Modularity, Reliability, Serviceability – Dell PowerVault 50F (Fibre Channel Switch) User Manual
Page 23: System components, Switching function, Modularity -3, Reliability -3, Serviceability -3, System components -3, Switching function -3
Introduction
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The modularity built into the PowerVault 51F switch allows:
Support of 8-unit (U) universal ports.
Each card to accommodate two 1-gigabit per second (Gbps) ports (2 Gbps total
per card). Each port is full-duplex (bidirectional at this rated throughput).
GBIC interface support of different transmission media for each port.
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The PowerVault 51F switch has the following features, ensuring reliability:
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Error monitoring
Temperature and fan-speed monitoring
Low component count
Optional redundant power supply
Redundant fans
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The PowerVault 51F switch has the following features, enhancing serviceability:
Simple enclosure
Loopback test modes for service
Hot-pluggable fans and power supply
No jumpers or switch settings
Components are enclosed in an air-cooled chassis that may be either mounted in a
standard rack or used as a stand-alone unit. The chassis includes a serial port and an
RJ45 Ethernet connection for switch setup and management.
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The switching function is based on a central memory bank associated with its data
path control. Each switch port stores received frames in this memory, passing a buffer
pointer to the forwarding port’s transmitter. The switch uses cut-through routing to
route frames from the receiving port to the transmitting port, providing the transmit
port is free, without waiting for the end of the frame to be received. This provides a