166 IBM eX5 Implementation Guide
4.10.3 Emulex 10Gb Ethernet Adapter
As described in 4.3, “Models” on page 124, certain models include the Emulex 10Gb Ethernet
Adapter as standard. The card is installed in PCIe slot 5. Slot 5 is a nonstandard x8 slot,
which is slightly longer than normal. It accepts both standard PCIe adapters and the Emulex
10Gb Ethernet Adapter.
The Emulex 10Gb Ethernet Adapter in the x3690 X5 has been customized with a special type
of connector called an
extended edge connector. The card is colored blue instead of green to
indicate that it is nonstandard and that it cannot be installed in a standard x8 PCIe slot.
At the time of writing, only the x3850 X5 and the x3690 X5 have slots that are compatible with
the custom-built Emulex 10Gb Ethernet Adapter that is shown in Figure 4-46 on page 166.
Figure 4-46 The Emulex 10Gb Ethernet Adapter has a blue circuit board and a longer connector
The Emulex 10Gb Ethernet Adapter is a customer-replaceable unit (CRU). To replace the
adapter (for example, under warranty), order the CRU number, as shown in Table 4-33. The
table also shows the regular Emulex 10Gb Virtual Fabric Adapter (VFA) for IBM System x
option, which differs only in the connector type (standard x8) and the color of the circuit board
(green).
Tip: The Emulex 10Gb Ethernet Adapter that is standard with specific models is a custom
version of the Emulex 10Gb Virtual Fabric Adapter for IBM System x, 49Y4250. However,
the features and functions of the two adapters are identical.
Redundancy: The standard version of the Emulex VFA and the eX5 extended edge
custom version can be used together as a redundant pair. This pair is a supported
combination.