FC-HBA's: Two single-port or one dual-port?

[_usr_local_dick]

I think the subject says it all.

I want to connect two Dell PE1950's to a pair of FC switches.

The PE1950's don't have HBA's yet.

I can choose between two types of single-port HBA's:

Emulex LPe1150

QLogic QLE2460

Or I can pick the Qlogic QLE2462 dual-port HBA.

Any recommendations?

While looking at the Dell specs, it appears that you can only have 2 PCI-X and 1 PCI-E.

So knowing that the only way to connect it to both switches is the dual-port QLE2462.

Or find two supported PCI-X single-port HBA's.

Message was edited by:

/usr/local/dick

Message was edited by:

/usr/local/dick

(added dell spec part)

[wobbly1]

personnally I always go with single port HBA's to reduce the risk of losing the whole card to a failure resulting in lost access to the SAN

[_usr_local_dick]

A bit confused about the formal specs on the Dell site, I just opened up the 1950 and mine does have two free PCI Express slots (PCIE_X8 to be exact).

The raid controller sits near the front of the box and does not take up a PCI slot.

I did already think of wobbly1's advice, and since I'm able I'll go for two single port QLE2460's then.

thanks!

[balacs]

Not sure where you are getting the specs for 1950 from. Here is a link[/url].

Copy and paste:

• 2 expansion slots on 2 different riser options:

Riser 1 Option –PCIe

2 PCI Express slots (two x8) full height, half-length

Riser 2 Option – PCI-X

2 64-bit/133MHz PCI-X full-height, half-length

I would still go with dual port and have a dual port NIC in the other slot. If you think just the two embedded NICs will do, then single port HBAs are fine too.

Bala,

Dell Inc.

[bister]

We use single port HBAs in servers that have enough slots. These are normally 4-way servers like the HP DL580 with 6 IO-slots. On systems with fewer slots (HP DL380, 3 slots) we use dual-port HBAs and a 4-port NIC leaving one slot free for expansion.