Owners Manual

EqualLogic FS7500 Controller Hardware Maintenance Installing System Components
2–8
• Connect the two SAN network ports on each NIC to different switches.
• Connect two client network ports on the bottom NIC to one switch, and connect the other two
client network ports to a different switch.
• The following recommendations apply to the SAN network:
• Flow Control enabled on switches and network interfaces
• Unicast storm control disabled on switches
• Jumbo Frames should be enabled.
• VLANs may be used, but are not required.
Steps for Connecting Network Cables
To connect network cables to a FS7500 Controller, follow these steps:
1. Obtain the correct number of network cables. For each controller, you need either 5 (minimum
network configuration) or 13 (recommended network configuration) network cables. This
means that you will need a total of 5x2 (10) or 13x2 (26) cables for both controllers. See
EqualLogic FS7500 Network Configuration – Minimum on page 2-10.
2. Connect the cables for the SAN and internal network connections. See Connecting SAN and
Internal Network Cables on page 2-10.
3. Connect the cables for the client network connections. See Connecting the Client Network
Cables on page 2-11.
4. Use the cable management system to organize the network cables. See Managing the
Controller Cables on page 2-11.
Figure 2-6 shows the recommended EqualLogic FS7500 network configuration. Figure 2-7 shows
the minimum network configuration, and Table 2-3 describes the components in that
configuration. Note that BPS and power connections are not shown.
Determining the Correct Number of Network Cables
The number of cables you need depends on the desired number of client, SAN, and internal
network connections:
• Recommended configuration. The recommended configuration provides the highest
availability and performance. For each controller, you need 13 cables. This provides five
internal network connections, four SAN network connections, and four client network
connections. See Figure 2-6 for an example.
• Minimum configuration. For each controller, you need five network cables. This provides
three internal network connections, one SAN network connection, and one client network
connection. See Figure 2-7 for an example.
Note: The recommended configuration provides the best performance and availability.