dell networking optics and cables connectivity guide

Dell Optics and Cables Connectivity Guide

Dell Networking Optics and Cables Connectivity Guide

Networking I/O Connectivity Options

February 2015

Saleem Muhammad, Product Management

1 Gigabit Ethernet

(1GbE)

10 Gigabit

Ethernet (10GbE)

40 Gigabit

Ethernet (40GbE)

100 Gigabit Ethernet

(100GbE)

Fibre Channel

Revision Q116-0.1

mailto:[email protected]

Contents

2

Optics and Cables Selection by Use Case - Key factors influencing the decision 3

- Server to switch connectivity 4

- Storage to switch connectivity 5

- Switch to switch connectivity 6

- Optics and cables positioning 7

Quick Reference Guide - Optics connectivity 9

- Cables connectivity 11

Frequently Asked Questions - Types of cables and the concept of lanes 14

- Using 10GbE fiber for 40GbE and the appropriate use of DWDM/CWDM optics

15

- Dell services & support for optics 16

Deployment and Technical Guides 17

Revision History 19

2 Dell Optics and Cables Connectivity Guide

Optics and cables selection by use case Key factors* influencing the decision

Dell Optics and Cables Connectivity Guide 3

Storage

Server

Switch

Bandwidth • Depending on the application load requirements, customers

typically decide whether they want 1GbE, 10GbE, or 40GbE. In

some cases, the decision may also be dictated by the type of

traffic e.g. DCB requires 10GbE or higher.

Cost • Servers claim the highest share of devices deployed in any data

center. Choosing a lower cost connectivity option results in a

much lower initial deployment cost.

Power • In any high density server deployment, a connectivity option

which consumes lower power results in much lower OpEx.

Distance • Servers are typically connected to a switch over a very short

distance i.e. typically within the same rack or, in some cases,

within the same row.

Cabling flexibility • Some customer prefer to make their own copper cables due to

variable distance requirements. This requirement limits the

choice of connectivity to copper cables only.

Reliability • Typical storage traffic is very sensitive to loss. Even a minor loss of traffic may result in

major impact on application performance.

Qualification • Storage vendor qualification or recommendation plays an important role in this

decision due to reasons such as customer support, peace of mind, etc.

Latency • Any time spent in transition is time taken away from data processing. Reducing

transition time results in much faster application performance. The result may have a

direct impact on customers’ bottom line e.g. faster processing of online orders.

Bandwidth • On server facing ports, servers typically dictate the per port bandwidth requirement.

However, per port bandwidth requirement for the network facing (switch-to-switch)

ports depends on multiple factors including amount of traffic generated by the servers,

oversubscription ratios, fiber limitations, etc.

Distance • An inter-switch or switch to router connection could range from a few inches to tens of

kilometers. Generally, the price of optics increases as the distance increases.

Latency

• The network topology and application traffic profile (East-west, HPC, computer

clusters, etc.) and influence the minimum latency that can be tolerated in the network.

* This is not an exhaustive list of all potential factors influencing a customers decision. The key

factors listed here are more commonly seen as influencing the decision of a customer. However,

there could be a number of other factors, not listed here, which could have an impact on the final

decision.

1

2

3

Optics and cables selection by use case Server to switch connectivity


Server 1

Ba

nd

wid

th

1GbE 10GbE 40GbE 100GbE

Copper Cables (RJ-45)

Optics Optics


• SFP 1G-T

• SFP SX

Commonly used

Occasionally used

Direct Attach Copper (DAC) Cables

• SFP+ DAC in various lengths

• SFP+ SR

Optics

• XFP CX4

Active Optical Cables (AOC)

Optics


• QSFP+ DAC in various lengths

• QSFP+ AOC in various lengths

• QSFP+ SR4

Ho

w o

fte

n d

ep

loye

d

Mo

re

oft

en

L

ess o

ften

25GbE

Coming soon Not

commercially

available

Optics and cables selection by use case Storage to switch connectivity


Ba

nd

wid

th

FC 10GbE1 40GbE1 100GbE1

Optics

Optics


Commonly used

Occasionally used



• SFP+ SR

Storage 2

1GbE1


Optics

• SFP SX

• SFP+ 8Gb, SWL

Ho

w o

fte

n d

ep

loye

d

Mo

re

oft

en

L

ess o

ften

25GbE1

Not

commercially

available

Not

commercially

available

Not

commercially

available

1. Represents Ethernet network. In the context of this slide,

this implies Ethernet network for iSCSI storage.

Optics

• SFP+ 16Gb, SWL

Optics and cables selection by use case Switch to switch connectivity


Ba

nd

wid

th

FC 10GbE 40GbE 100GbE

Optics



• SFP+ 8Gb, SWL

• SFP+ 8Gb, LWL

Commonly used

Occasionally used


Optics

• SFP+ ER

• SFP+ ZR

• SFP+ DWDM

Ho

w o

fte

n d

ep

loye

d

Active Optical Cables (AOC)

Optics


• QSFP+ DAC in various lengths

• QSFP+ AOC in various lengths

• QSFP+ ESR4

• QSFP+ PSM

Switch 3

1GbE

Optics

• SFP SX

• SFP FX

• SFP LX

• SFP ZX

Optics

• SFP+ SR

• SFP+ LR

• SFP+ LRM

MPO Cables

• MPO Cables in various lengths

Optics

• QSFP28 SR4

• QSFP28 LR4

Optics

• QSFP28 PSM4

• QSFP28 CWDM

• CXP SR10


Optics

• QSFP+ SR4

• QSFP+ LR4

• QSFP+ LM4

Mo

re

oft

en

L

ess o

ften

25GbE

Coming soon

7

Optics and Cables Positioning Optics

Distance†

Sp

ee

d

Short (e.g. within DC/building)

Medium (e.g. between DC/buildings)

Long (e.g. across metro)

10

0G

bE

4

0G

bE

1

0G

bE

1

Gb

E

• SFP+ LR

• SFP+ DWDM

• XFP CX4

• XFP SR

• SFP FX

• SFP ZX

• SFP+ SWL

• QSFP+ SR4

• QSFP+ LR4

• QSFP+ PSM4

• QSFP28 LR4*

Fib

re

Cha

nn

el

• SFP+ LWL

50m 150m 250m 550m 1km 2km 10km 100km

• SFP SX • SFP LX • SFP 1G-T

• SFP+ SR

• SFP+ LRM

• SFP+ ER

• SFP+ ZR

• XFP ER

• XFP LR

• XFP ZR

• XFP DWDM

• QSFP+ ESR4 • QSFP+ PSM

• QSFP+ LM4

• QSFP+ QSA

• QSFP28 SR4* • QSFP28 CWDM4*

* Not a shipping product

• CXP SR10*

• QSFP28 PSM4*

† Based on maximum supported distance on best grade fiber. See the Quick Reference Guide for additional distances using lower grade fiber

• SFP+ ELWL

Quick Reference Guide

8 8

?


Models IEEE Standard

MSA Receptacle Power Wavelength Distance Fiber Mode

100MbE and 1GbE

SFP-100M-FX 802.3u SFP Duplex LC ≤1.5W 1310nm 2km (OM1, OM2) SMF 11

SFP-1G-T 802.3z SFP RJ-45 ≤1.5W NA 100m Twisted Pair 11

SFP-1G-SX

802.3z SFP Duplex LC ≤1.5W 850nm 200m (FDDI grade) MMF 11

275m (OM1)

550m (OM2, OM3, OM4)

SFP-1G-LX

802.3z SFP Duplex LC ≤1.5W 1310nm 10km SMF 11

550m (FDDI grade, OM1, OM2)

MMF

SFP-1G-ZX 802.3z SFP Duplex LC ≤1.5W 1550nm 80km SMF 11

10GbE

SFP-10G-SR SFP-10G-SR-12

802.3ae SFP+ Duplex LC ≤1.5W 850nm 26m (FDDI grade) MMF 11

33m (OM1)

82m (OM2)

300m (OM3)

400m (OM4)

SFP-10G-LRM 802.3ae SFP+ Duplex LC ≤1.5W 1310nm 220m (FDDI grade, OM1,

OM2, OM3, OM4) MMF 11

SFP-10G-LR 802.3ae SFP+ Duplex LC ≤1.5W 1310nm 10km SMF 11

SFP-10G-ER6 802.3ae SFP+ Duplex LC ≤1.5W 1550nm 40km SMF 11

SFP-10G-W17 through SFP-10G-W612

N/A SFP+ Duplex LC ≤1.5W C-Band, 100GHz 80km SMF 11

SFP-10G-ZR6 802.3ae SFP+ Duplex LC ≤1.5W 1550nm 80km SMF 11

XFP-10G-SR5

802.3ae XFP Duplex LC ≤1.5W 850nm 26m (FDDI grade) MMF 11

33m (OM1)

82m (OM2)

300m (OM3)

400m (OM4)

XFP-10G-LR5 802.3ae XFP Duplex LC ≤1.5W 1310nm 10km SMF 11

XFP-10G-ER5, 6 802.3ae XFP Duplex LC ≤1.5W 1550nm 40km SMF 11

Optics Connectivity


(Optics in each group are listed in the order of list price i.e. low to high) Dell Optics and Cables Connectivity Guide


MSA Receptacle Power Wavelength Distance Fiber Mode

10GbE

XFP-10G-ZR5, 6 802.3ae XFP Duplex LC ≤1.5W 1550nm 80km SMF 11

XFP-10G-W21 through XFP-10G-W605, 2

N/A XFP Duplex LC ≤1.5W C-Band, 100GHz 80km SMF 11

40GbE

QSA-QSFP-SFP+ 802.3ba NA NA ≤1.5W Varies Varies Varies 11

QSFP-40G-LM4 802.3ba QSFP+ Duplex LC ≤3.5W 1310NM 140m (OM3) MMF 11

160m (OM4)

QSFP-40G-SR4 802.3ba QSFP+ MPO ≤1.5W 850nm 100m (OM3) MMF 11, 14

150m (OM4)

QSFP-40G-ESR4 802.3ba QSFP+ MPO ≤1.5W 850nm 300m (OM3) MMF 11, 14

400m (OM4)

QSFP-40G-PSM-1M 802.3ba QSFP+ MPO Pig-tail1 ≤1.5W 1490nm 2km SMF 11



QSFP-40G-PSM4-LR 802.3ba QSFP+ MPO ≤3.5W 1310nm 10km SMF 11, 14

QSFP-40G-LR4 802.3ba QSFP+ Duplex LC ≤3.5W 1310nm 10km SMF 11

100GbE

QSFP28-100G-SR43 802.3bm QSFP28 MPO ≤3.5W 850nm 70m (OM3) MMF 11

100m (OM4)

CXP-100G-SR103 802.3ba CXP MPO ≤3.5W 850nm 100m (OM3) MMF 11

150m (OM4)

QSFP28-100G-LR43 802.3ba QSFP28 Duplex LC ≤4.5W 1310nm 10km SMF 11

QSFP28-100G-PSM43 (Note 4) QSFP28 MPO ≤3.5W 1310nm 500m SMF 11

QSFP28-100G-CWDM3 (Note 4) QSFP28 Duplex LC ≤3.5W 1310nm 2km SMF 11

Fibre Channel

SFP-8GFC-SWL NA SFP+ Duplex LC ≤1.5W 770nm – 860nm 150m (OM3) MMF 11

SFP-8GFC-LWL NA SFP+ Duplex LC ≤1.5W 1260nm – 1360nm 10km SMF 11

SFP-8GFC-ELWL NA SFP+ Duplex LC ≤1.5W 1260nm – 1360nm 25km SMF 11

SFP-16GFC-SWL NA SFP+ Duplex LC 0.8W 770nm – 860nm 125m (OM4 MMF 11

SFP-16GFC-LWL NA SFP+ Duplex LC ≤1.5W 1295nm – 1325nm 10km SMF 11

Optics Connectivity


(Optics in each group are listed in the order of list price i.e. low to high) Dell Optics and Cables Connectivity Guide


MSA Power Bend Radius Distance Cable Mode

10GbE

DAC-SFP-10G-0.5M 802.3ae (SFI) SFP+ Passive 35mm 0.5m Copper 11

DAC-SFP-10G-1M 802.3ae (SFI) SFP+ Passive 35mm 1m Copper 11




AOC-SFP-10G-15M 802.3ae (SFI) SFP+ ≤1.5W 30mm 15m Optical 11

XFP-10G-CX4 802.3ae XFP ≤2W NA 15m Copper 11

40GbE

DAC-QSFP-40G-0.5M 802.3ba (CR4) QSFP+ Passive 50mm 0.5m Copper 11

DAC-QSFP-40G-1M 802.3ba (CR4) QSFP+ Passive 50mm 1m Copper 11




AOC-QSFP-40G-10M 802.3ba (XLPPI) QSFP+ ≤1.5W 10m Optical 11

AOC-QSFP-40G-50M 802.3ba (XLPPI) QSFP+ ≤1.5W 50m Optical 11

DAC-QSFP-4SFP-10G-0.5M 802.3ae (SFI) QSFP+ Passive 70mm/35mm 0.5m Copper 14

DAC-QSFP-4SFP-10G-1M 802.3ae (SFI) QSFP+ Passive 70mm/35mm 1m Copper 14




DAC-QSFP-4RJ45-1G-1M 802.3ae (SFI) QSFP+ Passive 1m Copper 14

CBL-MPO12-4LC-OM3-1M NA QSFP+7 NA 1m Optical 14




CBL-MPO12-4LC-SM-5M NA QSFP+7 NA 5m Optical 14

Cables Connectivity


(Cables in each group are listed in the order of list price i.e. low to high)


http://www.siemon.com/sis/store/images/products/cca_qsfp+-to-4-sfp+-passive-copper-assemblies_big.jpg

http://www.siemon.com/sis/store/cca_qsfp+passive-copper-assemblies.asp


MSA Power Bend Radius

Distance Cable Mode

40GbE

CBL-MPO12-OM3-1M NA QSFP+8 Passive 1m Optical 11









100GbE

DAC-QSFP28-100G-1M 802.3bj (CR4) QSFP28 Passive 1m Copper 11

DAC-QSFP28-100G-2M 802.3b (CR4) QSFP28 Passive 2m Copper 11




DAC-QSFP28-4SFP28-25G-1M

25GE Consortium QSFP28 Passive 1m Copper 14





AOC-QSFP28-100G-10M 802.3bm (CAUI4) QSFP28 ≤3.5W 10m Copper 11

Cables Connectivity


6. For short distances, it is recommended that the user add appropriate value of in-line optical attenuation to avoid exceeding the receiver overload threshold (-1dBm for 10G-ER, and -7dBm for 10G-ZR)

7. Requires QSFP+ optics on one end and SFP+ optics on the other end, which are not included with the cables.

8. Requires QSFP+ optics on both ends, which are not included with the cables.

Notes

1. Optics come with attached MPO pigtail cables that are intended to plug into MPO Patch panels at customer site. Specified MPO cable length is different than the distance between two optics on both ends of the connection.

2. Wavelength varies for the optics. Different channels are supported on these optics and every channel provides different wavelength.

3. These optics are currently not shipping.

4. Follows the specification defined in the PSM4/CWDM4 MSAs.

5. XFP is an older technology and is mostly seen in legacy solutions only

(Optics in each group are listed in the order of list price i.e. low to high)

Frequently Asked Questions

13 13 Dell Optics and Cables Connectivity Guide

14



Cables

Optical fiber • Traffic carried using light

over optical fiber

Single Mode Fiber (SMF) • Allows only a single mode of light to

propagate

• Good for long distance transmission

Copper cable • Traffic carried using electrical

signal over copper conductor

Multi Mode Fiber (MMF) • Allows multiple modes of light to

propagate

• Good for short distance transmission

OS1

• Appropriate for indoor

deployments

OS2

• Appropriate for outdoor

deployments, commonly

used for switch to switch

connection

OM1

• 62.5µm, found in legacy

systems and not common

today

OM2

• 50µm; suitable for 1GbE

• 50µm laser optimized; ideal for

10GbE

• 50µm laser optimized; ideal for

10GbE, 40GbE, and 100GbE

OM3

OM4

Twisted pair (RJ-45) • Multiple pairs of wires in a cable

Twinaxial (DAC) • Like Coaxial cables but with two

inner conductors

Cat5/Cat5e

• Appropriate for short

distance; ideal for 1GbE

and short distance for

10GbE

• Custom length cables can

be created on site

Point to point


deployments; ideal for 1GbE,

10GbE, or 40GbE

• Multiple fixed length cables

available

Breakout


deployments; breakout one 40GbE

or 100GbE into multiple links

• Single connector on one end

breaks to multiple connectors on

the other end

• Multiple fixed length cables

available

Cat6/Cat6a

• Appropriate for short

distance; ideal for 10GbE

• Custom length cables can

be created on site

What is a lane?

• Lanes are used to achieve higher data transmission rates such as 40GbE and 100GbE

• Multiple lower rate data streams (10GbE or 25GbE) are grouped in lanes

40GbE

• Four lanes carrying 10Gb in each direction

• The lanes can be copper cables, wavelengths, or fibers

100GbE

• Four lanes carrying 25Gb or ten lanes carrying 10Gb in each direction

• The lanes can be copper cables, wavelengths, or fibers

FDDI grade

• 62.5µm, found in legacy systems

and not common today

What are the different types of cables?


Dell Optics and Cables Conneectivity Guide 15

Can existing 10GbE fiber cables be used for 40GbE?

Typical 10GbE fiber Typical 40GbE fiber

Optical Module Optical Module 2 fibers makes a link

e.g. 10G-SR

Optical Module Optical Module

Multiple fibers, typically 8,

makes a link. E.g. 40G-SR4,

using 10G per fiber

Previously, the answer was no since 10GbE fiber cables have two fibers whereas 40GbE fiber cables have eight or more fibers, as shown below.

Dell has recently introduced a 40GbE LM4 optic which provides customers the flexibility of using the existing 10GbE cables for 40GbE connections. This is accomplished by sending data over 4 wavelengths, each capable of carrying 10GbE, over single fiber. This is shown in the example below.

QSFP 40G-LM4 4x10G wavelengths

4x10G wavelengths

QSFP 40G-LM4

By using Dell’s 40GbE LM4 QSFP+ optics on both ends of the connection, customers are able to leverage existing 10GbE cable infrastructure. This approach significantly lowers the cost of deployment while improving the time to deployment over traditional approach to 40GbE deployments.

Are DWDM and CWDM optics just like a regular optic?

Users of DWDM optical modules are expected to engineer the link to suit their deployment. Choice of appropriate DWDM mux-demux, optical amplification, CD compensation, etc. to meet specific link budget requirements is left to the end user. Both ends of the link must have Dell DWDM optics. Dell can provide detailed optical transceiver data-sheet upon request. Users of CWDM optical modules can simply connect the two optics using a single mode fiber (SMF) cable just like a regular Ethernet optic is connected. It is not absolutely required to use Dell CWDM optics on both ends.

Frequently Asked Questions – Services & Support

Dell Optics and Cables Conneectivity Guide 16

Is it ok to install a non-Dell optic in a Dell switch? Is it ok to install a non-Dell DAC cable in a Dell switch?

In order to ensure that users enjoy the most reliable network experience with Dell switches, Dell goes through a very stringent and lengthy process of cables validation, qualification, and certification. Dell fully stands behind such a solution and, in the unlikely event that a user comes across a problem, Dell’s support personnel will help address the issues.

If a non-Dell DAC cable, which is standards compliant, is plugged into a Dell switch, the switch will continue to perform as well as the cable allows. Additionally, since cables are passive components and as long as the cables are standards based, If Dell Support determines that the reported issue is caused by the use of non-Dell DAC then they will recommend that the customer replace the unsupported DAC with qualified Dell optics. As a matter of best practice, Dell recommends that end user test non-Dell optics appropriately, prior to deploying them in production environment.

Are Dell optics covered under Dell warranty and support options?

Dell approved optics are covered by Dell warranty and support options but there are limitations and different terms based on the type of warranty. Please find more detail here: http://www.dell.com/learn/us/en/19/campaigns/lifetime-warranty. Typically, the warranty support on the Dell approved optic aligns with the hardware warranty.

A customer is generally discouraged from installing non-Dell optics in Dell switches.

In order to ensure that users enjoy the most reliable network experience with Dell switches, Dell goes through a very stringent and lengthy process of optics validation, qualification, and certification. Dell fully stands behind such a solution and, in the unlikely event that a user comes across a problem, Dell’s support personnel will help address the issues.

If a non-Dell optic is plugged into a Dell switch, the switch will continue to perform as well as the optic allows. A warning message might be displayed, indicating that the optics are not supported/tested by Dell Engineering. Dell Support will assist customer in case there is a problem. If Dell Support determines that the reported issue is caused by the use of non-Dell optics then they will recommend that the customer replace the unsupported optics with qualified Dell optics. As a matter of best practice, Dell recommends that end user test non-Dell optics appropriately, prior to deploying them in production environment.

Are Dell optics covered under the Lifetime Limited Warranty (LLW) for N series products?

Dell approved optics are covered as long as the original customer owns the product.

http://www.dell.com/learn/us/en/19/campaigns/lifetime-warranty





Dell Optics and Cables Conneectivity Guide

Is it ok to install an optic from a Dell switch into Dell server NICs?

It is very common for customers to use DAC (TwinAx) cables instead of optics to connect server NICs to switches. Customers have the flexibility to use either a switch qualified or a server qualified DAC cable. If a customer chooses to use optics, Dell recommends using a switch qualified optic in a switch and a NIC qualified optic in a server NIC. Fibre Channel (FC) HBAs and FC switches ship with pre-installed FC optics. Customer should use the same optics in both of these products. Please consult your Dell representative to find a list of qualified optics.

Is it ok to install an optic from a Dell switch into Dell storage ?

It is very common for customers to use DAC (TwinAx) cables instead of optics to connect Dell Ethernet based storage ports to switches. Customers have the flexibility to use either a switch qualified or a storage qualified DAC cable. If a customer chooses to use optics, Dell strongly recommends using a storage qualified optic in a storage controller port and a switch qualified optic in a switch port. Fibre Channel (FC) storage and FC switches ship with pre-installed FC optics. Customer should use the same optics in both of these products. Please consult your Dell representative to find a list of qualified optics.

Are Dell approved optics covered under ProSupport, ProSupport Plus and ProSupport Flex for Data Center?

The Dell approved optics are covered under the same terms and conditions as the ProSupport contract. For example, if a customer purchases a 3 year NBD ProSupport contract then that Dell approved optic will also be covered NBD for 3 years.

Is it ok to install an optic from one Dell switch into another?

In most cases, the answer is yes. However, it is highly encouraged that the user contact their Dell representative to confirm if there are any specific requirements or exceptions.

Dell supplied Fibre Channel (FC) optics must be installed in Dell’s FC products. Dell supplied FC optics for Brocade OEM products must be used with Brocade products. Dell FC optics in Brocade switches and Brocade optics in Dell switches are not supported.


Dell Optics and Cables Conneectivity Guide

Is it ok to use a Dell DAC cable to connect a Dell device to a non-Dell device?

Dell DAC should function normally when inter-connecting Dell and non-Dell Devices. However, Dell recommends use of optics in multivendor environment because there is always a possibility that a non-Dell device may have deviated from the standards based implementation. Dell Support will assist the customer in case of a problem. However, if Dell Support identifies that the reported issue is caused by use of DAC cables, they will likely recommend the use of optics, instead of DAC. As a matter of best practice, Dell recommends that the end user test DAC cables, prior to deploying them in multi-vendor inter-connect environment.

Is it ok to use a Dell DAC cable to connect Dell switch to other Dell devices?

Dell provides full and complete support for Dell DAC, when deployed between Dell devices. Any issues attributed to the use of Dell DAC on ,and, between Dell devices, will be investigated by Dell Support

Is it ok to use a DAC cable between a 10bE CNA and a 1GbE switch or 1GbE adapter with 10GbE switch?

It is recommended to use optics instead of DAC if connecting at 1GbE speeds. Additionally, please ensure that both the switch and the server adapter support operation at 1GbE because some adapters support 10GbE only.

Deployment and Technical Guides

19 19 Dell Optics and Cables Connectivity Guide

Deployment & Technical Guides Detailed guides to help you get connected

Product Focus Document Title Tags Z9500 Dell Networking Cable Management Kit Cable management, 40GbE

S6000, Z9500 Cable Breakout System for Dell Networking Fabric Switches Patch panel, 40GbE

20

Infrastructure


http://en.community.dell.com/techcenter/extras/m/white_papers/20440423

http://en.community.dell.com/techcenter/extras/m/white_papers/20440424

We encourage readers of this publication to provide feedback on the quality and usefulness of this information by sending an email to - Saleem Muhammad ([email protected])

Feedback

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