The IBM Flex System™ FC3171 8Gb SAN Switch is a full-fabric Fibre Channel component with expanded functionality. The SAN switch supports high speed traffic processing for IBM Flex System configurations, and offers scalability in external SAN size and complexity, and enhanced systems management capabilities. The IBM Flex System FC3171 8Gb Pass-thru supports a fully interoperable solution for seamless integration of the Fibre Channel initiators to an existing fabric. The pass-thru module uses industry-standard N_Port ID virtualization (NPIV) technology to provide a cost-effective connectivity solution for the IBM Flex System chassis.
These switch modules are licensed to operate in either full-fabric mode or intelligent pass-thru mode.These modules allow IBM Flex System integration with any open-standards-based SAN, whether the module has enterprise open-system fabric functionality using the full-fabric mode, or the module has transparent switching functionality using the intelligent pass-thru mode.
IBM Flex System, a new category of computing and the next generation of Smarter Computing, offers intelligent workload deployment and management for maximum business agility. This chassis delivers high-speed performance complete with integrated servers, storage, and networking for multi-chassis management in datacenter compute environments. Furthermore, its flexible design can meet the needs of varying workloads with independently scalable IT resource pools for higher utilization and lower cost per workload. While increased security and resiliency protect vital information and promote maximum uptime, the integrated, easy-to-use management system reduces setup time and complexity, providing a quicker path to ROI.
