Datasheet

Emulex VFA5 ML2 Dual Port 10GbE SFP+ Adapter for IBM System x 9
The following table compares the two virtual fabric modes.
Table 5. Comparison of virtual fabric modes
Function IBM Virtual Fabric Mode Switch Independent Mode
Description Intelligence in the IBM Networking OS
working with select Emulex adapters.
VLAN based.
Intelligence in the adapter,
independent of the upstream
networking device.
Supported switches G8124, G8264, G8264T, G8264CS All 10 GbE switches
Number of vNICs per physical 10
Gb port
4 4
Minimum vNIC bandwidth 100 MB 100 MB
Server to switch bandwidth limit
per vNIC
Yes No
Switch to server bandwidth limit
per vNIC
Yes No
IEEE 802.aq VLAN tagging Optional Required
Isolated NIC teaming failover per
vNIC
Yes No
Switch modes Tunnel mode Access, Trunk, or Tunnel Mode
Uplink connectivity Dedicated Share
iSCSI/FCoE support Yes Yes
The switches that support each of these modes are listed in the following table.
Table 6. Supported modes for Ethernet, iSCSI, and FCoE configurations
Switch vNIC1 vNIC2 pNIC
Ethernet only
IBM G8124E Yes Yes Yes
IBM G8264 Yes Yes Yes
Other compatible switches No Yes Yes
iSCSI
IBM G8124E No Yes Yes
IBM G8264 No Yes Yes
Juniper EX4500 No Yes Yes
FCoE
IBM G8124E (FCoE transit switch) No No Yes
Brocade VDX 6730 No Yes Yes
Cisco Nexus 5010/5020 No Yes Yes