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IBM Ethernet Switch B24X
IBM System x at-a-glance guide
The IBM Ethernet Switch B24X is a compact, high-performance, high-availability, and high-density 10
GbE solution that meets mission-critical data center and High Performance Computer (HPC)
requirements. It can support 1 GbE servers until they are upgraded to 10 GbE-capable Network Interface
Cards (NICs), simplifying migration to 10 GbE server farms.
In addition, the B24X is a fully featured switch with IPv4 Layer 3 capabilities th
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providing network connectivity to servers within a rack, or as a compute node interconnect in HPC environments. Complemented by a full Ethernet and IP product portfolio available from IBM System Networking, IBM B24X can also be part of a standardized network infrastructure running on the proven IronWare Operating System. Part number information Table 1 lists the orderable part numbers for the B24X and associated options through System x. Table 1. IBM part numbers and feature codes for ordering
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Power cords are not included and must be specified at the time of order. The B24X has a C14 inlet to receive a C13 power plug. Table 2 lists the available power cable options. Table 2. Power cord options Part Description number Line cord – 2.8 m, 10A/230V, C13 to CEE7-VII (Europe) 39Y7917 Line cord – 2.8 m, 10A/250V, C13 to DK2-5a (Denmark) 39Y7918 Line cord – 2.8 m, 10A/250V, C13 to SEV 1011-S24507 (Swiss) 39Y7919 Line cord – 2.8 m, 10A/250V, C13 to SI 32 (Israel) 39Y7920 Line cord – 2.8 m, 1
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Additional options are available through IBM System Networking HVEC channels. Table 4 lists the orderable part numbers for these additional options. Table 4. IBM part numbers and feature codes for ordering (System Networking HVEC) Description IBM part IBM feature number code 10 GbE Direct Attach SFP+, 1 m, Active TwinAx copper cable 45W2398 2711 10 GbE Direct Attach SFP+, 3 m, Active TwinAx copper cable 45W2408 2731 10 GbE Direct Attach SFP+, 5 m, Active TwinAx copper cable 45W3039 2751 1 GbE
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For cost-effective server connectivity within a rack, 10 GbE copper direct attach SFP+ active TwinAx cables are available. These cables have two 10 GbE SFP+ transceivers attached on either end of the cable and have been tested for compatibility with the Brocade 10Gb CNA, QLogic 10Gb CNA, and Emulex 10Gb Virtual Fabric Adapter for IBM System x. Compatibility with other 10 GbE server adapters and network devices is up to the user to determine. Figure 4. 10 GbE Direct Attach SFP+ TwinAx cable F
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Granular network visibility: Hardware-based sFlow v5 provides packet sampling for analysis, trending, and application of automated policies based on thresholds using industry applications such as Brocade Ironview Network Manager. Cost competitive: The B24X includes all software capabilities and a 3-year warranty of the base product, simplifying ordering while being priced extremely competitively compared with other vendors. Specifications The IBM Ethernet Switch B24X supports the following
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Link aggregation Up to eight links per group, 28 link groups per switch Static trunks compatible with Cisco EtherChannel 802.3ad Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) for dynamic trunk groups Quality of service (QoS) and rate shaping Eight queues per port with strict priority (SP), weighted round robin (WRR), and combined SP/WRR schedulers 802.1p Class of Service (CoS) IP DSCP/DiffServ (Type of Service) to priority mapping ACL, port, and static MAC address to priority mapping Layer
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Security 802.1x authentication, accounting, port security, and dynamic assignment for ACLs, MAC filtering, and VLANs Up to 1,534 inbound, rule-based (hardware-based) access control list (ACL) entries Standard ACLs based on source IP address Extended ACLs based on source and destination IP addresses or IP protocol information Authorization, Authentication, and Accounting (AAA) support on RADIUS, TACACS, and TACACS+ Multi-device authentication, which validates and applies security policie
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Connectivity options The B24X supports a wide variety of industry IEEE and RFC standards and should interoperate with any network device that supports industry standard Ethernet connectivity. This includes servers, other Ethernet switches, iSCSI Storage Area Network (SAN) arrays, Network-Attached Storage (NAS) arrays, and other network devices. Figure 5 shows the IBM Ethernet Switch B24X (front view with port labeling). Figure 5. IBM Ethernet Switch B24X (front view with port labeling) IBM Et
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Table 5 lists the methods that the B24X can use to connect to another device. Table 5. Connectivity options On the B24X On the device to be connected SFP+ port using 10 GbE SFP+ optical The optic on the device being connected can be transceiver: 69Y0389: 10GBASE-SR another form-factor (that is, XFP transceiver, X2 module, or integrated into NIC), but must have a This optical transceiver receives a matching optical transmission type. duplex LC connector. For example, a 10GBASE-SR XFP optical
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10 Gbps Ethernet connectivity is not standard in most System x servers, and a 10 GbE NIC or 10 GbE CNA must be installed. Only the IBM System x3850/3950 X5 series (except for the ARx model) come standard with a customized Emulex Virtual Fabric Adapter. Table 6 lists the 10 GbE adapters that are available for IBM System x servers. Table 6. 10 Gbps adapters for IBM System x servers System x rack and tower server adapter models Brocade N0. N Y N Y N Y Y Y Y N Y Y Y Y Y Y 10Gb 22 CNA 6 (42C18
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switches. This includes IBM System Networking switches, BladeCenter Ethernet embedded switches, and Ethernet switches from other vendors IBM BladeCenter Ethernet Switch Modules are available with 1 Gbps and 10 Gbps Ethernet uplinks. Table 7 lists the various IBM BladeCenter Ethernet Switch Modules that can be used to connect to the B24X. Table 7. IBM BladeCenter Ethernet Switch Modules (ESM) BladeCenter Ethernet Ext. 1 Ext. 10 Switch Module models Part # GbE GbE BC H BC HT BC E BC T BC S p
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Top of Rack switch An access or edge switch is a switch that connects directly to the end devices requiring network connectivity, most commonly servers and storage arrays in the data center. A switch that is 1 or 2 RU in height that acts as the access switch for devices within a rack is commonly called a Top of Rack switch. The B24X is ideal for deployment as an all-purpose Top of Rack switch in demanding network environments due to its high-performance, resilient hardware characteristics and
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Table 8 outlines the components used in Figure 6. Table 8. Components used in reference to Figure 6 Diagram Part number/ Description Quantity reference machine type 0563-012 IBM Ethernet Switch B24X 2 IBM System x server with 10 GbE NIC/CNAs Varies See Table 5 for additional details. 16 Other vendor servers can be used. NAS array Varies Varies Existing network infrastructure, which can include IBM Systems Networking devices and Varies - other standards-compliant Ethernet/IP switches and rou
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Network device connections Figure 7 shows an example of the types of options that can be used to connect separate devices to the IBM Ethernet Switch B24X Figure 7. IBM Ethernet Switch B24X device connections IBM Ethernet Switch B24X 15
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Table 9 outlines the components used in Figure 7. Table 9. Components used in reference to Figure 7 Diagram Part number/ Description Quantity reference machine type IBM Ethernet Switch B24X 0563-012 2 IBM x3850/x3960 X5 (except ARx model) Comes with 2-port 10 GbE (SFP+) Emulex Virtual Fabric Adapter. Varies - Use a single Direct Attach cable (TwinAx) to connect to B24X, available in 1, 3, or 5 meters. (See Table 4.) NAS or iSCSI storage array Varies Varies Cisco Catalyst 3110X Ethernet Swit
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Interoperating in existing network environments The IBM Ethernet Switch B24X interoperates seamlessly in existing network environments utilizing standards-based protocols. IBM Ethernet Switch B24X leverages the proven IronWare Operating System with an industry-standard CLI so network administrators can utilize their existing skill sets. Figure 8 shows an example of the B24X used as an access and aggregation switch. Figure 8. IBM Ethernet Switch B24X connecting to the network infrastructure
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Table 10 outlines the components used in Figure 8. Table 10. The components used in Figure 8 Diagram Part number/ Description Quantity Reference machine type 0563-012 IBM Ethernet Switch B24X 1 IBM Ethernet Switch B16M On B16M, use FC1711 (4-port 10 GbE XFP 4003-M16 module) and FC2110 (10GBASE-SR XFP). 1 On B24X, use 69Y0389 (10GBASE-SR SFP+). Connect over multi-mode fiber. Cisco Catalyst 6509-E On 6509, use 8-port 10 GbE Fiber module with X2-10GB-SR (10GBASE-SR X2 module). N/A 1 Connect
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The airflow of the switch is primarily port/side (front) to non-port (back) side. Air is drawn into the system from vents on the front and front sides of the switch and expelled out the rear. The cooling characteristics of the system allow it to be deployed in server racks featuring hot-cold aisle containment without the need of special baffling. Figure 10. IBM Ethernet Switch B24X airflow Installation The IBM Ethernet Switch B24X comes with two rack-mount brackets affixed to each side for in
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Table 11. Multi-mode fiber cable distances supported Multi-mode fiber cable Distance Loss 62.5 ìm (160 MHz*km) 26 m 1.6 dBm 62.5 ìm (200 MHz*km) 33 m 1.6 dBm 50 ìm (400 MHz*km) 66 m 1.7 dBm 50 ìm (500 MHz*km) 82 m 1.8 dBm 50 ìm (2000 MHz*km) 300 m 2.6 dBm Related links For more information, see the following resources: IBM System x network options support site for model-type 0563 – code download and documentation http://www.ibm.com/support/entry/portal/Overview/Hardware/Systems/System_x/Network
