Learn about the IBM Flex System FC5052 2-port and FC5054 4-port 16Gb FC Adapters. The IBM Flex System FC5052 2-port and FC5054 4-port 16Gb FC Adapters enable the highest FC speed access for Flex System compute nodes to an external storage area network (SAN). These adapters are based on the proven Emulex Fibre Channel stack, and work with 16 Gb Flex System Fibre Channel switch modules. For more information on Pure Systems, visit http://ibm.co/18vDnp6. Visit the official Scribd Channel of IBM India Smarter Computing at http://bit.ly/VwO86R to get access to more documents.

1. ®
IBM Flex System FC5052 2-port and FC5054 4-port
16Gb FC Adapters
IBM Redbooks Product Guide
The IBM® Flex System™ FC5052 2-port and FC5054 4-port 16Gb FC Adapters enable the highest FC
speed access for Flex System compute nodes to an external storage area network (SAN). These
adapters are based on the proven Emulex Fibre Channel stack, and work with 16 Gb Flex System Fibre
Channel switch modules.
As the only 4-port HBA for IBM Flex System, the FC5054 provides unmatched scalability and
redundancy. In addition, the FC5054 has two separate ASICs with no bridge chip, so data flows directly to
an independent PCIe bus for high availability without a single point of failure. It also allows for logical
partitioning on IBM Power Systems™ compute nodes. The following figure shows the IBM Flex System
FC5054 4-port 16Gb FC Adapter.
Figure 1. IBM Flex System FC5054 4-port 16Gb FC Adapter
Did you know?
You can deploy faster and manage less when you combine Host Bus Adapters (HBAs) and Virtual Fabric
Adapters (VFAs) that are developed by Emulex. IBM HBAs and VFAs use the same installation and
configuration process, streamlining the effort to get your system up and running, and saving you valuable
time. They also use the same Fibre Channel drivers, reducing the time to qualify and manage storage
connectivity. And with the Emulex OneCommand Manager, you can manage IBM HBAs and VFAs that
are developed by Emulex through the data center from a single console.
IBM Flex System FC5052 2-port and FC5054 4-port 16Gb FC Adapters
1

2. Part number information
The following table shows the ordering part numbers and feature codes.
Table 1. Ordering part numbers and feature codes
Description
Part number Feature code
(x-config)
Feature code
(e-config)
IBM Flex System FC5052 2-port 16Gb FC Adapter
95Y2386
A45R
EC23
IBM Flex System FC5054 4-port 16Gb FC Adapter
95Y2391
A45S
EC2E
The following figure shows the IBM Flex System FC5052 2-port 16Gb FC Adapter.
Figure 2. IBM Flex System FC5052 2-port 16Gb FC Adapter
Features
When compared to the previous-generation 8 Gb adapters, the new Gen5 16 Gb adapters deliver 6x the
IOPS, improve response times by up to 75%, and deliver double the throughput speeds for Fibre Channel
traffic. As a result, it is possible to support significantly more IOPS-driven workload and applications per
HBA, reducing costs, power, and complexity.
The IBM Flex System FC5052 2-port 16Gb FC Adapter has these features:

2-port 16 Gb Fibre Channel adapter

Single-ASIC controller using the Emulex XE201 design

Auto-Negotiate to 16Gb, 8Gb, or 4Gb

Up to 1.2 million IOPS on a single port (six times more IOPS than previous generation 8Gb FC HBAs)

Cuts response times by up to 75% and doubles the throughput compared to the previous generation
8Gb FC HBAs
IBM Flex System FC5052 2-port and FC5054 4-port 16Gb FC Adapters
2

3. 
Exceeds 10 million hours mean time between failure (MTBF) with the most advanced data integrity
protection (T10 PI) offload to protect against silent data corruption

PCIe Express 3.0 x8 host interface (5 GTps)

MSI-X support

x86 Fibre Channel common driver model with the FC3052 8Gb Fibre Channel adapter, and FCoE on
the CN4054 10 Gb Ethernet and IBM Flex System x222, x240, and x440 LOMs

Arbitrated loop (supported on 4Gb and 8Gb speeds only)

IBM Fabric Manager support
The IBM Flex System FC5054 4-port 16Gb FC Adapter has these features:

4-port 16 Gb Fibre Channel adapter

Dual-ASIC (FC5054) controller using the Emulex XE201 design, which allows for logical partitioning
on Power Systems compute nodes

Auto-Negotiate to 16Gb, 8Gb, or 4Gb

Up to 2.4 million IOPS (dual ASICs: 2x 1.2 million IOPS)

Up to 1.2 million IOPS on a single port (six times more IOPS than previous generation 8Gb FC HBAs)

Cuts response times by up to 75% and doubles the throughput compared to the previous generation
8Gb FC HBAs

Exceeds 10 million hours mean time between failure (MTBF) with the most advanced data integrity
protection (T10 PI) offload to protect against silent data corruption

Two PCIe Express 3.0 x8 host interfaces (each 5 GTps), one for each ASIC

ASICs treated as separate devices by the driver: No shared resources (that is, no PCIe bridge)
between ASICs and each ASIC has its own firmware chip

MSI-X support

x86 Fibre Channel common driver model with the FC3052 8Gb Fibre Channel adapter, and FCoE on
the CN4054 10 Gb Ethernet and IBM Flex System x222, x240, and x440 LOMs

Arbitrated loop (supported on 4Gb and 8Gb speeds only)

IBM Fabric Manager support
Fibre Channel features
The adapters offer the following features:

Fibre Channel protocol SCSI (FCP-SCSI) and Fibre Channel Internet Protocol (FCP-IP).

Point-to-point fabric connection: F-Port Fabric Login.

Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL) and FCAL-2 FL-Port Login.

Fibre Channel services class 2 and 3.

LUN Masking, an initiator-based LUN masking for storage traffic isolation.

N_Port Id Virtualization (NPIV) allows multiple host initiator N_Ports to share a single physical
N_Port, dramatically reducing SAN hardware requirements.

FCP SCSI initiator and target operation.

Full-duplex operation.
IBM Flex System FC5052 2-port and FC5054 4-port 16Gb FC Adapters
3

4. Supported servers
The following table lists the IBM Flex System compute nodes that support the adapters.
Table 2. Supported servers
Description
x220
x222
x240
x440
p24L
p260
p270
p460
IBM Flex System FC5052 2-port 16Gb FC
Adapter
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
IBM Flex System FC5054 4-port 16Gb FC
Adapter
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
For the latest information about the expansion cards that are supported by each blade server type, see
IBM ServerProven® at the following web address:
http://ibm.com/servers/eserver/serverproven/compat/us/
I/O adapters are installed in the slot in supported servers, such as the p270, as highlighted in the
following figure. Other Flex System servers have adapter slots in the same locations.
Figure 2. Location of the I/O adapter slots in the IBM Flex System p270 Compute Node
IBM Flex System FC5052 2-port and FC5054 4-port 16Gb FC Adapters
4

5. Supported I/O modules
The adapters support the I/O modules that are listed in the following table. One or two compatible
switches must be installed in the corresponding I/O bays in the chassis. Installing two switches means
that all ports of the adapter are enabled.
The FC5022 switches include a base number of port licenses, 12 or 24, depending on the part number
that is ordered. Switch port licenses for the FC5022 switches can be used for internal or external ports.
Each FC5052 requires one internal switch port for each of the two switches that are installed. Each
FC5054 requires two internal switch ports for each of the two switches that are installed. Additional ports
might be needed depending on your configuration.
For more information, see the IBM Redbooks® Product Guide for the IBM Flex System FC5022 SAN
Scalable Switch, available from http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/abstracts/tips0870.html.
Table 3. I/O modules that are supported by the FC5052 2-port and FC5054 4-port 16Gb FC Adapters
Description
Part number
Feature codes*
(XCC / AAS)
Support the
FC5052 and
FC5054
IBM Flex System FC3171 8Gb SAN Switch
69Y1930
A0TD / 3595
No
IBM Flex System FC3171 8Gb SAN Pass-thru
69Y1934
A0TJ / 3591
No
IBM Flex System FC5022 16Gb SAN Scalable Switch
88Y6374
A1EH / 3770
Yes
IBM Flex System FC5022 24-port 16Gb SAN Scalable Switch
00Y3324
A3DP / ESW5
Yes
IBM Flex System FC5022 24-port 16Gb ESB SAN Scalable
Switch
90Y9356
A2RQ / 3771
Yes
* The first feature code that is listed is for configurations that are ordered through IBM System x® sales channels
(XCC using x-config). The second feature code is for configurations that are ordered through the IBM Power
Systems channel (AAS using e-config).
IBM Flex System FC5052 2-port and FC5054 4-port 16Gb FC Adapters
5

6. The following table shows the connections between adapters that are installed in the compute nodes and
the switch bays in the chassis.
Table 4. Adapter to I/O bay correspondence
I/O adapter slot in the server
Module bay 2
Port 3 (FC5054 only)
Module bay 1
Module bay 2
Module bay 3
Port 2
Module bay 4
Port 3 (FC5054 only)
Module bay 3
Port 4 (FC5054 only)
Module bay 4
Port 1
Module bay 1
Port 2
Module bay 2
Port 3 (FC5054 only)
Module bay 1
Port 4 (FC5054 only)
Module bay 2
Port 1
Module bay 3
Port 2
Module bay 4
Port 3 (FC5054 only)
Module bay 3
Port 4 (FC5054 only)
Slot 4
(x440 / p460 only)
Port 2
Port 1
Slot 3
(x440 / p460 only)
Module bay 1
Port 4 (FC5054 only)
Slot 2
Corresponding I/O module bay in the chassis
Port 1
Slot 1
Port on the adapter
Module bay 4
These adapters can be installed in any I/O adapter slot of a supported IBM Flex System compute node.
One or two compatible 16 Gb switch modules must be installed in the corresponding I/O bays in the
chassis.
IBM Flex System FC5052 2-port and FC5054 4-port 16Gb FC Adapters
6

7. The connections between the FC5052 2-port adapters that are installed in the compute nodes and the
switch bays in the chassis are shown in the following figure. The figure shows both half-wide servers,
such as the x240 with two adapters, and full-wide servers, such as the x440 with four adapters.
Figure 3. Logical layout of the interconnects between the FC5052 2-port adapters and I/O modules
The connections between the FC5054 4-port adapters that are installed in the compute nodes and the
switch bays in the chassis are shown in the following figure.
Figure 4. Logical layout of the interconnects between the FC5054 4-port adapters and I/O modules
IBM Flex System FC5052 2-port and FC5054 4-port 16Gb FC Adapters
7

8. Operating system support
The IBM Flex System FC5052 2-port and FC5054 4-port 16Gb FC Adapters support the following
operating systems:
The compute node that the adapter is installed in might have different operating system support, so both
operating system lists must be taken into account. For the latest information about the specific versions
and the service packs that are supported, see the IBM ServerProven website. Select the blade server,
and then select the expansion card to see the supported operating systems:
http://www.ibm.com/systems/info/x86servers/serverproven/compat/us/
IBM AIX®
This adapter device driver is included in the following releases or later:






IBM AIX V7.1.B with the 7100-07 Technology Level and Service Pack 6, or later
AIX V7.1 with the 7100-01 Technology Level AP
AIX V7.1 with the 7100-02 Technology Level
IBM AIX V6.1 with the 6100-08 Technology Level
AIX V6.1.N with the 6100-07 Technology Level and Service Pack 6, or later
IBM AIX 5L™ V5.3
IBM 4690
The adapters are also supported by the IBM 4690 Operating System.
IBM i
Note: Assignment to the VIOS requires VIOS 2.2.1.6, 2.2.2.0 or later.

IBM i 7.1 with i 7.1.0 machine code: RS710-10 OS and (RS710-F LIC or Technology Refresh 3 (TR
PTF Group SF99707 Level 5)) and Cumulative Package for 7.1 C2279710, or later

IBM i 6.1 with i 6.1.1 machine code - i 6.1.1: RS610-10 OS and RS611-J LIC and Cumulative
Package: C2305610, or later
Linux





Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.1 (PPC-64)
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 (Server) 64-bit with KVM support
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.6 (PPC-64)
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 (PPC-64)
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 SP4 (PPC-64)
For the latest information about installing Linux on Power Systems, see the following website:
http://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/sas/f/lopdiags/info/LinuxAlerts.html
IBM Flex System FC5052 2-port and FC5054 4-port 16Gb FC Adapters
8

9. Linux on x86










Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 (x86-64) - both KVM support and no KVM
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 (x86-64)
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 - Xen kernels (x86-64)
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 (Server) 64-bit
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 (Server) - Xen kernel (64-bit)
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 (x86-64) with Service Packs 1 and 2 only
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 - Xen kernels (x86-64) with Service Packs 1 and 2 only
SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service 11 (SLEP OS)
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 (x86-64) with Service Packs 3 and 4 only
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 - Xen kernels (x86-64) with Service Packs 3 and 4 only
VMware




VMware ESX 4.1 or later
VMware ESXi 4.1, 4.1.1, and 4.1.2
VMware ESXi 5.0
VMware ESXi 5.1
Microsoft Windows





Microsoft Windows Server 2008 (Datacenter/Enterprise/Standard/Web) 64-bit only
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 (x86-64 only)
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 HPC Edition 2008 (x86-64 only)
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Small Business Premium/Standard Edition (x86-64 only)
Microsoft Windows Server 2012 (x86-64 only)
For more information, see the installation instructions that are available at
http://www.emulex.com/downloads/ibm.html.
Warranty
There is a 1-year, customer-replaceable unit (CRU) limited warranty. When installed in a server, these
adapters assume your system’s base warranty and any IBM ServicePac® upgrade.
Physical specifications
The dimensions and weight of the adapters are as follows:



Width: 100 mm (3.9 in.)
Depth: 80 mm (3.1 in.)
Weight: 13 g (0.3 lb)
Shipping dimensions and weight (approximate):




Height: 58 mm (2.3 in.)
Width: 229 mm (9.0 in.)
Depth: 208 mm (8.2 in.)
Weight: 0.4 kg (0.89 lb)
IBM Flex System FC5052 2-port and FC5054 4-port 16Gb FC Adapters
9

10. Regulatory compliance
The adapters conform to the following regulatory standards:
















United States FCC 47 CFR Part 15, Subpart B, ANSI C63.4 (2003), Class A
United States UL 60950-1, Second Edition
IEC/EN 60950-1, Second Edition
FCC - Verified to comply with Part 15 of the FCC Rules, Class A
Canada ICES-003, issue 4, Class A
UL/IEC 60950-1
CSA C22.2 No. 60950-1-03
Japan VCCI, Class A
Australia/New Zealand AS/NZS CISPR 22:2006, Class A
IEC 60950-1(CB Certificate and CB Test Report)
Taiwan BSMI CNS13438, Class A
Korea KN22, Class A; KN24
Russia/GOST ME01, IEC-60950-1, GOST R 51318.22-99, GOST R 51318.24-99, GOST R
51317.3.2-2006, GOST R 51317.3.3-99
IEC 60950-1 (CB Certificate and CB Test Report)
CE Mark (EN55022 Class A, EN60950-1, EN55024, EN61000-3-2, EN61000-3-3)
CISPR 22, Class A
IBM Flex System FC5052 2-port and FC5054 4-port 16Gb FC Adapters
10

11. Popular configurations
The IBM Flex System FC5052 2-port and FC5054 4-port 16Gb FC Adapters can be used in various
configurations. The following figure shows the FC5054 4-port adapter installed in slot 2 and slot 4 of the
x440, which in turn is installed in the chassis. The chassis is connected to an IBM System Storage®
V7000. The RAID functionality is provided by the external storage system.
Figure 5. Example configuration
The following table lists the parts that are used in the configuration.
Table 5. Components that are used when connecting the FC5054 4-port 16Gb FC Adapter to external
disk storage
Part number/machine type
Description
Quantity
7917
IBM Flex System x440 Compute Node
1 - 14
95Y2391
IBM Flex System FC5054 4-port 16Gb FC
Adapters
1 per server
8721-A1x
IBM Flex System Enterprise Chassis
1
00Y3324
IBM Flex System FC5022 24-port 16Gb SAN
Scalable Switch
1 or 2
88Y6416
Brocade 8Gb SFP+ SW Optical Transceiver
1 per FC cable
39M5698
IBM 1m LC-LC Fibre Channel Cable
1 for each V7000
connection
2076-124
IBM System Storage V7000
1
This configuration requires additional V7000 features, such as drives and software licenses. They are not
listed in the table.
IBM provides extensive Fibre Channel testing to deliver full interoperability. For a full listing of IBM
supported Fibre Channel configurations, see the System Storage Interoperation Center (SSIC) website at
http://ibm.com/systems/support/storage/ssic.
IBM Flex System FC5052 2-port and FC5054 4-port 16Gb FC Adapters
11

12. Related publications
For more information, see the following resources:

IBM US Announcement Letter
http://ibm.com/common/ssi/cgi-bin/ssialias?infotype=dd&subtype=ca&&htmlfid=897/ENUS113-133

IBM Flex System FC5022 16Gb SAN Scalable Switches
http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/abstracts/tips0870.html

IBM Redbooks Product Guides for IBM Flex System servers and options
http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/portals/puresystems?Open&page=pgbycat

IBM Redbooks publication IBM Flex System Products and Technology, SG24-7984
http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/abstracts/sg247523.html

IBM Flex System Interoperability Guide
http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/fsig

IBM System x and Cluster Solutions configurator (x-config)
https://ibm.com/products/hardware/configurator/americas/bhui/asit/install.html

IBM Configurator for e-business (e-config)
http://ibm.com/services/econfig/
IBM Flex System FC5052 2-port and FC5054 4-port 16Gb FC Adapters
12

13. Notices
This information was developed for products and services offered in the U.S.A.
IBM may not offer the products, services, or features discussed in this document in other countries. Consult your
local IBM representative for information on the products and services currently available in your area. Any reference
to an IBM product, program, or service is not intended to state or imply that only that IBM product, program, or
service may be used. Any functionally equivalent product, program, or service that does not infringe any IBM
intellectual property right may be used instead. However, it is the user's responsibility to evaluate and verify the
operation of any non-IBM product, program, or service. IBM may have patents or pending patent applications
covering subject matter described in this document. The furnishing of this document does not give you any license
to these patents. You can send license inquiries, in writing, to:
IBM Director of Licensing, IBM Corporation, North Castle Drive, Armonk, NY 10504-1785 U.S.A.
The following paragraph does not apply to the United Kingdom or any other country where such provisions
are inconsistent with local law: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION PROVIDES THIS
PUBLICATION "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT
NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF NON-INFRINGEMENT, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS
FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. Some states do not allow disclaimer of express or implied warranties in certain
transactions, therefore, this statement may not apply to you. This information could include technical inaccuracies
or typographical errors. Changes are periodically made to the information herein; these changes will be
incorporated in new editions of the publication. IBM may make improvements and/or changes in the product(s)
and/or the program(s) described in this publication at any time without notice.
Any references in this information to non-IBM Web sites are provided for convenience only and do not in any
manner serve as an endorsement of those Web sites. The materials at those Web sites are not part of the materials
for this IBM product and use of those Web sites is at your own risk.IBM may use or distribute any of the information
you supply in any way it believes appropriate without incurring any obligation to you. Information concerning
non-IBM products was obtained from the suppliers of those products, their published announcements or other
publicly available sources. IBM has not tested those products and cannot confirm the accuracy of performance,
compatibility or any other claims related to non-IBM products. Questions on the capabilities of non-IBM products
should be addressed to the suppliers of those products. This information contains examples of data and reports
used in daily business operations. To illustrate them as completely as possible, the examples include the names of
individuals, companies, brands, and products. All of these names are fictitious and any similarity to the names and
addresses used by an actual business enterprise is entirely coincidental.
Any performance data contained herein was determined in a controlled environment. Therefore, the results
obtained in other operating environments may vary significantly. Some measurements may have been made on
development-level systems and there is no guarantee that these measurements will be the same on generally
available systems. Furthermore, some measurement may have been estimated through extrapolation. Actual
results may vary. Users of this document should verify the applicable data for their specific environment.
COPYRIGHT LICENSE:
This information contains sample application programs in source language, which illustrate programming
techniques on various operating platforms. You may copy, modify, and distribute these sample programs in any
form without payment to IBM, for the purposes of developing, using, marketing or distributing application programs
conforming to the application programming interface for the operating platform for which the sample programs are
written. These examples have not been thoroughly tested under all conditions. IBM, therefore, cannot guarantee or
imply reliability, serviceability, or function of these programs.
© Copyright International Business Machines Corporation 2013. All rights reserved.
Note to U.S. Government Users Restricted Rights -- Use, duplication or disclosure restricted by
GSA ADP Schedule Contract with IBM Corp.
IBM Flex System FC5052 2-port and FC5054 4-port 16Gb FC Adapters
13

14. This document was created or updated on July 30, 2013.
Send us your comments in one of the following ways:
Use the online Contact us review form found at:
ibm.com/redbooks

Send your comments in an e-mail to:
redbook@us.ibm.com

Mail your comments to:
IBM Corporation, International Technical Support Organization
Dept. HYTD Mail Station P099
2455 South Road
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601-5400 U.S.A.

This document is available online at http://www.ibm.com/redbooks/abstracts/tips1044.html .
Trademarks
IBM, the IBM logo, and ibm.com are trademarks or registered trademarks of International Business
Machines Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both. These and other IBM trademarked
terms are marked on their first occurrence in this information with the appropriate symbol (® or ™),
indicating US registered or common law trademarks owned by IBM at the time this information was
published. Such trademarks may also be registered or common law trademarks in other countries. A
current list of IBM trademarks is available on the Web at http://www.ibm.com/legal/copytrade.shtml
The following terms are trademarks of the International Business Machines Corporation in the United
States, other countries, or both:
AIX®
AIX
5
L™
IBM®
IBM Flex System™
Power Systems™
Redbooks®
Redbooks (logo)®
ServerProven®
ServicePac®
System Storage®
System x®
The following terms are trademarks of other companies:
Linux is a trademark of Linus Torvalds in the United States, other countries, or both.
Microsoft, Windows, and the Windows logo are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States,
other countries, or both.
Other company, product, or service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.
IBM Flex System FC5052 2-port and FC5054 4-port 16Gb FC Adapters
14