Technical data
Web Tools Administrator’s Guide 8-1
Publication Number: 53-0000522-09
Chapter
8
Administering Extended Fabrics
This chapter contains the following information:
• “About Extended Link Buffer Allocation,” next
• “Configuring a Port for Long Distance” on page 8-3
About Extended Link Buffer Allocation
As the distance between switches and the link speed increases, additional buffer-to-buffer credits are
required to maintain maximum performance. The number of credits reserved for a port depends on the
switch model and on the extended ISL mode for which it is configured.
The Extended Fabric tab of the Switch Admin module displays information about the port speed, long-
distance setting, and buffer credits, as shown in Figure 8-1 on page 8-2. Use this tab to configure the
long-distance setting of a port. For detailed information on managing extended fabrics, refer to the
Fabric OS Administrator’s Guide.
The Extended Fabric tab displays the following information:
• Port Number
• Buffer Limited
Indicates whether the port is buffer limited. A buffer-limited port can come online with fewer
buffer credits allocated than its configuration specifies, allowing it to operate at a reduced
bandwidth instead of being disabled for lack of buffers.
Buffer-limited operation is supported for the L0 and LD extended ISL modes only and is persistent
across reboots, switch disabling and enabling, and port disabling and enabling.
• Port Speed
The port speed is displayed as follows:
• 1G 1 Gbit/sec
• 2G 2 Gbit/sec
• 4G 4 Gbit/sec
• N1 Negotiated 1 Gbit/sec
• N2 Negotiated 2 Gbit/sec
• N4 Negotiated 4 Gbit/sec
• Auto-Negotiation