Cable Direct-Attached Rack Servers (QDR)

In a single-server, direct-attach environment, the Oracle Fabric Interconnects share an IB fabric by being connected directly. At least two connections are required for redundancy, but more than two connections can be used for additional redundancy.

However, using more cables reduces the number of available ports, which reduces the total number of servers that can be connected. There is no restriction on which ports on the Oracle Fabric Interconnect connect to which ports on an IB switch.

1. Make sure that the subnet manager is shut down and the LID table is removed.

   See Preparing to Merge an IB Fabric (QDR).

2. Connect a QDR IB cable from one port on the first Oracle Fabric Interconnect (1) to an IB port on the second Oracle Fabric Interconnect (2).
3. Repeat step 2 to create an HA connection between the Oracle Fabric Interconnects.

   These connections provide the merged IB fabric that the two Oracle Fabric Interconnects share. All other IB ports on each Oracle Fabric Interconnect can be used to provide connections to host servers in the fabric.

4. On each host server, connect a QDR IB cable from one server HCA port to an IB port on the first Oracle Fabric Interconnect (1).
5. On each host server, connect a QDR IB cable from one server HCA port to an IB port on the second Oracle Fabric Interconnect (2).

   At the completion of this step, the Oracle Fabric Interconnects and servers are connected as shown.

   
   

   No. Description 1, 2 Oracle Fabric Interconnect F1-15s (or F1-4s) directly connected. 3 QDR speed connections (interswitch links, ISLs) connect the switches together. 4, 5, 6, 7 Host servers with QDR-capable HCAs directly connected to each switch over QDR links.

6. Complete merging the fabric.

   See Complete the Merged Fabric (QDR).

Related Information

• Shut Down the IB Subnet Manager (QDR)

• Remove the LID Table (QDR)

• Cable Direct-Attached Blade Servers (QDR)