Transparently connect Dell M-Series server blades into Cisco or Brocade Fibre Channel Storage Area Networks without interoperability concerns and complexity.

Interoperability without Consideration

The Dell 8/4Gbps Fibre Channel Pass-Through Module provides superior interoperability for connecting M-Series blades into Fibre Channel SANs from any provider. Pass-Through modules are transparent devices, unseen in SAN topologies and not consuming fabric management nodes, with the purpose to provide direct Fibre Channel connectivity to server blades. This makes for superior interoperability when integrating server blades into Cisco or Brocade Fibre Channel SAN fabrics in order to maintain your preferred SAN equipment supplier environment.

Plug and Done

The Dell 8/4Gbps Fibre Channel Pass-Though Module is an unmanaged device, no setup, configuration or management is required. Simply plug the unit into the M1000e chassis and connect cables into the sixteen pre-installed short-wave optical SFPs and you’re done. The Dell 8/4Gb/s Fibre Channel Pass-Through Module automatically connects at the highest common Fibre Channel speed and begins passing traffic between the server blades and the Fibre Channel SAN of your choice. Nothing could be easier.

Maximum Bandwidth

In highly virtualized environments greater I/O performance between the server blade and Fibre Channel SAN enables higher levels of virtual machine density. The Dell 8/4Gbps Fibre Channel Pass-Through Module delivers the maximum bandwidth possible between each server blade and the Fibre Channel SAN without compromise. Unlike Fibre Channel switch solutions that dynamically aggregate links and bandwidth, the Dell 8/4Gbps Fibre Channel Pass-Through Module statically ties each external port to an internal port that is completely isolated from traffic between other server blades and the Fibre Channel SAN. This ensures dedicated maximum Fibre Channel bandwidth for each server blade and fully isolates connections from potential issues on other ports.

Key Benefits

• Certified interoperability into Cisco or Brocade Fibre Channel Storage Area Network (SAN) fabrics
• Plug and Done -- No setup, configuration or management necessary
• Maximum Fibre Channel SAN I/O bandwidth -- Each physical server has its own dedicated and isolated 8Gb/s Fibre Channel SAN connection
• Complete solution -- Ships with all 32-ports enabled and 16 optical SFPs preinstalled
• Option to install in pairs for redundancy and high availability

Key Features

• 32 Fibre Channel ports at 8,4 or 2Gb/s- total bandwidth 512 Gb/s
• 16 internal (server) ports and 16 external SAN ports
• No SAN device management tools needed
• Transparent – does not consume Fibre Channel SAN management nodes
• All external ports are hot-pluggable
• Connects to any industry-standard Fibre Channel-compliant SAN or device
• Auto-sensing and speed matching of 8,4 and 2Gb/s speeds