IBM 74Y2270-LP-RFB 4Gb 2-Port PCIe x4 FC Adapter

IBM Feature Code 5276 Overview

The IBM 5276 is a 4 Gigabit per second (Gbps), dual-port Fibre Channel (FC) PCI Express (PCIe) adapter designed for legacy scale-out and scale-up IBM Power Systems servers.

The variant denoted by Part Number 00E0904 and FRU 74Y2270 explicitly identifies this adapter pre-assembled with a Low-Profile (LP) mounting bracket. It provides enterprise-grade, high-availability storage area network (SAN) connectivity by utilizing two independent 4Gb ports that automatically backward-negotiate link speeds to accommodate legacy 2Gb or 1Gb SAN switch hardware.

Technical Specifications

Key Features & Capabilities

• Dual-Port Redundancy: Provides two completely autonomous 4Gb channels. This architecture enables Multi-Path I/O (MPIO) configuration across dual redundant SAN fabrics, safeguarding enterprise systems against single points of failure (SPoF) in host-bus paths or switches.

• N_Port ID Virtualization (NPIV): Supports NPIV standards. This feature allows multiple logical partitions (LPARs) running on IBM PowerVM to share a single physical Fibre Channel port while retaining unique worldwide port names (WWPNs) for independent SAN zoning and LUN masking.

• Fibre Channel Topologies: Natively supports point-to-point (F-port Fabric login) and switched fabric networks.

• Low-Profile Bracket Design: Designed specifically for dense, high-efficiency servers where vertical space inside the physical PCIe chassis riser is restricted.

System Compatibility

Supported Systems

This low-profile adapter is primary used in smaller 2U form-factor scale-out infrastructure enclosure nodes, including:

• IBM POWER7 / POWER7+ Systems: 8202-E4B, 8202-E4C, 8202-E4D (Power 720), 8205-E6B, 8205-E6C, 8205-E6D (Power 740)

• IBM POWER8 Systems: Compatibility is restricted to systems supporting legacy PCIe Gen1 slots or through specific low-profile conversion risers.

Operating System Requirements

• AIX 5.3, AIX 6.1, AIX 7.1, or later

• IBM i 6.1, 7.1, or later

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL 5 / RHEL 6 or later)

• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES 10 / SLES 11 or later)

• VIOS (Virtual I/O Server)

Technical Note: This adapter utilizes standard Multimode Fiber (MMF) wiring with LC-to-LC duplex connectors. Maximum cable distance limits depend on the core diameter of your fiber plant:

• OM1 (62.5-micron): Up to 50 meters at 4Gbps line rate.

• OM2 (50-micron): Up to 150 meters at 4Gbps line rate.

• OM3 (50-micron laser-optimized): Up to 380 meters at 4Gbps line rate.