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FET-40G to FET-10G Interconnects

james.tucker
Level 1
Level 1

Hi,

I am looking at a deployment of a Nexus 6004 and 6001 with FEX 2232TM-E between the racks in our DC enviroment and have come up against a bit of a problem in that I don't seem to be able to find out what cables I need to use to connect the FET-40G on the 6k's to the 4 x FET-10G's in the FEXs to give the full 40Gb to the FEX's.

1 x 6004 (or 6001)                                                                                                                                                              1 x 2232TM-E

FET-40G ---- Hydra Cable?? ---- LC patch --------- OM4 cabling ---------- LC patch ------ LC-LC Cables ----- FET-10G

                                                             LC patch --------- OM4 cabling ---------- LC patch ------ LC-LC Cables ----- FET-10G

                                                             LC patch ------------ OM4 cabling ---------- LC patch ------ LC-LC Cables ----- FET-10G

                                                             LC patch ------------ OM4 cabling ---------- LC patch ------ LC-LC Cables ----- FET-10G

In the attached screenshot taken from http://d2zmdbbm9feqrf.cloudfront.net/2013/eur/pdf/BRKARC-3453.pdf it clearly shows a hydra cable of some sort being used and a further search turns up a document from Cisco and Panduit that suggests a model number of a cable but that doesn't appear to be valid. Other locations in the document appear to show full cabling systems to resolve this problem which are not an option!

Looking at pictures of a FET-40G the interface appears to be similar to LC, which none of these hydra cables seem to support, they seem to be MPO which when you look at the images of a QSFP-40G-SR4 is OK but not the FET-40G (and as the FETs are bundled with the Nexus kit it's a little cheaper to just use them)

So to the questions:

i) Is there anybody out there that has used FET-40G to mutiple FET-10G and can they confirm what the interface is on the FET-40G and therefore what cables can be used please?

ii) Additionally the fibre that the DC operator want to use to interconnect the cabs will be OM4, is this compatible with OM3 transcievers and interconnects? I have asked for copper to be run in parallel to the fibre so I don't think that it is going to be over 100m.

I hope somebody can help, this is more or less the last piece of the puzzle to get this solution completed!

Thanks

James

1 Accepted Solution

Accepted Solutions

James,

Here is the part number:

FX8HP5NLSQNF009

It is a 9ft 40gig to 10Gig female cable

Reza

View solution in original post

10 Replies 10

Reza Sharifi
Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame

Hi James,

i) Is there anybody out there that has used FET-40G to mutiple FET-10G and can they confirm what the interface is on the FET-40G and therefore what cables can be used please?

I have the same scenario with 6004 and FEX switches.  We got a cable from Panduit that is one side 40Gig and the other side 4 10Gig.  Trying to insert the cable in to the FET QSFP was impossible.  We came to find out that the cable Cisco sent us was male and the QSFP also male. So, no go there.  Last week I ordered a different cable that should be female and so I should be getting the cable this coming Friday and try it. Sorry, I don't have an answer for you right now until I try it this coming Friday.

ii) Additionally the fibre that the DC operator want to use to interconnect the cabs will be OM4, is this compatible with OM3 transcievers and interconnects? I have asked for copper to be run in parallel to the fibre so I don't think that it is going to be over 100m.

Usually the cables are OM2, OM3, OM4 and so on and not the trancsivers, but it is best practice not to try to mix different type of cable together.

HTH

Hi Reza,

Thanks for the response, I was expecting the FET-40G to look something like this:

and then you had to hang a hydra cable off it, by the sounds of things you got something more like this?

In that case I would have been in for a bit of a shock!

On point ii) Sounds reasonable so as long as the transceiver supports OM4 it will not be a problem but try not to mix an OM3 hyrda cable with OM4 cabling.

When you get the cable and get it hooked up it would be great to know how it works out and what model numbers etc. please!

Hi James,

I got the cable you posted here with one 40Gig on one side and 4 10Gig on the other side.  The issue is that the QSFP is male and the cable was also male and the thing is unless you look with a flash light inside the QSPF, you never know there are pins in there and so we kept trying to push the cable into the QSPF, but would not go.  When I called Panduit, they told me to look with a flash light and sure enough I saw the pins in there.

I am not so much worried about the 6k to FEX, my biggest worry is that I have to connect the 6k to other vendors product (juniper firewall, load balancers, etc..) using this 40Gig cable.

I let you know on Friday or Saturday morning how it goes.

Reza

You learn something new everyday! Thanks, looking forward to hearing from you about it! I am curious to know if the FET-10Gs are the same? Is having male tranceivers something new for 40G connectivity as in the instances that I have come across transceivers they have always been female that I can recall.

I don't know about yours, but the FETs I have are all male and that is why I could not insert the cable in to them.  I am not sure, if there are QFSP that are female.

Hi James,

I have an update with good news:

I got the 40Gig to 10Gig cables from Panduit, and so far they are working between 6ks and FEXes using FET QSFPs and 6ks and other vendor's product using standard QSFP.

Let me know if you need the part number for Panduit cables

HTH

Reza

Hi,

Good news! The part number would be great please.

James,

Here is the part number:

FX8HP5NLSQNF009

It is a 9ft 40gig to 10Gig female cable

Reza

Cool, so thats a Female MPO connector on the QSFP end and LC on the 10Gb end, my life is now complete!

Thanks very much for taking the time to respond.

James

That is correct James.  This is female MPO on the QSFP side and 4 10Gig LC.

Glad to help

Reza

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