Thank you for the question. It is not trivial, so here is a straight answer.
The LAN connectivity of an NS-960 X-Blade is no longer fixed (as it was when the product was first launched), but there are restrictions on the changes that can be made.
The addition of modules as an upgrade is allowed, although the procedure is disruptive to operations, so a service outage must be scheduled.
Swapping of one type of module for another type in the same slot is not permitted. (No connectivity swaps)
Permanent removal of existing modules is not permitted. (No downgrades)
So yes, you can add 10 GbE modules to the empty slots of your existing Data Movers. See my other posting for some more details around this.
I think your EMC representative was confused with what you were asking. Let's see if we can address each one of your questions:
1- I need to change my whole datamovers to have "tengig-enabled" DM (?)
I don't even know what that means. Perhaps he was talking about ensuring that all of your Data Movers had similar network connectivity for failover. He also could have been talking about being on the most current 5.6 code in order to capture the 10G fixes. Beyond that, there is nothing more you have to do in order to "tengig-enable" your DM.
2- Tengig and 4xGig module can not cohabit because of no correct fail-over. So I've to choose 2 xTenGig module to setup my redudancy.
The answer to this question is "it depends." If you are trying to set up a trunk using mixed media, then he is correct. However, if you are trying to set up Fail Safe Networking (FSN), then you can have your primary FSN connection as the 10G card, and your secondary connection as a trunk of the 1G ports. This is perfectly acceptable.
You need to reconfigure the network configuration on the data movers, which requires some downtime to be planned, if the box is already in production. You may take the help from your local EMC implementation/support team, especially with setting up the Fail safe network.
And also I like to join Bill to welcome you to our Support Forums.
But I need to know if it's possible to simply add a TenGig (or 2xTenGig) ethernet module to my 4 curent datamovers, configured with 2 4x1gbps module, OR do I need to change my datamovers (X-Blade) for 4 new DM configured with a 2xTenGig module and a 4x1gbps module.
Simlpy put, does the LAN conenctivity of DM is a FIXED one (requiring to change the whole X-Blade to change the connectivity options) or a MODULAR one (2xTengig and 4x1gpbs module could be added/swapped at will).
Sorry if this question seems trivial,but I still have no clear answer of my EMC representative here.
As already noted, the NS-960 Data Mover (X-Blade) is built to use UltraFlex I/O modules. In the original launch of the NS-960 & NS-G8, there were eight fixed-configuration Data Mover models that could be chosen.
In August 2010, a decision was made to offer more flexibility as follows:
Additional LAN connectivity I/O modules can be added to empty slots as an upgrade (up to the configuration limit set for a given system type)
Any combination of I/O mudules is permitted after the first slot (which is occupied by the 4 or 8 Gbit/sec FC module (up to the configuration limit set for a given system type)
All Data Mover configurations in a system must physically match (in order to allow successful failover)
Current upgrade rules state that you may not exchange one type of I/O module for another type in the same slot.
Current upgrade rules state that you may not create empty slots by removing currently installed I/O modules.
Not all types are supported by all NAS code versions.(For example, the new 2-port 10 GbE UltraFlex I/O card requires NAS 6.0 to be installed first)
The changes only went into the ordering system at the beginning of September 2010, so that may explain why you may have had trouble getting an answer, quickly.
As described, your system has two available slots for I/O upgrades in each of the four Data Movers. You will need to factor adding 4x I/O modules at a time (because of the X-Blade matching rule)
There is a maximum limit of two 2-port 10 Gigabit Ethernet Optical I/O modules per Data Mover.
kajibade
33 Posts
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Posted September 30th, 2010 09:00
Greetings,
Thank you for the question. It is not trivial, so here is a straight answer.
The LAN connectivity of an NS-960 X-Blade is no longer fixed (as it was when the product was first launched), but there are restrictions on the changes that can be made.
So yes, you can add 10 GbE modules to the empty slots of your existing Data Movers. See my other posting for some more details around this.
Regards,
Kola