NonStop NS1000 Planning Guide (H06.08+)

ServerNet Fabric I/O
This subsection provides information about the ServerNet network in an Integrity NonStop
NS1000 system and covers these topics:
• “Overview of the ServerNet Fabric” (page 40)
• “Simplified ServerNet System Diagram” (page 40)
• “ServerNet Pathways in the VIO Enclosure” (page 41)
• “Example of ServerNet Pathways” (page 42)
For further information on the ServerNet network, protocols, IP addresses, and naming
conventions, see the Introduction to Networking for Integrity NonStop NS-Series Servers.
Overview of the ServerNet Fabric
ServerNet 3 routers are used within the Integrity NonStop NS1000 system as building blocks for
the ServerNet fabric. The ServerNet fabric employs fiber-optic links exclusively and is a collection
of connected routers and links that form a flexible internal or external network. This high-speed
network within an Integrity NonStop NS1000 system logically connects blade elements to the
VIO enclosures and system I/O such as disks and Ethernet LANs by way of logic boards in the
VIO enclosures. The logic board in each VIO enclosure provides logical connectivity to the blade
elements and I/O devices.
NOTE: For NonStop NS1000 servers that contain I/O Adapter Module (IOAM) enclosures,
refer to the H06.07 (or earlier) version of this manual for planning, configuration, and maintenance
information of the IOAM enclosure.
In the Integrity NonStop1000 server, fiber-optic links connect ServerNet PCI adapter cards in
the blade elements to the VIO enclosures. The ServerNet-to-processor ports (ports 14.1 through
14.4) on the VIO enclosures provide the physical ServerNet connectivity to the blade elements
by externalizing the ServerNet links from the VIO enclosures. Each VIO enclosure supports up
to four blade elements on one fabric.
The ServerNet network architecture is full-duplex, packet-switched, and point-to-point in a star
configuration. It employs two independent I/O communications paths throughout the system:
the ServerNet X fabric and the ServerNet Y fabric. These dual paths ensure that no single failure
disrupts communications among the remaining system components.
Simplified ServerNet System Diagram
This simplified diagram shows the ServerNet architecture in the Integrity NonStop NS1000
system. It shows the X and Y ServerNet communication pathways between the blade elements,
ServerNet-to-processor ports, logic boards, Ethernet ports, and Fibre Channel ports.
40 Integrity NonStop NS1000 System Description