Chapter 2: Description
I/O Management Unit
24 Scalar i6000 Planning Guide
I/O Management Unit
The I/O management unit is an optional component that provides
connectivity and data path management to a SAN fabric and the hosts.
The I/O management unit houses up to four FC I/O blades, which
provide FC connections for the Fibre Channel drives in the module.
The I/O management unit also houses up to two Ethernet Expansion
blades, which handle internal Ethernet communication between the
MCB and HP LTO-5 and LTO-6 drives. (The control module and each of
the expansion modules can contain up to 12 FC drives.) The I/O
management unit performs all tape drive and library host
communication functions in a library that is attached to a SAN.
I/O management units may be installed in the control module and
expansion modules. The I/O management unit supports the following
blades:
• Control Management Blade
• Fibre Channel I/O Blades
• Ethernet Expansion Blades
When FC I/O blades or Ethernet Expansion Blades (EEBs) are installed in
the library, the following rules regarding control management blades
(CMBs) apply:
• Any module (including the control module) that contains FC I/O
blades or EEBs must also contain a CMB.
• A CMB must be installed in the control module and all modules that
contain drives. Modules that don’t contain drives, blades or network
chassis will contain drive and network jumpers that maintain
communications between the MCB located in the control module
and the modules that contain drives, FC I/O blades and EEBs.
Control Management
Blade
The CMB performs unit status monitoring including power and I/O
present conditions, and internal network switch functions connecting
I/O blades with the library management module.