Connection Speed

Question

We have a CX3-10c connected to Cisco 9124e fibre switch running at 4 Gbits. We are planning to connect HP MSL 6030 tape library with an internal 2 Gbit FC to the Cisco switch; ultimately to create a zone for it and access the CX3-10c.

My question is if we connect 2 Gbit FC to 4 Gbit switch port, does that work and affect the CX3-10c performance by slowing down the bus speed from 4 Gbits to 2 Gbits.

I am unable to find documentations pertaining to this scenerio, and your help and input are greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

RRR · Accepted Answer

Your Clariion will simply work at 4Gb and won't slow down. Each CX port will be attached at 4Gb to 4Gb ports and traffic that's coming in at 1 or 2gb will simply be transfered to the CX ports a bit faster from the switch to the CX.

It's like a LAN switch: you can have multiple 100Mb hosts and a 1Gb server and the 1Gb link certainly doesn't go down to 100Mb every time a 100Mb host is "talking" to the server !!

HieuC · Answer

Thank you RRR for your response! It's very helpful.

RRR · Answer

You're welcome.And furthermore: if a frontend port should work at 2Gb because of an old switch or something, this doesn't mean the backend has to work at 2Gb too. FE and BE and separate and operate at their own speed.But obviously you should try to get all components to operate at their own top speed.So HBA at 4Gb, Clariion ports at 4Gb and by using 4Gb drives the backend should no be slowed down. If you add a 2Gb drive and add it to a DAE, the whole BE will slow doen to 2Gb.

CLARiiON

Connection Speed

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