5900CP-48XG-4QSFP+ (JG838A) vs 5900AF-48XG-4QSFP+ (JC772A) - What's the difference?

[cgrz_temple]

I've tried looking through documntation and I'm not able to see a definite difference for these two switches.

My best guess is that the AF doesn't support fiber but that guess is a stretch.

I appreciate any and all help!!

[parnassus · Accepted solution]

AFAIK the CP suffix on HP FlexFabric 5900CP (JG838A) stands for Converged Port (converged FCoE), used to connect FC, FCoE, iSCSI, NAS and FC SANs...both JG838A and JC772A are ToR (Top of Rack) with a fixed major number of SFP+ ports units (fortyeight XG ports - SFP+ - plus four QSFP+ ports) but the JG838A fits on FCoE converged environment.

For sure there are other major and minor differences (as example: IRF capability varies from 4 - JC772A - to 9 - JG838A - IRF Members, respectively)...QuickSpecs (or Product Portfolios/Datashees) should help you to find them quickly.

[bamaskas]

The 5900cp has fiber channel port mode in addition to FCoE based over the switch Ethernet ports.  The 5900af has FCoE support on Ethernet ports, but no FC port mode.  Otherwise, both switches have common networking feature sets.  No more than two switches in an IRF domain are recommended for SAN deployments.   Ignoring SAN features, the Comware feature set is the same on these family members.  There is an smart PHY in the 5900cp which facilitates the FC port type, which is in passthrough mode for Ethernet mode.

[cgrz_temple]

Thank you gentleman, I appreciate the information!

[spgsitsupport]

So how does one use HPE 5900AF-48XG for FC connected SAN?

Seb

[bamaskas]

The AF supports 10GbE and 40GbE FCoE configurations, native FC is not a capability.  

The CP has the capability of native FC ports - so that a 10GbE port can be mode changed to be an 8/4/2G FC port.   This is what we mean by Converged Port (CP) - it can be either 10GbE FCoE or 8G FC.  Both CP and AF switches are full featured Ethernet switches.

[Nickolo]

I have a 5900-48XG-4QSFP+ (JG838A),

i need Tranceiver to use FcoE? 

Thanks

[bamaskas]

With the 5900CP  - converged port switch, you just need 10GbE JD092B SR transceivers to run the FCoE protocol with the port-type eth and the switch in advanced mode.   Of course you need a server with an FCoE C_NA and/or a FCoE target.  But you may also use and FC target, leveraging the port-type FC and 8Gb FC transceivers.

[Nickolo]

Thank you 
i have some doubts:

-  Is the exact product that highlighted in the picture? This is the link:

https://h20195.www2.hpe.com/v2/default.aspx?cc=id&lc=en&oid=4179912

- i need transceivers also to use FC tecnology?

- what is the difference between this two products?
     HPE X130 10G SFP+ LC SR Transceiver (JD092B)
     HPE X130 10G SFP+ LC SR Data Center Transceiver (JL437A)

Regards

[Nickolo]

Excuseme
i tried this Transceiv 

Is FC/FCoE? could i use this for FCoE?
many thanks

[bamaskas]

The 5900CP has converged ports which support 10Gbe FCoE and 8Gb FC.  The 5900AF supports 10GbE FCoE.

10GbE transceivers are required for both switches.  Alternatively 10GbE copper DAC may be utilized.  

For 8Gb FC, a different transceiver must be utilized, such as AJ718A.   A converged transceiver, H6Z42A is supported by the 5900CP which supports both  10GbE and 8Gb FC, so that only the  5900CP port type need be configured for eth or fc.

The JD092B and JL437A are 10GbE SR SFP+ transceivers, just supplied by different HPE product groups.  JD092B has been qualified for use for years longer than the new commer JL437A.   The hyperlink you provided points to dcouments which are end-of-life transceivers, so should be considered a stale link.   Both JD092B and JL437A are supported by 5900CP and 5900AF.

The AJ718A and H6Z42A are supported by the 5900CP.   Please refer to the Quickspec for the switch..

https://h20195.www2.hpe.com/v2/getdocument.aspx?docname=c04500049

[Nickolo]

Note 3 The following FC Transceivers install into this switch:
HPE StoreFabric 16Gb FC/10GbE 100m SR SFP+ Transceiver H6Z42A

ok ...so 10Gbe stand for  FCoE?
My question is: can i use H6Z42A  transcever for FCoE?

Thanks

[bamaskas]

Yes, H6Z42A with the 5900CP supports 10GbE FCoE.

[parnassus]

Please exchange the GbE (or Gbe) arconym with the Gbps acronym...the Gbps stands for Giga bit per second...thus in above posts 1, 8, 10, 16, 40 are various possible speeds - referred to Gbps - a specific switch port (considered with the specific installed SFP/SFP+ Transceiver) can perform using a particular protocol (generally in pure Ethernet Switch we work with Ethernet so the most common speeds are actually 1/10/40 Gbps depending on Transceivers used; on Converged Platforms like the 5900CP you have a Switch which is able to support also FCoE - Fibre Channel over Ethernet - or pure Fibre Channel protocols when specific Converged - or specific Fibre Channel - Transceivers are used instead of typical ones used in pure Ethernet environment).

For Datacenter versus non-Datacenter read here: probably there is no difference (apart used SKUs)...but, maybe, there are tiny differences in Transceivers EEPROM programming...nobody definitely explained that.

[Nickolo]

ok thank tou but ....how could i understand if the transceiver is right for FCoE scope?
HP is not clear with the products descriptions for instance i had some proble to understand that this means FC/FCoE:

HP 16Gb FC/10GbE 100m SFP+ XCVR
Where is shown FcoE?

[bamaskas]

Your comment is accurate.    My response is that FCoE is one of many Ethernet protocols which can be run over a 10GbE link.   A transceiver that supports 10GbE as a layer 1 physical transport can then support upper layer Ethernet protocols supported by the switch, FCoE being one such protocol. 

[Nickolo]

I appreciate your informations.