the primary NEM or the entire primary NEM fail.
In this maximum configuration, NEM ports on each of the secondary NEM modules retain the same assignments to blades. All cables connected to Port0.0 in NEM0, NEM1, NEM2, and NEM3 are connected to the same blade, in this case BL0.
EM Redundancy: In a basic configuration (Scenario-A), you can assign one EM to one blade. To provide redundancy and failover (Scenario-B), add a second EM of the same type in the second EM slot associated with the blade.
Each operating system offers a different set of utilities and system administration tools to manage I/O redundancy.
Operating System |
Redundancy Tools |
---|---|
Solaris 10 |
Solaris 10 uses the following tools:
|
Linux |
Red Hat and SUSE use channel bonding drivers to manage redundancy across small-to-medium clusters and storage systems. |
For more information about configuring redundancy for EM and NEM hardware, see the appropriate sections in your operating system documentation.
Outside the chassis' internal fabric and VLANs, the Sun Blade 8000 Modular System is fabric agnostic. You can provision the EMs in your Sun Blade 8000 Modular System to support one fabric type for all blades (Scenario-A), a different type of fabric for each blade (Scenario-B), or two fabric types for each blade (Scenario-C).
The following worksheet will help you in planning I/O hardware connections.
Blades |
NEM0 |
NEM1 |
NEM2 |
NEM3 |
Left EM |
Right EM |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BL9 |
PORT9 |
PORT9 |
PORT9 |
PORT9 |
EM9.0 |
EM9.1 |
BL8 |
PORT8 |
PORT8 |
PORT8 |
PORT8 |
EM8.1 |
EM8.0 |
BL7 |
PORT7 |
PORT7 |
PORT7 |
PORT7 |
EM7.0 |
EM7.1 |
BL6 |
PORT6 |
PORT6 |
PORT6 |
PORT6 |
EM6.1 |
EM6.0 |
BL5 |
PORT5 |
PORT5 |
PORT5 |
PORT5 |
EM5.0 |
EM5.1 |
BL4 |
PORT4 |
PORT4 |
PORT4 |
PORT4 |
EM4.1 |
EM4.0 |
BL3 |
PORT3 |
PORT3 |
PORT3 |
PORT3 |
EM3.0 |
EM3.1 |
BL2 |
PORT2 |
PORT2 |
PORT2 |
PORT2 |
EM2.1 |
EM2.0 |
BL1 |
PORT1 |
PORT1 |
PORT1 |
PORT1 |
EM1.0 |
EM1.1 |
BL0 |
PORT0 |
PORT0 |
PORT0 |
PORT0 |
EM0.1 |
EM0.0 |