Nexus 7000 mixed M1 and M2 cards

[ar]

Hi.

I am preparing for a new box.

NExus 7018

Fabric-2

Sup2

can i mix M1 GE card with M2 10G card?

Anyone has a good reference on what cards can be mixed?

Do I need Fabric-1 if using M1/F1 cards

and

Fabric-2 if using M2/F2 cards?

[Oleksandr Nesterov]

Hello Allan

The only IO card which cannot co-exist with other cards in the same VDC is F2 due to specific hardware realisation.

All other cards can be mixed.

Regarding the Fabric versions - Fabric-2 gives much bigger throughoutput in comparing with Fabric-1

So in order to get full speed from F2/M2 modules you will need Fab-2 modules.

Fab2 modules won't give any advantages to M1/F1 modules.

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/switches/ps9441/ps9402/data_sheet_c78-685394.html

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/switches/ps9441/ps9402/prodcut_bulletin_c25-688075.html

HTH,

Alex

[ar]

Thanks Alex.

Yes I understand fabric-2 will give higher capacity.

So this means there's no limitation in mixing F1/M1 cards with Fabric-2 and F2/M2 cards with fabric-1?

It's only the throughput that will be affected? Just want to confirm this.

thanks

[Leo Laohoo]

So this means there's no limitation in mixing F1/M1 cards with Fabric-2 and F2/M2 cards with fabric-1?

The F2 card has to be on it's own VDC.  You can't mix F2 cards with M1/M2 and F1 in the same VDC..

[ar]

Thanks.

Yes i understand F2 has to be on a separate vdc.

What about fabric-1 and fabric-2? they can mix up with any version of line cards?

[Leo Laohoo]

What about fabric-1 and fabric-2? they can mix up with any version of line cards?

Trying to understand your intention to mix Fab-1 and Fab-2 cards.

You "can" mix Fab-1 and Fab-2 cards, however, when this happens, you generally render your Fab-2 cards "useless" because the Fab-2 cards will DOWNGRADE their speed to match the speed of the Fab-1 card.

The only time you mix both of them is when you want to perform non-disruptive upgrade from a Fab-1 card to a Fab-2 card.  And this, mind you, is done in a few minutes.  When the final Fab-1 card is removed, the entire 7K chassis will upgrade the per-slot bandwidth speed to the Fab-2.

[Oleksandr Nesterov]

From technical point of view - no restriction..

But solution with mixing Fab modules or 2nd generation modules with Fab2  are not recommended.

HTH,

Alex

[danrya]

If you mix Fab-1 and Fab-2, you will get a continual syslog message telling you that it's not supported.

Dan

[sbhadrav@cisco.com]

No, you cannot configure the ports from an M1 and M2 series linecard in the same port
channel. This is referenced in our N7K Interfaces Configuration Guide at the following
link:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/switches/datacenter/sw/6_x/nx-os/interfaces/configuration/
guide/if_portchannel.html#wp1888267
Number 2 in names M2 and F2 - means only generation number. But both these cards have completely different hardware realization.

Reason why F2 is not compatible with all other modules is that it has different forwarding engine which is not compatible with engines of other cards while communicating through the fabric. So that's why F2 modules should be placed in separate VDC whete they will talk only with other F2 cards.