C7000 blade configuration

[PhilHowes]

HI,
We've got a C7000 chassis with the following slots filled:

1+9 - BL480c (full height)
10 - SB40c (not used)
3+11 - BL480c (ful height)
12 - SB40C (not used)
5+13 - BL860c (full height)
6+14 - BL860c (full height)

We have purchased a couple of BL460c half height blades to go in the chassis, and I was wondering if my current configuration limits where I can put them. I would like to remove the SB40c units, as we don't use them. Our re-seller suggested removing the SB40c units, and placing the full height BL860's in their place, leaving the right hand half of the chassis free for the new blades. Does this sound sensible?
Thanks in advance.

[WFHC-WI · Accepted solution]

Hi Mark,

I think that is the best course of action. The enclosure is divided into 4 sets of 4 bays each.
1,2,9,10 represents one of these sets.

Each set has a divider bar separating the top two bays (1,2) from the bottom two (9,10). If you use a full-height blade in one side of this set you are limited to a single blade on the other side, since the divider will necessarily be removed.

Rearrange your blades so that the full height servers are adjacent, and use the remaining space for half-height servers as recommended by your re-seller.

good luck!

[PhilHowes]

Thanks, thats more detailed help than the re-seller were able to give me.
Just thought though, our chassis is connected to an EVA via a couple of fibre switches in the back of the chassis. Will changing around the position of the blades in the chassis have any affect on the fibre channel or network connections externaly, or is it all transparent to external connections.

Thanks again.

[kris rombauts]

Hi Mark,

you can move around the blades without any problem regarding the I/O (LAN and SAN) interconnects in the back of the chassis.
Once your blade has it's mezzanine cards for LAN or SAN in the right slot, you can put them in any server bay, it will never have a conflict.

The only thing you have to watch out for is that in case you don't have the full 24 port licencing for your Brocade SAN switches that some ports will have been used up (POD feature) because they were used before and you might run out of licensed ports. You will need to free up the unused ports first before the ones used in the new bay position of the blade can get activated. This is only applicable if you have the 12 port license, if you have 24 port then you're good and never face this issue.
I'm assuming you use Brocade here ... if not, forget it.


HTH

Kris

[WFHC-WI]

Right on that. If you are using virtual connect modules in your enclosure then you should make sure to migrate any server profile when you relocate your server. That way they will hang on to the Virtual Connect-assigned MACs and WWNs (assuming your VC domain is set to use VC-assigned addresses).