and later [Release: N/A and later ]
Sun Fire E4900 Server - Version: Not Applicable and later [Release: N/A and later]
Sun Fire 6800 Server - Version: Not Applicable and later [Release: N/A and later]
Sun Fire E6900 Server - Version: Not Applicable and later [Release: N/A and later]
Sun Fire 4800 Server - Version: Not Applicable and later [Release: N/A and later]
Information in this document applies to any platform.
Goal
The aim of this document is to describe:
- Segments
- Domain
- Power Grids
for Serengeti platforms
Solution
Legenda:
Name
| Also called
|
|---|
Repeater
| RP / FS / Fireplane Switch
|
Partition
| Segment
|
Serengeti
| Sun Fire
|
MAC
| Media Access Control
The serial number burned into Ethernet and Token Ring adapters that identifies that network card from all others
|
Note:
Sun Fire 6800 images and tables also covers E6900 system
Sun Fire 4810/4800/3800 images and tables also covers E4900 system
Domain Allocations for Sun Fire E6900/6800/4810/E4900/4800/3800
- In a Sun Fire 6800/6900, a single Segment mode requires 4 Fireplane
Switches; and in a dual Segment mode requires 2 Fireplane
Switches/Segment.
- The other platforms in single Segment mode requires 2 Fireplane
Switches; and in dual Segment mode requires 1 Fireplane Switch/Segment.
Notes specific to E4900/4810/4800/3800:
Domain C with MAC B in the Dual Segment E4900/4810/4800/3800 is not a typo; see What about the MAC?
When Domain B -> Domain C only the MAC and hostID are migrated. The Domain Settings are not migrated.
Domain B and C should match: use setupdomain at the domain shell.
Domain B and C ACL should match: use setupplatform at a platform shell.
Effects of Segmenting and Adding Multiple Domains
Effects creating two Segments
- Data Bandwidth across Fireplane is reduced to half (4.8GB/s to 2.4GBs).
- Each Segment is logically independent from the other; i.e. The resources from one Segment will not
affect the other.
Effects of creating two Domains in a Segment:
- Domain Snooping Bandwidth is reduced to half (9.6GB/s to 4.8GB/s).
- Two Domains in a Segment share a common resource: a set of Fireplane Switches.
- Within a Segment, a failure in one Domain can influence the other Domain.
If any Fireplane Switch Fails
- Associated Domains cannot be brought up.
- Components such as system clocks, power and cooling are fully redundant. The system interconnect is redundantly configurable.
- From our point of view, redundant Fireplane Switches means the system can be reconfigured to avoid using the failed Fireplane Switch.
Recommendations
- Allocate Domain Resources on the Power Grid boundries.
- Try to use the above configurations which gives you 100% Domain Snooping Bandwidth.
- If creating two Domains then Segment the machine and
create one Domain / Segment; this will increase Reliability and
Availability.
Keep in mind:
- With the varying number of system configuration effecting
Domain Snooping Bandwidth and/or Data Bandwidth across the Fireplane,
does not necessarily mean applications will run slower.
- These are maximum performance numbers. If your
application performance is not bound by these characteristics,
Segmenting a Sun Fire and/or creating two Domains in a Segment will
likely have little or no effect whatsoever on your application.
- Consider what recommended means. This definition will
vary widely; it is based almost entirely on what the customer is trying
to achieve.
What about the MAC?
With the current implementation, the Media Access Control (MAC) addresses and HostIds for each of
the four domains on Sun Fire 6800/E6900 are fixed. Although all four domains can run
simultaneously, if a Solaris image moves from Domain A to Domain C it will
see a different MAC address and HostId. Obviously this is not the desired
behavior.
On the other platforms, Sun Fire E4900/4810/4800/3800, the ID board only contains two MAC addresses
for the domains. The first is reserved exclusively for Domain A, the second
is assigned to Domain B or C depending on Segmentation mode. It is not possible
to use Domain D on these systems, nor is it possible to have both B and C
running at the same time.
Resource Allocation along Power Grids
When configuring a system keep in mind the physical layout of the system.
Power Grid 0 Fails
- Domain A or B cannot be brought up
- SB0, SB2, SB4, IB6, or IB8 cannot be powered up
Power Grid 1 Fails (only on Sun Fire 6800/E6900)
- Domain C or D cannot be brought up
- SB1, SB3, SB5, IB7, or IB9 cannot be powered up
SBx and IBx boards can be allocated to any Domain in any Segment:
- Try and keep the resource allocation on the same Power Grid.
- Creating a Domain with resources from another Power Grid reduces the Reliability and Availability.
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