Can ESH4 / AT- FCX / IOM3 / IOM6 be mixed in the same storage stack?

Applies to

• AT - FCX
• IOM3
• IOM6
• ESH4

Answer

• Mixing AT-FCX and ESH4 shelves
• Can DS14mk2-AT and DS14mk4-FC shelves be mixed in the same loop?
• Can IOM3 and IOM6 modules exist in the same storage stack?
• Can IOM modules be mixed with AT-FCX?
• What cables do I need to connect my disk shelves? 

ATA storage uses the AT-FCX modules. Fibre Channel storage uses ESH4 modules. SAS storage uses IOM3 or IOM6 modules. The following chart shows the types of storage supported by the NetApp storage systems:

Storage Controller	Fibre Channel	ATA	SAS
FAS2020	Yes	Yes	No
FAS2040, FAS2050	Yes	Yes	Yes
FAS2220	No	No	Yes
FAS2240-2, FAS2240-4	Yes	Yes	Yes
FAS2500 series	No	No	Yes
FAS3020, FAS3050	Yes	Yes	No
FAS3040, FAS3070	Yes	Yes	Yes
FAS3100 series	Yes	Yes	Yes
FAS3200 series	Yes	Yes	Yes
FAS6000 series	Yes	Yes	Yes
FAS6200 series	Yes	Yes	Yes
FAS8000 series	Yes	Yes	Yes

Note: Always consult the NetApp Hardware Universe to ensure that the shelf module is supported in the storage system's version of Data ONTAP. The Hardware Universe also contains important information regarding the shelf specifications, including information on the maximum number of shelves supported per loop, as well as the maximum storage space per storage system.

Mixing ATA and Fiber Channel in the same loop
DS14-Mk2-AT and DS14-Mk4-FC disk shelves cannot be mixed in the same loop. Therefore, ESH4 shelf modules cannot be in the same loop as the AT-FCX module.

Mixing IOM3 and IOM6 in the same storage stack
The IOM3 module is supported in the DS4243 shelf, and the IOM6 is supported in the DS2246, DS4246, and DS4486 shelf models. The IOM3 and IOM6 modules are not interchangeable between the shelf models.  Prior to Data ONTAP 8.1, IOM3 and IOM6 can be mixed in the same storage stack providing the Data ONTAP version supports the shelf. 

Starting with Data ONTAP 8.1, the DS4243, DS2246, DS4246, and DS4486 shelves can all be connected in the same stack.

Notes: 

• DS4243 (IOM3) may be freely mixed with DS2246 or DS4246 shelves (IOM6) with one caveat â?? all shelves in the stack will be limited to 3Gb/s operation.  The NetApp Best Practice recommendation is to avoid this downward throttling by not mixing shelves of different speeds.
• Mixing disk shelves containing SAS disk drives and disk shelves containing SATA disk drives is supported, but not recommended.
• Maximum stack sizes still apply: 10 shelves with 24-drive shelves, 5 shelves with DS4486 and 4 shelves if any contain SSDs.
   

Modules Supported in Each type of Shelf
The following chart shows which modules can be used in the various shelf types:

 

	ESH4	AT-FCX	IOM3	IOM6
DS14mk2-AT		X
DS14mk4-FC	X
DS4243			X
DS4246				X
DS2246				X
DS4486				X

Note: Use the NetApp Hardware Universe to verify the shelf modules are supported in the storage system's version of Data ONTAP.
 

 

Parts Needed to Connect Disk Shelves:

The physical adapters used on the storage controllers and shelf modules vary depending on the model. The following chart shows the typical connector types in each shelf module:

 

Module	Part #	Speed	Connector-Type	Description	Photo
ESH4	X5512A-R5	1 Gb    2 Gb    4 Gb	IN Port: SFP OUT Port: SFP	An X6539-R6 (4Gb) is needed to make the port optical (LC) and to ensure the loop operates at 4Gb.  If the ESH4 is installed in a mixed loop, an X6529-R6 (2Gb) may be used to make the IN port optical, but this will restrict the loop to a maximum of 2Gb.
AT-FCX	X5612A-R5	1 Gb    2 Gb	IN Port: SFP OUT Port: SFP	If used in the first shelf, an X6529-R6 is needed to make the IN port optical (LC).  An X6539-R6 SFP (4 Gb) may also be used, but the SFP will only operate at 2Gbps.
IOM3	X5712A-R6	3Gb	IN Port: QSFP OUT Port: QSFP	If used in the first shelf with a FAS2050, the X6543A-R6 (MiniSAS-QSFP) cable must be used.
IOM6	X5713A-R6	3Gb 6Gb	IN Port: QSFP OUT Port: QSFP	If used in the first shelf with a FAS2050, the X6543A-R6 (MiniSAS-QSFP) cable must be used.

 

The following cables are needed to connect the storage controllers and shelves:

 

Connection	Part #	Speed	Description	Photo
FAS3000 -> AT-FCX FAS6000 -> AT-FCX	X6524-R6	1 Gb    2 Gb	2M 2xLC -> 2xLC Optical Cable pair
FAS3000 -> ESH4/AT-FCX FAS6000 -> ESH4/AT-FCX	X6518A-R6	1 Gb    2 Gb    4 Gb	5M LC -> LC Optical Cable
ESH4 -> ESH4 AT-FCX -> AT-FCX	X6530-R6	1 Gb    2 Gb    4 Gb	0.5M SFP -> SFP cable (Operates at 1, 2, and 4 Gb)
AT-FCX -> AT-FCX	X6556-R6	1 Gb    2 Gb    4 Gb	5M SFP -> SFP cable (Operates at 4/2/1 Gb)
AT-FCX -> AT-FCX	X6532-R6	1 Gb    2 Gb	3M SFP -> SFP cable (Operates at 1 and 2 Gb)
FAS3020/3050 onboard adapters FAS6030/6070 onboard adapters AT-FCX module	X6529-R6	1 Gb    2 Gb	SFP 2/1 Gb with SFP to LC Connectors
FAS2000 onboard adapters FAS3040/3070 onboard adapters FAS3100 series onboard adapters FAS6040/6080 onboard adapters ESH4 module	X6539-R6	1 Gb    2 Gb    4 Gb	SFP 4/2/1 Gb with SFP to LC connectors Note: This SFP will only operate at 4 Gb if all components in the FC-AL loop are capable of 4 Gb operation.
ESH4 -> ESH4	X6518A-R6	1 Gb    2 Gb    4 Gb	5M cable (Cable,Optical,LC/LC,5M,R6)
IOM3 -> IOM3 IOM6 -> IOM6 FASxxxx -> IOM3 or IOM6	X6557-R6	3 Gb 6 Gb	0.5M SAS copper cable, QSFP-QSFP Note: This cable will operate at 3 Gb when connected to an IOM3, used in a storage stack connected to the FAS2040 or FAS2050. When connected to the IOM6 or all other supported storage controllers, the cable will operate at 6Gb
IOM3 -> IOM3 IOM6 -> IOM6 FASxxxx -> IOM3 or IOM6	X6558-R6	3 Gb 6 Gb	2M SAS copper cable, QSFP-QSFP Note: This cable will operate at 3 Gb when connected to an IOM3, used in a storage stack connected to the FAS2040 or FAS2050. When connected to the IOM6 or all other supported storage controllers, the cable will operate at 6 Gb.
FAS2050 -> IOM3 or IOM6	X6543A-R6	3 Gb	2M SAS copper cable, MiniSAS-QSFP

 

 

Additional Information