ThinkSystem Emulex LPe32000/LPe32002 32Gb Fibre Channel Adapters

The Emulex 32 Gb LPe32000/LPe32002 Fibre Channel host bus adapters (FC HBAs) for ThinkSystem servers are an ideal solution when requiring high-speed data transfer in storage connectivity for virtualized environments, data backup, and mission-critical applications. They are designed to meet the needs of modern networked storage systems that utilize high performance and low latency solid state storage drives for caching and persistent storage as well as hard disk drive arrays. 

The Emulex 32 Gb FC HBAs feature ExpressLane, which prioritizes mission-critical traffic in congested networks ensuring maximum application performance on flash storage arrays. They also seamlessly support Brocade ClearLink diagnostics through Emulex HBA Manager (formerly named Emulex OneCommand Manager), ensuring the reliability and management of storage network when connected to Brocade FC SAN fabrics.

Figure 1. Emulex 32 Gb Single-port and Dual-port HBAs (shown without the included SFP+ modules)

The Emulex 32 Gb FC HBAs have an advanced ASIC which can achieve 1.6M IOPS on a single port by using Emulex's Dynamic Multicore architecture, which dynamically scales HBA resources to either port of a dual-port adapter as needed. This is essential when ports are used in active-standby mode.

The adapters can provide near limitless scalability to support maximum VM density, with 2x more on-chip resources and bandwidth. These low latency HBAs can also improve your VDI experience, providing noticeable improvements during boot storms, and allow faster data warehousing and meet the massive bandwidth requirements of flash storage arrays.

The following table lists the ordering information for the adapters.

The part numbers include the following items:

• An FC HBA adapter with one or two 32 Gb (32/16/8/4 Gbps speeds) FC SW SFP+ installed
• 3U (standard) and 2U (low-profile) adapter brackets
• Publications flyer

The following table lists the fiber optic cables that are available from Lenovo.

The Emulex 32 Gb FC HBAs have the following features:

• Maximum performance with up to 1.6 million IOPS per adapter to support larger server virtualization deployments and scalable cloud initiatives, and performance to match new multicore processors, SSDs/flash storage, and faster server host bus architectures.
• The unique Emulex Dynamic Multi-core Architecture delivers high performance and more efficient port utilization than other HBAs by applying all ASIC resources to either port of a dual-port adapter when the other port is not being used.
• Supports Brocade Clearlink diagnostics, which helps ensure optical and signal integrity for Fibre Channel cables and optics by validating the health, reliability and performance of the network prior to, and after, deployment. Allows the IT administrator to detect faulty cables and optics in minutes versus hours. Brocade ClearLink is also seamlessly integrated into Emulex HBA Manager.
• Offer end-to-end Quality of Service (QoS) application prioritization with ExpressLane technology, which allows customers to prioritize faster storage traffic (such as SSDs) ahead of slower traffic (such as spinning hard drives), alleviating potential bottlenecks from slow storage.
• Frame-level multiplexing and out-of-order frame reassembly increases link efficiency and maximizes HBA performance.
• vScale performance and scalability: Multicore ASIC engine with eight cores supports 255 VFs, 1024 MSI-X, and 16127 logins/open exchanges for maximum VM density.
• The Emulex HBA Manager enterprise class management application features a multiprotocol and cross-platform architecture that provides centralized management of all Emulex HBAs. VMware vCenter plug-in provides HBA Manager support within a VMware environment.
• GreenState power efficiency reduces data center power consumption and associated operational expenses by delivering exceptional power to port ratios.
• End-to-end data protection with hardware parity, CRC, ECC, and other advanced error checking and correcting algorithms, which ensures that data is safe from corruption.
• Support Forward Error Correction (FEC), a new feature that provides enhanced data reliability and performance by automatically detecting and recovering from bit errors.
• T10-PI data integrity with high performance offload provides end-to-end data corruption protection.
• Rock-solid reliability and thermal characteristics, which are essential for mission-critical, cloud, and virtualized applications.
• Emulex HBAs are renowned for reliability, ensuring maximum SAN uptime. Their "it just works” reputation is based on 17 million installed ports with proven industry-leading reliability of 10 million hours field Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF).
• Support for Message Signaled Interrupts eXtended (MSI-X) improves host utilization and enhances application performance.
• Support for 32 Gb, 16 Gb, 8 Gb, and 4 Gb FC devices.
• Comprehensive virtualization capabilities with support for N_Port ID Virtualization (NPIV).
• A common driver model allows a single driver to support all Emulex HBAs on a given OS.
• Reduces the number of cards, cables, and PCIe slots required.
• Exceptional performance per watt and price/performance ratios.
• Integrates seamlessly into existing SANs.
• Allows application of SAN best practices, tools, and processes with virtual server deployments.
• Ensures data availability and data integrity.
• Universal boot capability allows the appropriate boot environment to be automatically selected for any given hardware.
• Boot from SAN capability reduces the system management costs and increases uptime.
• Detailed and real-time event logging and tracing enables quick diagnosis of SAN problems.
• The beaconing feature flashes the HBA LEDs, simplifying their identification within server racks.
• The environmental monitoring feature helps optimize SAN availability.

The following table compares features of Emulex 32 Gb HBAs with previous generation adapters.

The Emulex 32 Gb FC HBAs have the following specifications:

• Based on the Emulex LPe32000 (single port) and LPe32002 (dual port) adapters
• I/O controller: Emulex Engine 501 (XE501) I/O Controller (IOC)
• Host interface: PCIe 3.0 x8
• Ports: Single-port and Dual-port SFP+ based adapters
• Link speed: Support for 32 Gb, 16 Gb, 8 Gb and 4 Gb FC link speeds, which are automatically negotiated
• Data rate: 28.05 (3200 MBps), 14.025 Gbps (1600 MBps), 8.5 Gbps (800 MBps), and 4.25 Gbps (400 MBps) autosensing (per port), with full duplex
• Performance: Up to 1,600,000 IOPS per adapter
• Industry standards:
  • Current ANSI/IETF standards: FC-PI-4, FC-PI-5, FC-PI-6 , FC-FS-3, FC-LS-2, FC-GS-6, FC-DA, FC-DA2, FCP-4, SPC-4, SBC-3, and SSC-4
  • Legacy ANSI/IETF standards: FC-PH, FC-PH-2, FC-PH-3, FC-PI, FC-PI-2, FC-PI-3, FC-FS, FC-GS-2/3/4/5, FCP-2/3, FC-HBA, FC-TAPE, FC-MI, SPC-3, SBC-2, SSC-2, and SSC-3
• Topology: Point-to-point and switched fabric
• Hot-pluggable 32 Gbps Fibre Channel SFP+ short wave optical transceivers (850 nm) with LC connectors (included with the adapters). Note: Other transceivers are not supported.
• Distance support:
  • Operating at 32 Gbps:
    • Up to 20 m on 50/125 µm OM2 Multi-Mode Fiber (MMF)
    • Up to 70 m on 50/125 µm OM3 MMF
    • Up to 100 m on 50/125 µm OM4 MMF
  • Operating at 16 Gbps:
    • Up to 15 m on 62.5/125 µm OM1 Multi-Mode Fiber (MMF)
    • Up to 35 m on 50/125 µm OM2 MMF
    • Up to 100 m on 50/125 µm OM3 MMF
    • Up to 125 m on 50/125 µm OM4 MMF
  • Operating at 8 Gbps:
    • Up to 21 m on 62.5/125 µm OM1 MMF
    • Up to 50 m on 50/125 µm OM2 MMF
    • Up to 150 m on 50/125 µm OM3 MMF
  • Operating at 4 Gbps:
    • Up to 70 m on 62.5/125 µm OM1 MMF
    • Up to 150 m on 50/125 µm OM2 MMF
• Management software:
  • Emulex AutoPilot Installer automates the HBA installation process and reduces time to deployment and administrative costs. Automated installation and configuration of driver and management tools simplifies deployment of multiple adapters within Windows environments. A single installation of driver and management application eliminates multiple reboots and ensures that each component is installed correctly and the HBA is ready to use.
  • The Emulex HBA Manager application enables centralized discovery, monitoring, reporting, and administration of Emulex HBAs and CNAs on local and remote hosts. Powerful automation capabilities facilitate remote driver parameter, firmware, and boot code upgrades. In addition to the GUI interface, management functions can also be performed through a scriptable command-line interface (CLI) and a web browser.
  • Emulex management instrumentation complies with Open Management Standards, such as SMI-S and common HBA API support, which enables seamless upward integration into enterprise storage and server management solutions.

The following tables list the ThinkSystem servers that are compatible.

The following tables list the supported operating systems for the adapters:

• ThinkSystem Emulex LPe32000-M2-L PCIe 32Gb 1-Port SFP+ Fibre Channel Adapter, 7ZT7A00517
• ThinkSystem Emulex LPe32002-M2-L PCIe 32Gb 2-Port SFP+ Fibre Channel Adapter, 7ZT7A00519

Lenovo offers the ThinkSystem DB Series of Fibre Channel SAN switches for high-performance storage expansion. See the DB Series product guides for models and configuration options:

• ThinkSystem DB Series SAN Switches:
  https://lenovopress.com/storage/switches/rack#rt=product-guide

For information about interoperability with storage servers, see the Lenovo Storage Interoperability Links article, available from:
https://lenovopress.com/lp0584-lenovo-storage-interoperability-links

The adapters carry a one-year limited warranty. When installed in a supported server, the adapters assume the servers’s base warranty and any Lenovo Services warranty upgrade.

The adapters have the following dimensions (approximate):

• Short, low profile MD2 form factor card
• 168 mm x 69 mm (6.60 in. x 2.7 in.)
• Standard (3U) and low-profile (2U) brackets included

The adapters are supported in the following environment:

• Temperature:
  • Operating: 0 - 55 °C (32 - 131 °F)
  • Storage: -20 - 85 °C (-4 - 185 °F)
• Relative humidity: 5 - 95% (non-condensing)

The adapters conform to the following regulations:

• AS/NZS CISPR22:2009+A1, Class A
• Australian EMC Framework (RCM)
• China RoHS compliant
• cUR recognized to CSA 22.2, No. 60950-1-07
• EN55022:2010, Class A
• EN55024:2010
• EN55032:2012
• EU (CE Mark)
• FCC Rules, Part 15, Class A
• Industry Canada, ICES-003, Class A
• Japan VCCI, Class A
• Korea MSIP, Class A
• RoHS Compliant (Directive 2011/65/EU)
• TUV certified to EN60950-1+A11+A1+A12+A2
• Taiwan BSMI, Class A
• UL recognized to UL60950-1 2nd Edition

For more information, see the following resources:

• Lenovo ThinkSystem networking options product page
  https://lenovopress.com/lp0765-networking-options-for-thinksystem-servers

• Lenovo Storage Interoperability Links
  https://lenovopress.com/lp0584-lenovo-storage-interoperability-links
• Lenovo support
  http://support.lenovo.com
• Lenovo ServerProven
  http://static.lenovo.com/us/en/serverproven/xseries/sharedstorage/samatrix.shtml
• Emulex HBA Manager (formerly Emulex OneCommand Manager)
  https://www.broadcom.com/products/storage/fibre-channel-host-bus-adapters/emulex-hba-manager