HBA Adapters - Fixed or Auto Speed?

[gogogo5]

Hello

If you have an ESX host with Emulex 2GB HBA cards connected to a fibre switch which is connected to an EMC CX700 SAN, does anyone know the best practice for the switch configuration i.e. force the 2GB or leave to auto-negogiate?

[bertdb]

that's something between your HBA and your FC switch, I don't believe there's any ESX-specific recommendation. Personally, I've never had problems with Auto, but if you have the habit of putting your switches in a fixed speed setting, you might as well fix your HBAs to the same speed.

[VirtualKenneth]

A lot of different stories about this issue. I always leave them to auto negotiate (in the BIOS).

Some people say that it's better to change it to fixed since auto negotiation is passed this way and the link will be online faster.

[gogogo5]

I realise that if the HBA is set to either then match it at the switch but wondered given the choice what is best.

I too currently use Auto with no issues but we have some Sun Solaris Unix servers connected to our SAN and the Unix guys fix the speed because they say it is best practice for Unix servers connected to a SAN.

[BUGCHK]

There is no single correct answer, I am afraid

Some lock the speed on the adapters and/or on the Fibre Channel switches and others do not.

Sometimes it is necessary to lock the speed, but I have heard at least one case where it was necessary to run that specific adapter/switch combination with auto-negotiation.

[rkudelic]

Hi

By default we set to auto-negogiate with EMC products. EMC at themselves recommend auto-negotiate on HBA and FC Switches.

rkudelic

[gogogo5]

Hi rkudelic, is there an EMC doc or weblink that has this stated? cheers.

[rkudelic · Accepted solution]

Hi gogogo5

Here an mail from EMC received from 07/19/2006

Regards

Roland

Here an mail from EMC directly

Hello All,

Please take advantage of the following tool "agentspeed" that will help you verify the correct configuration of Customers Network switches when they are attached to a CLARiiON Storage Processor.

Why:

The reason of this tool is to insure that the network speed is correctly set so Flare code Updates, SPCOLLECT, and Management of the CLARiiON is optimal over the IP network. Running this tool on the customers Management Workstation will save your time and struggle.

How:

Copy the file "agentspeed.exe" in the Directory C:\Program Files\EMC\Navisphere CLI\

Update the Servers Environment Variables if not already done by adding under Path the following: C:\Program Files\EMC\Navisphere CLI\

Open a MS-DOS prompt and type: agentspeed SPA_IpAddress SPB_Ip_Address

Result should look like this and a Text files is generated in the current working directory

Any results over 3 seconds is likely to indicate a incorrect switch setting, inform the customer about this issue so he can correct the settings and perform the test again to confirm the correct settings have been applyed.

"agentspeed" uses Navisphere CLI so please have it installed for the tool to work.

How Must the switch be configured:

All Switch ports connected to a CLARiiON Storage Processor should ONLY be configured to Auto-negotiate, any other settings can make the connection slow.

Find the tool here: ftp://clariion:314ispi@128.222.1.2/chxml/Agentspeed/agentspeed.zip

Special thanks to Christophe Henzen who has made us this tool.

[gogogo5]

cheers!

[zaxxon180]

HI guys just searching the web for similar port speed issues and have come across this old link. Does anyone have a current copy or location of this tool "agentspeed.exe"

Thanks is advance the old link does not work.?:|