McDATA® 4Gb SAN Switch for HP p-Class BladeSystem Installation Guide (AA-RW1XA-TE, June 2005)

McDATA® 4Gb SAN Switch for HP p-Class BladeSystem installation guide 15
Port Logged-in LED (green)
The Logged-in LED indicates the logged-in or initialization status of the connected devices. After successful
completion of the POST, the switch extinguishes all Logged-in LEDs. Following a successful loop
initialization or port login, the switch illuminates the corresponding Logged-in LED. This shows that the port
is properly connected and able to communicate with its attached devices. The Logged-in LED remains
illuminated as long as the port is initialized or logged in. If the connection is broken the Logged-in LED will
be extinguished. If an error occurs that disables the port or the port is taken offline or down, the Logged-in
LED will flash. Refer to ”Logged-in LED diagnostics” on page 38 for more information about the Logged-in
LED.
Port Activity LED (green)
The Activity LED indicates that data is passing through the port. Each frame that the port transmits or
receives causes this LED to illuminate for 50 milliseconds. This makes it possible to observe the transmission
of a single frame. When extending credits, the Activity LED for a donor port will reflect the traffic of the
recipient port.
Transceivers
Switches support SFP optical transceivers for the FC 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. An FC 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 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.
Port types
Switches support auto-discovering fabric ports (F_Port, FL_Port, E_Port). Switches come from the factory with
external ports (0, 9) configured as GL_Ports, and internal ports (1—8) configured as FL_Ports. Generic,
fabric, and expansion ports function as follows:
• A GL_Port self-configures as an FL_Port when connected to a public loop device, as an F_Port when
connected to a single public device (point-to-point), 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 public device (point-to-point), or as
an E_Port when connected to another switch.
• An FL_Port supports a loop of up to 32 public devices. An FL_Port can also configure itself during the
fabric login process as an F_Port when connected to a single public device (point-to-point).
• An F_Port supports a single public device (point-to-point).
E_Ports enable you to expand the fabric by connecting switches with other switches. Switches self-discover
all inter-switch connections. Refer to ”Multiple switch fabrics” on page 21 for more information about
multiple chassis fabrics. Refer to the McDATA 4Gb SAN Switch for HP p-Class BladeSystem user guide for
information about defining port types.