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2 – General Description
Fibre Channel Ports
59096-04 A 2-7
A
2.2.2
Transceivers
The SANbox 5000 Series switch supports SFP optical transceivers for the
1/2/4-Gbps ports and XPAK optical transceivers for the 10-Gbps ports. A
transceiver converts electrical signals to and from optical laser signals to transmit
and receive data. Duplex fiber optic cables plug into the transceivers which then
connect to the devices. A 1/2/4-Gbps port is capable of transmitting at 1-Gbps,
2-Gbps, or 4-Gbps; however, the transceiver must also be capable of delivering at
these rates.
The SFP and XPAK transceivers are hot pluggable. This means that you can
remove or install a transceiver while the switch is operating without harming the
switch or the transceiver. However, communication with the connected device will
be interrupted. Refer to “Install Transceivers” on page 4-6 for information about
installing and removing SFP and XPAK optical transceivers.
2.2.3
Port Types
SANbox 5000 Series switches support generic ports (G_Port, GL_Port), fabric
ports (F_Port, FL_Port), and expansion ports (E_Port). Switches come from the
factory with all 1/2/4-Gbps ports configured as GL_Ports. The 10-Gbps ports
come from the factory configured as G_Ports. Generic, fabric, and expansion
ports function as follows:
A GL_Port self-configures as an FL_Port when connected to a loop device,
as an F_Port when connected to a single device, or as an E_Port when
connected to another switch. If the device is a single device on a loop, the
GL_Port will attempt to configure first as an F_Port, then if that fails, as an
FL_Port.
A G_Port self-configures as an F_Port when connected to a single device, or
as an E_Port when connected to another switch.
An FL_Port supports a loop of up to 126 devices. An FL_Port can also
configure itself during the fabric login process as an F_Port when connected
to a single device (N_Port).
An F_Port supports a single device.
E_Ports enable you to expand the fabric by connecting SANbox 5000 Series
switches. SANbox 5000 Series switches self-discover all inter-switch connections.
Refer to “Multiple Chassis Fabrics” on page 3-7 for more information about
multiple chassis fabrics.