C H A P T E R 2 - Adapter Installation

C H A P T E R 2

Adapter Installation

This chapter describes how to install the adapter in your system and verify that it has been installed correctly.

IB-HCA Bus and Slot Selection

For optimal performance, the IB-HCA card should be installed in the fastest available bus, preferably a 133 MHz PCI-X bus. But the IB-HCA can operate on the slower PCI-X and PCI buses. The IB-HCA should also be installed on its own PCI leaf. Plugging the IB-HCA card into a PCI leaf shared by another (slower) device can result in lower performance.

Installing the Adapter

Caution - Electronic components on printed circuit boards are extremely sensitive to static electricity. Ordinary amounts of static electricity generated by your clothing or work environment can damage the electronic equipment. When installing the IB-HCA in a system, use anti-static grounding straps and antistatic mats to help prevent damage due to electrostatic discharge.

Note - Refer to your system installation or service manual for detailed instructions for the following steps.

1. Power off your server, using the standard shut down procedures described in the Solaris Handbook for Sun Peripherals or your system service manual.

The Solaris Handbook for Sun Peripherals is shipped with the Solaris Operating System software and is available on the http://docs.sun.com web site.

2. Remove the cover from the unit to access the card slots and connectors.

3. Select an available 3.3 Volt PCI-X or PCI slot and remove the blank front panel.

If you are replacing an existing card, remove the card.

4. Install the IB-HCA card into the slot, pushing the card's edge connector into the connector on the chassis.

Ensure that the front plate on the IB-HCA card mounts flush with the chassis panel opening.

5. If applicable, install the screw in front plate to secure the IB-HCA card into the chassis.

6. Connect the 4x end of the InfiniBand I/O cable(s) to the IB-HCA port connector(s).

Ensure that the connectors are properly engaged.

Caution - Avoid putting unnecessary stress on the connection. Do not bend or twist the cable near the connectors and avoid cable bends of more than 90 degrees.

Note - On the Sun Fire V20z, remove the top cover when connecting or disconnecting the InfiniBand I/O cable.

7. Replace the cover on the unit.

8. If not already connected, connect the 12x end of the InfiniBand I/O cable(s) to the appropriate ports on the InfiniBand switch.

See FIGURE 2-1 for a typical adapter to switch cabling example.

9. Turn power back on to the system and allow the server to reboot.

This completes the hardware installation. Proceed to the verification instructions in Verifying the Installation. FIGURE 2-1 Typical Adapter-to-Switch Configuration

Figure showing IB-HCA ports cabled to two Sun InfiniBand switches. [ D ]

Verifying the Installation

Before you can verify the installation, you must install the adapter in the chassis, power the server, and cable it to an operational InfiniBand switch. The InfiniBand switch should automatically recognize InfiniBand servers when they are connected to the fabric.

1. Check that the green LED is illuminated for each port that is connected to the switch.

If the green LED is not on, check the cable connections at the adapter and at the switch. Also check if the Tavor driver is attached to the port. See Troubleshooting Tasks for details.

2. Check that the amber LED is illuminated for each port that is connected to the switch.

If the amber LED is not on, refer to Appendix B, Diagnostic Software and Troubleshooting for more information.