Dell PowerEdge FN I/O Module Configuration Guide 9.10(0.0)

QSA provides smooth connectivity between devices that use Quad Lane Ports (such as the 40 Gigabit Ethernet adapters) and 10 Gigabit hardware that uses SFP+ based cabling. Using this adapter, you can effectively use a QSFP or QSFP+ module to connect to a lower-end switch or server that uses an SFP or SFP+ based module.

When connected to a QSFP or QSFP+ port on a 40 Gigabit adapter, QSA acts as an interface for the SFP or SFP+ cables. This interface enables you to directly plug in an SFP or SFP+ cable originating at a 10 Gigabit Ethernet port on a switch or server.

You can use QSFP optical cables (without a QSA) to split a 40 Gigabit port on a switch or a server into four 10 Gigabit ports. To split the ports, enable the fan-out mode.

Similarly, you can enable the fan-out mode to configure the QSFP port on a device to act as an SFP or SFP+ port. As the QSA enables a QSFP or QSFP+ port to be used as an SFP or SFP+ port, Dell Networking OS does not immediately detect the QSA after you insert it into a QSFP port cage.

After you insert an SFP or SFP+ cable into a QSA connected to a 40 Gigabit port, Dell Networking OS assumes that all the four fanned-out 10 Gigabit ports have plugged-in SFP or SFP+ optical cables. However, the link UP event happens only for the first 10 Gigabit port and you can use only that port for data transfer. As a result, only the first fanned-out port is identified as the active 10 Gigabit port with a speed of 10G or 1G depending on whether you insert an SFP+ or SFP cable respectively.

Important Points to Remember

• Before using the QSA to convert a 40 Gigabit Ethernet port to a 10 Gigabit SFP or SFP+ port, enable 40 G to 4*10 fan-out mode on the device.

• When you insert a QSA into a 40 Gigabit port, you can use only the first 10 Gigabit port in the fan-out mode to plug-in SFP or SFP+ cables. The remaining three 10 Gigabit ports are perceived to be in Link Down state and are unusable.

• You cannot use QSFP Optical cables on the same port where QSA is used.

• When you remove the QSA module alone from a 40 Gigabit port, without connecting any SFP or SFP+ cables; Dell Networking OS does not generate any event. However, when you remove a QSA module that has SFP or SFP+ optical cables plugged in, Dell Networking OS generates an SFP or SFP+ Removed event.

Example Scenarios

For these configurations, the following examples show the command output that the show interfaces tengigbitethernet transceiver , show interfaces tengigbitethernet, and show inventory media commands displays: