Can we support Cisco SFPs on Virtual Connect Flex-10 Modules in a C7000

[chuckk281]

John had a customer transceiver question:

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We have a customer who wants to provide CISCO 10Gb SFP+ modules for a C7000 with VC Fibre Channel modules.  Do we support them?

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Lots of discussion as to whether the question was regarding DAC cables or true SFP+ optical transceiver modules:

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Mark answered:

If that is the question, the answer is no, the Cisco 10Gb SFP+ module will not work in a VC Flex-10 or FlexFabric module.

Then Kim:

Are you sure?

Virtual Connect Manager Firmware 3.10 states

−     Unsupported DACs and FC modules are
connected but logged as such

In that case they will work.

Dan added:

SFP Transceivers =/= DAC Cables.

SFP / SFP+ Transceivers have 1 transceiver on each end that have historically always had to match the device vendor they were being plugged into. Cisco SFP into Cisco Switch, etc. Because you have a fiber jumper in the middle it wasn’t a big deal (hard) to have Cisco on one side and HP on the other.

DAC Cables have the SFP+ Transceiver integrated into the cable on both ends at the factory.  This makes it nearly impossible to produce a cable that is half HP and half Cisco. Even if it were possible, the number of combinations of vendors just makes it absurd.  So we have allowed Cisco and some other DAC cables to be used with our VC products.  The list of allowed DACs grows with each major revision of VC Firmware. As an Example some H3C DACs are being added in the next major release.

This does NOT change the status of how Fiber Transceivers are supported as mentioned above.

Shigeru also provided input:

The Virtual Connect Flex-10 quickspecs provides the information.

http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/13127_div/13127_div.html

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Does this help??

[gxtoast]

Well, considering that all top tier companies will only use MSA certified DAC cables in their products, it is becoming more and more unacceptable to customers that vendors will lock their customers into using only their products.

IBM will accept any MSA certified DAC into a wide range of their products. This is how it should be.

HP choose to restrict the use of MSA certified DACs and SFP+ tranceivers in order to sell product. Unacceptable and self serving.