IBM 46M6138 / 46M6140 / 46M6142 Emulex 8Gb Fibre Channel
The IBM 46M6138, 46M6140, and 46M6142 are part of a powerful Emulex-based Fibre Channel adapter series, designed specifically for IBM BladeCenter systems requiring high-performance, low-latency SAN connectivity. With dual 8Gbps Fibre Channel ports and a compact CIOv form factor, this card delivers robust, enterprise-grade I/O performance for storage area networks (SANs), enabling organizations to scale and optimize their storage infrastructures efficiently.
This dual-port Fibre Channel adapter is ideal for virtualized data centers and enterprise workloads that demand high throughput and low CPU utilization. It supports both SAN booting and N-Port ID Virtualization (NPIV), making it highly suitable for clustered applications, storage-intensive services, and virtual machine environments.
Key Features of IBM 46M6140
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• Dual 8Gbps Fibre Channel Ports
Provides high-speed, full-duplex SAN connectivity with efficient bandwidth utilization and redundancy. -
• Emulex Architecture
Ensures stable and reliable Fibre Channel performance with advanced error recovery and low CPU overhead. -
• CIOv BladeCenter Form Factor
Specially designed for IBM BladeCenter environments, maximizing slot availability while maintaining system airflow. -
• Backward Compatibility
Auto-negotiates down to 4Gbps and 2Gbps, enabling seamless integration into legacy SAN environments. -
• Advanced Virtualization Support
NPIV capability enables multiple virtual ports on a single physical interface, perfect for VMware, Hyper-V, and other hypervisors. -
• Boot-from-SAN Support
Allows blades to boot directly from a SAN, enabling diskless configurations and simplifying disaster recovery strategies. -
• Proven Reliability
Emulex Fibre Channel technology is widely recognized for long-term stability, low failure rates, and enterprise-grade support. -
• Low Profile, High Density
Ideal for dense, space-constrained blade server chassis where airflow and thermal efficiency are critical.
Technical Specifications of IBM 46M6140
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Part Numbers | 46M6138, 46M6140, 46M6142 |
| Adapter Type | Fibre Channel CIOv Expansion Card |
| Interface Type | PCIe (via CIOv connector) |
| Form Factor | CIOv (Compact I/O virtual) |
| Data Transfer Rate | 8Gbps per port, full-duplex |
| Number of Ports | 2 × SFP+ Fibre Channel ports |
| Controller | Emulex Fibre Channel |
| Backward Compatibility | 4Gbps / 2Gbps Fibre Channel support |
| Virtualization Features | NPIV (N_Port ID Virtualization) |
| Boot Support | SAN Boot Capability |
| Compatibility | IBM BladeCenter HS22, HS23, and compatible blades |
| RoHS Compliance | Yes (RoHS R6) |
Use Case Scenarios
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• Enterprise SAN Deployments
Seamlessly integrates with Fibre Channel SANs in high-demand enterprise environments. -
• Virtualized Data Centers
Supports large-scale virtual machine deployments with high I/O throughput and NPIV capabilities. -
• Diskless Blade Booting
Efficient boot-from-SAN configurations for faster provisioning and reduced hardware failure points. -
• Redundant Storage Connectivity
Dual ports offer failover and load balancing for mission-critical applications. -
• Performance-Critical Applications
Optimized for workloads such as OLTP databases, video editing, big data analytics, and backup solutions.
Why Choose the IBM Emulex 8Gb CIOv Dual-Port FC Card?
With advanced Emulex technology, high throughput, and compatibility with IBM BladeCenter servers, this dual-port FC adapter is engineered for enterprise environments that rely on stable, scalable, and secure SAN connectivity. Whether you’re building a virtualized infrastructure, modernizing storage access, or simply increasing redundancy in your existing network, this card provides the robust performance and feature set needed to meet the challenges of modern IT infrastructure.
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