The IBM Flex System™ FC5022 16Gb SAN Scalable Switch is a high-density, 48-port, 16 Gbps Fibre Channel switch that is used in the IBM Flex System chassis. The switch provides 28 internal ports to compute nodes by way of the midplane, and 20 external SFP+ ports. These SAN switch modules deliver an embedded option for IBM Flex System users deploying storage area networks in their enterprise. They offer end-to-end 16 Gb and 8 Gb connectivity. The N-Port Virtualization mode streamlines the infrastructure by reducing the number of domains to manage while enabling the ability to add or move servers without impact to the SAN. Monitoring is simplified by an integrated management appliance, or clients using end-to-end IBM B-type SAN can exploit the IBM management tools.



Diagnostic ports (D_ports) are a new port type supported by the FC5022 16 Gb switches that enables administrators to quickly identify and isolate 16 Gbps optics, port, and cable problems, reducing fabric deployment and diagnostic times. If the optical media is found to be the source of the problem, it can be transparently replaced because 16 Gbps optics are hot-pluggable.



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.