Dell PowerEdge M1000e Chassis Management Controller Firmware Version 5.1 User’s Guide

Fabric management helps avoid electrical, configuration, or connectivity related problems due to installation of an IOM or MC that has an incompatible fabric type from the chassis' established fabric type. Invalid hardware configurations can cause electric or functional problems to the chassis or its components. Fabric management prevents invalid configurations from powering on.

The following figure shows the location of IOMs in the chassis. The location of each IOM is indicated by its group number (A, B, or C). These discrete fabric paths are split into two IO Banks, bank one and two. On the chassis, the IOM slot names are marked A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, and C2.

Figure 1. Rear View of a Chassis, Showing the Location of the IOMs

CMC creates entries in both the hardware log and CMC logs for invalid hardware configurations.

For example:

• An Ethernet MC connected to a Fibre Channel IOM is an invalid configuration. However, an Ethernet MC connected to both an Ethernet switch and an Ethernet pass-through IOM installed in the same IOM group is a valid connection.
• A Fibre Channel pass-through IOM and a fibre channel switch IOM in slots B1 and B2 is a valid configuration if the first MCs on all of the servers are also fibre channel. In this case, CMC powers-on the IOMs and the servers. However, certain fibre channel redundancy software may not support this configuration; not all valid configurations are necessarily supported configurations.

  Fabric verification for server IOMs and MCs is performed only when the chassis is powered on. When the chassis is on standby power, the iDRACs on the server modules remain powered off and thus are unable to report the server's MC fabric type. The MC fabric type may not be reported in the CMC user interface until the iDRAC on the server is powered on. Additionally, if the chassis is powered on, fabric verification is performed when a server or IOM is inserted (optional). If a fabric mismatch is detected, the server or IOM is allowed to power on and the status LED flashes Amber.