Wired Intelligent Edge

Hi together.

We want to replace our two switches our servers are connected to with two switches that have 48x 10 GBase-T Downlinks (Copper).

The two existing switches (Aruba 3810M-48G-1-slot Switch (JL072A)) are runinning as a stack and are connected to two 5412R ZL2 with 10 GbE SFP+ DAC Cables.

The bad thing - and that's why I'm asking - is the following:

My reseller told me that the 8320 40G QSFP+ slots aren't capable of port splitting, so I can't use one of them to interconnect the 8320 with my 5412R.

The other bad thing is there are no adapters for using SFP+ modules in the QSFP+ slots like Cisco offers.

I was told that RJ45 SFP+ modules are not working very good, so what do you think would be my best options?

Buy a media converter from SFP+ to 10GBase-T? On additional device that could fail.

Upgrade the 5412R for using QSFP+? A bit expensive and not really practicable because our 5412R are really full and we'd had to throw out one 24 Port 100/1000 Module for that.

Any different ideas?

Have you already purchased the 8320?    You mention the model with 32 x 40G QSFP+ ports (JL579A).   Have you looked at the JL479A or JL581A?   The first has 48 SFP+ ports and the second has 48 x 1/10GBase-T.

The 8325 may be a choice as well given the 48Y8C models support both SFP/SFP+/SFP28 and QSFP+/QSFP28.

Hi, as of now on Aruba 8320 Switch Series no splitting cable solution was provided (to be used on the 6 QSFP+ ports of JL479A and JL581A or on the 32 QSFP+ ports of the JL579A)...and actually (as of now) those QSFP+ ports support only QSFP+ optical transceiver modules that use LC (JH232A, JL308A and Q9G82A) or MPO (JH231A and JH233A) connector standards.

So with Aruba 83x Switch Series you're pretty much limited in using QSFP+ ports with proper DAC Cables or QSFP+ Transceivers.

With regards to 10GBase-T Transceivers...SFP+ ports of Aruba 8320 Switch Sereis can accomodate (with restrictions) up to twelve JL563A 10GBase-T Copper Transceivers (ports 1/1/1-1/1/12, first twelve interfaces on Aruba 8320 JL479A)...on Aruba 8325 Switch Series - and only on JL624A/JL625A SKUs - restrictions are a little bit more complex (indeed the JL563A can be installed on top ports: 1-2, 4-5, 7-8 and 10-11).

So if you have a lot of 10GBase-T ports (more than a dozen...) things could be complex to accomodate...probably is really more simple (and cheaper) to purchase and install (one or two) dual SFP+ ports NICs per Server (with supported SFP+ Transceivers) and use an Aruba 8230!

The model I'm thinking about is the JL581A with 48x 10 GBase-T + 6x 40GQSFP+.

We haven't purchased the switch at the moment, I'm just planning which devices to buy.

That's because we want connect all servers via RJ45 copper. Some of them have 1 Gig NICs, some will have 10 GBase-T.

I'm not keen on using masses of tranceivers or the ability of incompatibilities with DAC cables and devices from different vendors on each side, the cable lenghts will be under 10 meters so this won't be a problem.

Twelve 10 GBase-T tranceivers won't be enough for our case, so that wouldn't be a good option.

In this case I have some options from other vendors.

JL581A is perfectly fine then.