SPD OptiConnect is the term used to refer to OptiConnect licensed software providing high speed server-to-server connectivity between servers which are connected to each other through SPD bus technology. SPD OptiConnect requires a SPD bus which is available on earlier iSeries™ server models and supported through the 5077 SPD migration unit supported on some iSeries 8xx models. iSeries server models with HSL-2 ports do not support SPD OptiConnect.
The servers in a SPD OptiConnect network share a common external optical system bus that is located in a dedicated expansion unit or frame (also called a SPD OptiConnect hub unit). The server that provides this system bus is called the hub server. The hardware used to create a hub server for a SPD OptiConnect network consists of a dedicated system I/O expansion unit or frame. Each server that plugs into this bus with an OptiConnect Receiver card is called a satellite server. Each satellite server dedicates one of its external system buses to connect to the receiver card in the hub server's expansion unit or frame.
Redundancy is supported on SPD OptiConnect networks through SPD bus redundancy. Redundancy requires a second SPD OptiConnect Hub, an extra set of OptiConnect Receiver cards, and an extra I/O expansion unit or frame, along with another set of cables.
Figure 4 shows a dual bus configuration, providing full redundancy in the SPD OptiConnect system area network. If one of the hub servers fail, the SPD OptiConnect network remains up, and all communications activity is run through the other hub. When both hubs are operating, the communications traffic is shared between both. This increases the bandwidth with two paths available for use.
An SPD OptiConnect network can consist of up to 14 servers (one hub and 13 satellites) with full server-to-server connectivity. A satellite server can communicate with both hub servers and all satellite servers on the same shared bus. Interoperability between operating system versions is maintained so that servers at different release levels can be connected in the same SPD OptiConnect network. With additional hubs, up to 32 servers can be supported.
iSeries models 840, 830, and 270 can participate in an SPD OptiConnect environment by using a migration unit.
For more information about SPD OptiConnect (including information about
supported models) see the High Availability and Clusters Web Site (www.ibm.com/servers/eserver/iseries/ha).
