HP Virtual Connect for c-Class BladeSystem Version 3.00 Setup and Installation Guide for HP Integrity BL8x0c i2 Series Server Blades, Fifth Edition

Installation 56
for HP Integrity BL8x0c i2 Series Server Bladess support 10GBASE-CX4 stacking cables 0.5 m to 7 m
(1.64 ft to 23.00 ft). The 1000BASE-T links can also be used as stacking links of up to 100 m (328 ft).
Ports with different connector types can be aggregated if the link speed is the same. For example, CX4
and SFP+ ports both running at 10G can be aggregated to provide enhanced throughput for the stacking
link.
NOTE: The CX4 interface uses the same physical connector as Infiniband, but Infiniband
cables are tuned differently and will not perform as well in CX4 applications. HP recommends
purchasing CX4 cable assemblies that meet the IEEE CX4 specifications and support 10-
Gigabit communication at distances from 3 m to 15 m (9.84 ft to 49.20 ft).
Fully redundant interconnection of for HP Integrity BL8x0c i2 Series Server Bladess is recommended. The
recommended stacking configurations have redundant connections. If a stacking cable is lost, the Ethernet
packets within the Virtual Connect domain are automatically re-routed to the uplink through the redundant
path. This configuration also helps preserve network connectivity if an Ethernet interconnect module fails
or is removed. Due to the reliability of the midplane connection between horizontally-adjacent for HP
Integrity BL8x0c i2 Series Server Bladess, external stacking cables are not needed in configurations with
two for HP Integrity BL8x0c i2 Series Server Bladess in interconnect bays 1 and 2.