Can a J9312A 10GbE Module connect to a Storage Device

[IT_Tony]

We have a HPE 3500yl with a J9312A SFP+/CX4 yl Module installed in the rear of the switch.

Can you connect a device (like a NetApp device or Nutanix device) directly to the SFP+ ports with a DAC cable to use the 10GbE speeds? Or is this Module Only for switch stacking?  Trying to use the 10GbE speed for a VMware environment. 

[parnassus]

The J9312A (HP 10GbE 2-port SFP+ / 2-port CX4 yl Module) can be used with supported SFP+ Transceivers:

• HPE X132 10G SFP+ LC ER Transceiver J9153A
• HPE X132 10G SFP+ LC LR Transceiver J9151A
• HPE X132 10G SFP+ LC LRM Transceiver J9152A
• HPE X132 10G SFP+ LC SR Transceiver J9150A <- below 300 meters.

and/or supported DAC Cables:

• HPE X242 10G SFP+ to SFP+ 1m Direct Attach Copper Cable J9281B
• HPE X242 10G SFP+ to SFP+ 3m Direct Attach Copper Cable J9283B
• HPE X242 10G SFP+ to SFP+ 7m Direct Attach Copper Cable J9285B

The point with using DAC Cables is that you need to ensure that connected peer device(s) through DAC Cables need to support the ones used (and no vendor will state full DAC support of another vendor)...that's why, usually, the way to go is using SFP+ Transceivers, one supported on Switch side...the other supported by the peer device side (Server or whatever). Cleary if you're planning to use SR (Short Range) then both involved SFP+ should be SR...and a good OM3 or OM4 Fiber Optic cable needs to run between devices.

TBH I don't believe (see indeed here) that HP 3500 yl supports (Backplane) - and ever supported - true stacking (virtual switching)...in other terms...the HP 3500 yl Switch series doesn't admit that single HP 3500 yl switches can be stacked together to form a "single logical Virtual Switch" entity (eventually a management Commander can be designated to be used as the device through which management actions can be extended and performed to all "stacked" switches...but this is really called "stacking for management" not real Virtual Switching).