Planning Superdome Configurations

Planning Superdome Configurations
Rules and Guidelines for Configuring a Complex
Chapter 1 69
Checklist for Performance
This section summarizes the recommendations in “Recommendations for
Cabling Crossbar Controllers (XBCs)” on page 48, “Choosing Cells for
Partitions” on page 49 and “Partitions, Cells and I/O Chassis” on page
60. Explanations and exceptions are in those sections or as noted in
parentheses below; this section is for quick reference only.
Cabling A 32-way-capable-system should be connected in a U-Turn
configuration; a 64-way-capable system should be cabled in a
Cross-Flex configuration.
Processors and
Memory
Each cell in a partition should have the same number of active
processors.
Each cell in a partition should have the same amount of memory (see
“Memory” on page 32).
Each cell’s total memory should be evenly divisible by 4 GB.
Cell Placement If the cells in a given partition will not fill all four of the slots in a
given crossbar, plug the cells into alternate slots.
If a partition comprises four cells or fewer, all the cells should be
connected to the same crossbar.
Do not configure partitions such that two or more partitions share the
same crossbar link.
Distributing
Resources
Use all the possible resources within existing cells rather thanadding
cells to a partition.
All 4X I/O cards should be in 4X slots (see “I/O Cards” on page 41).
Do not use the core I/O card as the partition’s main connection to the
network (to your site LAN, for example).
If more than one cell in a partition is attached to an I/O chassis,
spread out the I/O devices amongst the cells.
Within a partition, assign 4X cards evenly across I/O chassis (see “I/O
Cards” on page 25).
Within an I/O chassis, spread the cards out as evenly as possible.