Dell networking optics and cables connectivity guide

Dell Optics and Cables Connectivity Guide
Dell Networking Optics and Cables
Connectivity Guide
Networking I/O Connectivity Options
February 2015
Saleem Muhammad, Product Management
1 Gigabit Ethernet
(1GbE)
10 Gigabit
Ethernet (10GbE)
40 Gigabit
Ethernet (40GbE)
100 Gigabit Ethernet
(100GbE)
Fibre Channel
Revision Q116-0.1

Contents
2
Optics and Cables Selection by Use
Case
- Key factors influencing the decision 3
- Server to switch connectivity 4
- Storage to switch connectivity 5
- Switch to switch connectivity 6
- Optics and cables positioning 7
Quick Reference Guide
- Optics connectivity 9
- Cables connectivity 11
Frequently Asked Questions
- Types of cables and the concept of lanes 14
- Using 10GbE fiber for 40GbE and the appropriate use of
DWDM/CWDM optics
15
- Dell services & support for optics 16
Deployment and Technical Guides 17
Revision History 19
2 Dell Optics and Cables Connectivity Guide

Optics and cables selection by use case
Key factors* influencing the decision
Dell Optics and Cables Connectivity Guide3
Storage
Server
Switch
Bandwidth
• Depending on the application load requirements, customers
typically decide whether they want 1GbE, 10GbE, or 40GbE. In
some cases, the decision may also be dictated by the type of
traffic e.g. DCB requires 10GbE or higher.
Cost
• Servers claim the highest share of devices deployed in any data
center. Choosing a lower cost connectivity option results in a
much lower initial deployment cost.
Power
• In any high density server deployment, a connectivity option
which consumes lower power results in much lower OpEx.
Distance
• Servers are typically connected to a switch over a very short
distance i.e. typically within the same rack or, in some cases,
within the same row.
Cabling flexibility
• Some customer prefer to make their own copper cables due to
variable distance requirements. This requirement limits the
choice of connectivity to copper cables only.
Reliability
• Typical storage traffic is very sensitive to loss. Even a minor loss of traffic may result in
major impact on application performance.
Qualification
• Storage vendor qualification or recommendation plays an important role in this
decision due to reasons such as customer support, peace of mind, etc.
Latency
• Any time spent in transition is time taken away from data processing. Reducing
transition time results in much faster application performance. The result may have a
direct impact on customers’ bottom line e.g. faster processing of online orders.
Bandwidth
• On server facing ports, servers typically dictate the per port bandwidth requirement.
However, per port bandwidth requirement for the network facing (switch-to-switch)
ports depends on multiple factors including amount of traffic generated by the servers,
oversubscription ratios, fiber limitations, etc.
Distance
• An inter-switch or switch to router connection could range from a few inches to tens of
kilometers. Generally, the price of optics increases as the distance increases.
Latency
• The network topology and application traffic profile (East-west, HPC, computer
clusters, etc.) and influence the minimum latency that can be tolerated in the network.
* This is not an exhaustive list of all potential factors influencing a customers decision. The key
factors listed here are more commonly seen as influencing the decision of a customer. However,
there could be a number of other factors, not listed here, which could have an impact on the final
decision.
1
2
3

Server to switch connectivity
Server1
Bandwidth
1GbE 10GbE 40GbE 100GbE
Copper Cables (RJ-45)
Optics Optics
• SFP 1G-T
• SFP SX
Commonly used
Occasionally used
Direct Attach Copper (DAC) Cables
• SFP+ DAC in various lengths
• SFP+ SR
Optics
• XFP CX4
Active Optical Cables (AOC)
Optics
• QSFP+ DAC in various lengths
• QSFP+ AOC in various lengths
• QSFP+ SR4
HowoftendeployedMore
oftenLessoften
25GbE
Coming soon Not
commercially
available

Storage to switch connectivity
Bandwidth
FC 10GbE1 40GbE1
100GbE1
Optics
Optics
Commonly used
Occasionally used
• SFP+ SR
Storage2
1GbE1
Optics
• SFP SX
• SFP+ 8Gb, SWL
HowoftendeployedMore
oftenLessoften
25GbE1
Not
commercially
available
Not
commercially
available
Not
commercially
available
1. Represents Ethernet network. In the context of this slide,
this implies Ethernet network for iSCSI storage.
Optics
• SFP+ 16Gb, SWL

Switch to switch connectivity
Bandwidth
FC 10GbE 40GbE 100GbE
Optics
• SFP+ 8Gb, SWL
• SFP+ 8Gb, LWL
Commonly used
Occasionally used
Optics
• SFP+ ER
• SFP+ ZR
• SFP+ DWDM
Howoftendeployed
Active Optical Cables (AOC)
Optics
• QSFP+ DAC in various lengths
• QSFP+ AOC in various lengths
• QSFP+ ESR4
• QSFP+ PSM
Switch 3
1GbE
Optics
• SFP SX
• SFP FX
• SFP LX
• SFP ZX
Optics
• SFP+ SR
• SFP+ LR
• SFP+ LRM
MPO Cables
• MPO Cables in various lengths
Optics
• QSFP28 SR4
• QSFP28 LR4
Optics
• QSFP28 PSM4
• QSFP28 CWDM
• CXP SR10
Optics
• QSFP+ SR4
• QSFP+ LR4
• QSFP+ LM4
More
oftenLessoften
25GbE
Coming soon

7
Optics and Cables Positioning
Optics
Distance†
Speed
Short
(e.g. within DC/building)
Medium
(e.g. between DC/buildings)
Long
(e.g. across metro)
100GbE40GbE10GbE1GbE
• SFP+ LR
• SFP+ DWDM
• XFP CX4
• XFP SR
• SFP FX
• SFP ZX
• SFP+ SWL
• QSFP+ SR4
• QSFP+ LR4
• QSFP+ PSM4
• QSFP28 LR4*
Fibre
Channel
• SFP+ LWL
50m 150m 250m 550m 1km 2km 10km 100km
• SFP SX • SFP LX• SFP 1G-T
• SFP+ SR
• SFP+ LRM
• SFP+ ER
• SFP+ ZR
• XFP ER
• XFP LR
• XFP ZR
• XFP DWDM
• QSFP+ ESR4
• QSFP+ PSM
• QSFP+ LM4
• QSFP+ QSA
• QSFP28 SR4*
• QSFP28 CWDM4*
* Not a shipping product
• CXP SR10*
• QSFP28 PSM4*
† Based on maximum supported distance on best grade fiber. See the Quick Reference Guide for additional distances using lower grade fiber
• SFP+ ELWL

Quick
Reference
Guide
88
?

Models IEEE
Standard
MSA Receptacle Power Wavelength Distance Fiber Mode
100MbE and
1GbE
SFP-100M-FX 802.3u SFP Duplex LC ≤1.5W 1310nm 2km (OM1, OM2) SMF 11
SFP-1G-T 802.3z SFP RJ-45 ≤1.5W NA 100m Twisted Pair 11
SFP-1G-SX
802.3z SFP Duplex LC ≤1.5W 850nm 200m (FDDI grade) MMF 11
275m (OM1)
550m (OM2, OM3, OM4)
SFP-1G-LX
802.3z SFP Duplex LC ≤1.5W 1310nm 10km SMF 11
550m (FDDI grade, OM1,
OM2)
MMF
SFP-1G-ZX 802.3z SFP Duplex LC ≤1.5W 1550nm 80km SMF 11
10GbE
SFP-10G-SR
SFP-10G-SR-12
802.3ae SFP+ Duplex LC ≤1.5W 850nm 26m (FDDI grade) MMF 11
33m (OM1)
82m (OM2)
300m (OM3)
400m (OM4)
SFP-10G-LRM
802.3ae SFP+ Duplex LC ≤1.5W 1310nm 220m (FDDI grade, OM1,
OM2, OM3, OM4)
MMF 11
SFP-10G-LR 802.3ae SFP+ Duplex LC ≤1.5W 1310nm 10km SMF 11
SFP-10G-ER6
802.3ae SFP+ Duplex LC ≤1.5W 1550nm 40km SMF 11
SFP-10G-W17 through
SFP-10G-W612
N/A SFP+ Duplex LC ≤1.5W C-Band, 100GHz 80km SMF 11
SFP-10G-ZR6
802.3ae SFP+ Duplex LC ≤1.5W 1550nm 80km SMF 11
XFP-10G-SR5
802.3ae XFP Duplex LC ≤1.5W 850nm 26m (FDDI grade) MMF 11
33m (OM1)
82m (OM2)
300m (OM3)
400m (OM4)
XFP-10G-LR5 802.3ae XFP Duplex LC ≤1.5W 1310nm 10km SMF 11
XFP-10G-ER5, 6 802.3ae XFP Duplex LC ≤1.5W 1550nm 40km SMF 11
Optics Connectivity
(Optics in each group are listed in the order of list price i.e. low to high)Dell Optics and Cables Connectivity Guide

Models IEEE
Standard
MSA Receptacle Power Wavelength Distance Fiber Mode
10GbE
XFP-10G-ZR5, 6
802.3ae XFP Duplex LC ≤1.5W 1550nm 80km SMF 11
XFP-10G-W21 through
XFP-10G-W605, 2
N/A XFP Duplex LC ≤1.5W C-Band, 100GHz 80km SMF 11
40GbE
QSA-QSFP-SFP+ 802.3ba NA NA ≤1.5W Varies Varies Varies 11
QSFP-40G-LM4
802.3ba QSFP+ Duplex LC ≤3.5W 1310NM 140m (OM3) MMF 11
160m (OM4)
QSFP-40G-SR4
802.3ba QSFP+ MPO ≤1.5W 850nm 100m (OM3) MMF 11, 14
150m (OM4)
QSFP-40G-ESR4
802.3ba QSFP+ MPO ≤1.5W 850nm 300m (OM3) MMF 11, 14
400m (OM4)
QSFP-40G-PSM-1M 802.3ba QSFP+ MPO Pig-tail1 ≤1.5W 1490nm 2km SMF 11
QSFP-40G-PSM4-LR 802.3ba QSFP+ MPO ≤3.5W 1310nm 10km SMF 11, 14
QSFP-40G-LR4 802.3ba QSFP+ Duplex LC ≤3.5W 1310nm 10km SMF 11
100GbE
QSFP28-100G-SR43
802.3bm QSFP28 MPO ≤3.5W 850nm 70m (OM3) MMF 11
100m (OM4)
CXP-100G-SR103
802.3ba CXP MPO ≤3.5W 850nm 100m (OM3) MMF 11
150m (OM4)
QSFP28-100G-LR43
802.3ba QSFP28 Duplex LC ≤4.5W 1310nm 10km SMF 11
QSFP28-100G-PSM43
(Note 4) QSFP28 MPO ≤3.5W 1310nm 500m SMF 11
QSFP28-100G-CWDM3
(Note 4) QSFP28 Duplex LC ≤3.5W 1310nm 2km SMF 11
Fibre Channel
SFP-8GFC-SWL NA SFP+ Duplex LC ≤1.5W 770nm – 860nm 150m (OM3) MMF 11
SFP-8GFC-LWL NA SFP+ Duplex LC ≤1.5W 1260nm – 1360nm 10km SMF 11
SFP-8GFC-ELWL NA SFP+ Duplex LC ≤1.5W 1260nm – 1360nm 25km SMF 11
SFP-16GFC-SWL NA SFP+ Duplex LC 0.8W 770nm – 860nm 125m (OM4 MMF 11
SFP-16GFC-LWL NA SFP+ Duplex LC ≤1.5W 1295nm – 1325nm 10km SMF 11
Optics Connectivity
(Optics in each group are listed in the order of list price i.e. low to high)

Models IEEE
Standard
MSA Power Bend Radius Distance Cable Mode
10GbE
DAC-SFP-10G-0.5M 802.3ae (SFI) SFP+ Passive 35mm 0.5m Copper 11
DAC-SFP-10G-1M 802.3ae (SFI) SFP+ Passive 35mm 1m Copper 11
AOC-SFP-10G-15M 802.3ae (SFI) SFP+ ≤1.5W 30mm 15m Optical 11
XFP-10G-CX4 802.3ae XFP ≤2W NA 15m Copper 11
40GbE
DAC-QSFP-40G-0.5M 802.3ba (CR4) QSFP+ Passive 50mm 0.5m Copper 11
DAC-QSFP-40G-1M 802.3ba (CR4) QSFP+ Passive 50mm 1m Copper 11
AOC-QSFP-40G-10M 802.3ba (XLPPI) QSFP+ ≤1.5W 10m Optical 11
AOC-QSFP-40G-50M 802.3ba (XLPPI) QSFP+ ≤1.5W 50m Optical 11
DAC-QSFP-4SFP-10G-0.5M 802.3ae (SFI) QSFP+ Passive 70mm/35mm 0.5m Copper 14
DAC-QSFP-4SFP-10G-1M 802.3ae (SFI) QSFP+ Passive 70mm/35mm 1m Copper 14
DAC-QSFP-4RJ45-1G-1M 802.3ae (SFI) QSFP+ Passive 1m Copper 14
CBL-MPO12-4LC-OM3-1M NA QSFP+7 NA 1m Optical 14
CBL-MPO12-4LC-SM-5M NA QSFP+7 NA 5m Optical 14
Cables Connectivity
(Cables in each group are listed in the order of list price i.e. low to high)

Models IEEE
Standard
MSA Power Bend
Radius
Distance Cable Mode
40GbE
CBL-MPO12-OM3-1M NA QSFP+8 Passive 1m Optical 11
100GbE
DAC-QSFP28-100G-1M 802.3bj (CR4) QSFP28 Passive 1m Copper 11
DAC-QSFP28-100G-2M 802.3b (CR4) QSFP28 Passive 2m Copper 11
DAC-QSFP28-4SFP28-
25G-1M
25GE Consortium QSFP28 Passive 1m Copper 14
DAC-QSFP28-4SFP28-
25G-3M
DAC-QSFP28-4SFP28-
25G-5M
AOC-QSFP28-100G-10M 802.3bm (CAUI4) QSFP28 ≤3.5W 10m Copper 11
Cables Connectivity
6. For short distances, it is recommended that the user add appropriate
value of in-line optical attenuation to avoid exceeding the receiver
overload threshold (-1dBm for 10G-ER, and -7dBm for 10G-ZR)
7. Requires QSFP+ optics on one end and SFP+ optics on the other
end, which are not included with the cables.
8. Requires QSFP+ optics on both ends, which are not included with
the cables.
Notes
1. Optics come with attached MPO pigtail cables that are intended to
plug into MPO Patch panels at customer site. Specified MPO cable
length is different than the distance between two optics on both ends
of the connection.
2. Wavelength varies for the optics. Different channels are supported on
these optics and every channel provides different wavelength.
3. These optics are currently not shipping.
4. Follows the specification defined in the PSM4/CWDM4 MSAs.
5. XFP is an older technology and is mostly seen in legacy solutions only
(Optics in each group are listed in the order of list price i.e. low to high)

Frequently
Asked
Questions

14
Cables
Optical fiber
• Traffic carried using light
over optical fiber
Single Mode Fiber (SMF)
• Allows only a single mode of light to
propagate
• Good for long distance transmission
Copper cable
• Traffic carried using electrical
signal over copper conductor
Multi Mode Fiber (MMF)
• Allows multiple modes of light to
propagate
• Good for short distance transmission
OS1
• Appropriate for indoor
deployments
OS2
• Appropriate for outdoor
deployments, commonly
used for switch to switch
connection
OM1
• 62.5µm, found in legacy
systems and not common
today
OM2
• 50µm; suitable for 1GbE
• 50µm laser optimized; ideal for
10GbE
• 50µm laser optimized; ideal for
10GbE, 40GbE, and 100GbE
OM3
OM4
Twisted pair (RJ-45)
• Multiple pairs of wires in a cable
Twinaxial (DAC)
• Like Coaxial cables but with two
inner conductors
Cat5/Cat5e
• Appropriate for short
distance; ideal for 1GbE
and short distance for
10GbE
• Custom length cables can
be created on site
Point to point
deployments; ideal for 1GbE,
10GbE, or 40GbE
• Multiple fixed length cables
available
Breakout
deployments; breakout one 40GbE
or 100GbE into multiple links
• Single connector on one end
breaks to multiple connectors on
the other end
• Multiple fixed length cables
available
Cat6/Cat6a
• Appropriate for short
distance; ideal for 10GbE
• Custom length cables can
be created on site
What is a lane?
• Lanes are used to achieve higher data transmission
rates such as 40GbE and 100GbE
• Multiple lower rate data streams (10GbE or 25GbE) are
grouped in lanes
40GbE
• Four lanes carrying 10Gb in each direction
• The lanes can be copper cables, wavelengths, or
fibers
100GbE
• Four lanes carrying 25Gb or ten lanes carrying 10Gb
in each direction
• The lanes can be copper cables, wavelengths, or
fibers
FDDI grade
• 62.5µm, found in legacy systems
and not common today
What are the different types of cables?

Dell Optics and Cables Conneectivity Guide15
Can existing 10GbE fiber cables be used for 40GbE?
Typical 10GbE fiber Typical 40GbE fiber
Optical Module Optical Module2 fibers makes a link
e.g. 10G-SR
Optical Module
Optical Module
Multiple fibers, typically 8,
makes a link. E.g. 40G-SR4,
using 10G per fiber
Previously, the answer was no since 10GbE fiber cables have two fibers whereas 40GbE fiber cables have eight or more fibers, as shown below.
Dell has recently introduced a 40GbE LM4 optic which provides customers the flexibility of using the existing 10GbE cables for 40GbE
connections. This is accomplished by sending data over 4 wavelengths, each capable of carrying 10GbE, over single fiber. This is shown in the
example below.
QSFP 40G-LM4
4x10G wavelengths
4x10G wavelengths
QSFP 40G-LM4
By using Dell’s 40GbE LM4 QSFP+ optics on both ends of the connection, customers are able to leverage existing 10GbE cable infrastructure.
This approach significantly lowers the cost of deployment while improving the time to deployment over traditional approach to 40GbE
deployments.
Are DWDM and CWDM optics just like a regular optic?
Users of DWDM optical modules are expected to engineer the link to suit their deployment. Choice of appropriate DWDM mux-demux, optical
amplification, CD compensation, etc. to meet specific link budget requirements is left to the end user. Both ends of the link must have Dell
DWDM optics. Dell can provide detailed optical transceiver data-sheet upon request.
Users of CWDM optical modules can simply connect the two optics using a single mode fiber (SMF) cable just like a regular Ethernet optic is
connected. It is not absolutely required to use Dell CWDM optics on both ends.

Frequently Asked Questions – Services & Support
Dell Optics and Cables Conneectivity Guide16
Is it ok to install a non-Dell optic in a Dell switch? Is it ok to install a non-Dell DAC cable in a Dell switch?
In order to ensure that users enjoy the most reliable network
experience with Dell switches, Dell goes through a very stringent and
lengthy process of cables validation, qualification, and certification.
Dell fully stands behind such a solution and, in the unlikely event that
a user comes across a problem, Dell’s support personnel will help
address the issues.
If a non-Dell DAC cable, which is standards compliant, is plugged into
a Dell switch, the switch will continue to perform as well as the cable
allows. Additionally, since cables are passive components and as long
as the cables are standards based, If Dell Support determines that the
reported issue is caused by the use of non-Dell DAC then they will
recommend that the customer replace the unsupported DAC with
qualified Dell optics.
As a matter of best practice, Dell recommends that end user test non-
Dell optics appropriately, prior to deploying them in production
environment.
Are Dell optics covered under Dell warranty and
support options?
Dell approved optics are covered by Dell warranty and support options
but there are limitations and different terms based on the type of
warranty. Please find more detail
here: http://www.dell.com/learn/us/en/19/campaigns/lifetime-
warranty. Typically, the warranty support on the Dell approved optic
aligns with the hardware warranty.
A customer is generally discouraged from installing non-Dell optics in
Dell switches.
In order to ensure that users enjoy the most reliable network experience
with Dell switches, Dell goes through a very stringent and lengthy
process of optics validation, qualification, and certification. Dell fully
stands behind such a solution and, in the unlikely event that a user
comes across a problem, Dell’s support personnel will help address the
issues.
If a non-Dell optic is plugged into a Dell switch, the switch will continue
to perform as well as the optic allows. A warning message might be
displayed, indicating that the optics are not supported/tested by Dell
Engineering.
Dell Support will assist customer in case there is a problem. If Dell
Support determines that the reported issue is caused by the use of non-
Dell optics then they will recommend that the customer replace the
unsupported optics with qualified Dell optics. As a matter of best
practice, Dell recommends that end user test non-Dell optics
appropriately, prior to deploying them in production environment.
Are Dell optics covered under the Lifetime
Limited Warranty (LLW) for N series products?
Dell approved optics are covered as long as the original customer
owns the product.

Dell Optics and Cables Conneectivity Guide
Is it ok to install an optic from a Dell switch into Dell
server NICs?
It is very common for customers to use DAC (TwinAx) cables instead of
optics to connect server NICs to switches. Customers have the flexibility to
use either a switch qualified or a server qualified DAC cable.
If a customer chooses to use optics, Dell recommends using a switch
qualified optic in a switch and a NIC qualified optic in a server NIC. Fibre
Channel (FC) HBAs and FC switches ship with pre-installed FC optics.
Customer should use the same optics in both of these products.
Please consult your Dell representative to find a list of qualified optics.
Is it ok to install an optic from a Dell switch into Dell
storage ?
It is very common for customers to use DAC (TwinAx) cables instead of
optics to connect Dell Ethernet based storage ports to switches.
Customers have the flexibility to use either a switch qualified or a storage
qualified DAC cable.
If a customer chooses to use optics, Dell strongly recommends using a
storage qualified optic in a storage controller port and a switch qualified
optic in a switch port. Fibre Channel (FC) storage and FC switches ship
with pre-installed FC optics. Customer should use the same optics in both
of these products.
Please consult your Dell representative to find a list of qualified optics.
Are Dell approved optics covered under ProSupport, ProSupport Plus and ProSupport
Flex for Data Center?
The Dell approved optics are covered under the same terms and conditions as the ProSupport contract. For example, if a customer purchases a 3 year
NBD ProSupport contract then that Dell approved optic will also be covered NBD for 3 years.
Is it ok to install an optic from one Dell switch into another?
In most cases, the answer is yes. However, it is highly encouraged that the user contact their Dell representative to confirm if there are any specific
requirements or exceptions.
Dell supplied Fibre Channel (FC) optics must be installed in Dell’s FC products. Dell supplied FC optics for Brocade OEM products must be used with
Brocade products. Dell FC optics in Brocade switches and Brocade optics in Dell switches are not supported.

Dell Optics and Cables Conneectivity Guide
Is it ok to use a Dell DAC cable to connect a Dell device to a non-Dell device?
Dell DAC should function normally when inter-connecting Dell and non-Dell Devices. However, Dell recommends use of optics in multivendor
environment because there is always a possibility that a non-Dell device may have deviated from the standards based implementation.
Dell Support will assist the customer in case of a problem. However, if Dell Support identifies that the reported issue is caused by use of DAC cables,
they will likely recommend the use of optics, instead of DAC.
As a matter of best practice, Dell recommends that the end user test DAC cables, prior to deploying them in multi-vendor inter-connect environment.
Is it ok to use a Dell DAC cable to connect Dell switch to other Dell devices?
Dell provides full and complete support for Dell DAC, when deployed between Dell devices. Any issues attributed to the use of Dell DAC on ,and,
between Dell devices, will be investigated by Dell Support
Is it ok to use a DAC cable between a 10bE CNA and a 1GbE switch or 1GbE adapter with 10GbE switch?
It is recommended to use optics instead of DAC if connecting at 1GbE speeds. Additionally, please ensure that both the switch and the server adapter
support operation at 1GbE because some adapters support 10GbE only.

Deployment and
Technical Guides

Deployment & Technical Guides
Detailed guides to help you get connected
Product Focus Document Title Tags
Z9500 Dell Networking Cable Management Kit Cable management, 40GbE
S6000, Z9500 Cable Breakout System for Dell Networking Fabric Switches Patch panel, 40GbE
20
Infrastructure

We encourage readers of this publication to provide feedback on the
quality and usefulness of this information by sending an email to
- Saleem Muhammad (Saleem_Muhammad@dell.com)
Feedback

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