Cisco MDS 9200 Series Hardware Installation Guide (OL-16188-01, April 2008)

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Cisco MDS 9200 Series Hardware Installation Guide
OL-16188-01
Chapter 3 Connecting the Cisco MDS 9200 Series
Preparing for Network Connections
Preparing for Network Connections
When preparing your site for network connections to the Cisco MDS 9200 Series, consider the following
for each type of interface, and gather all the required equipment before connecting the ports:
• Cabling required for each interface type
• Distance limitations for each signal type
• Additional interface equipment required
Connecting to the Console Port
The console port (labeled Console) is an RS-232 port with an RJ-45 interface. (See Figure 3-1.) The
console port is an asynchronous (async) serial port; any device connected to this port must be capable
of asynchronous transmission.
Cisco recommends using this port to create a local management connection to set the IP address and
other initial configuration settings before connecting the switch to the network for the first time.
Caution The console port can be used to connect to a modem, however, Cisco recommends using the COM1 port
for this purpose. If you decide to connect the console port to a modem, do not connect it while the switch
is booting; connect either before powering the switch on or after the switch has completed the boot
process.
Figure 3-1 Connecting to the Console Port on the Cisco MDS 9200 Series
You can use the console port to perform the following:
• Configure the Cisco MDS 9200 Series from the CLI.
• Monitor network statistics and errors.
• Configure SNMP agent parameters.
• Download software updates.
FAN
STATUS
FAN-MOD-2
1
2
122004
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
S
T
A
T
U
S
S
Y
S
T
E
M
R
E
S
E
T
CONSOLE
MGMT 10/100
MDS 9216i
COM1
—SPEED LINK—
LINK-
—SPEEDLINK—
STATUS
156789
LINK— —SPEED
10 11 12 13 142 3 4
GE1
LINK-
GE2
Console