Subscribe to this informationPCI adapter placement rules and slot priorities for the 8231-E2B
Some adapters must be placed in specific PCI Express (PCIe) slots to function correctly or to perform optimally. Learn how to determine the slot to install Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) adapters for the IBM® Power® 730 Express (8231-E2B) system.
PCI slot descriptions
Figure 1 shows the rear view of the 8231-E2B system with the location codes for the PCI adapter slots. Table 1 describes the slots. Table 2 shows details of the slot priorities and the maximum supported adapters on the 8231-E2B system.
All slots in this system are low-profile slots only. Each PCIe is a separate PCI host bridge (PHB).
| Slot | Location code | Description | PHB | Adapter size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slot 1 | P1-C3 | PCIe x8 | PCIe PHB0 module A | Low-profile |
| Slot 2 | P1-C4 | PCIe x8 | PCIe PHB1 module A | Low-profile |
| Slot 3 | P1-C5 | PCIe x8 | PCIe PHB2 module A | Low-profile |
| Slot 4 | P1-C6 | PCIe x8 | PCIe PHB3 module A | Low-profile |
PCIe adapters
All slots in this system are the same and have equal importance while installing the adapter. Use this information to identify slot placement priorities and the maximum number of specified adapters that you can install. Ensure to verify if the adapter is supported for your system. For details about the supported adapters, see Supported PCI adapters for the 8231-E2B, 8231-E1C, 8231-E1D, 8231-E2C, 8231-E2D, or 8268-E1D.
| Feature code | Description | Maximum number of adapters supported per system |
|---|---|---|
| 5277 | 4-port Async EIA-232 PCIe 1X
LP Adapter (FC 5277; CCIN 57D2)
|
4 |
| 5290 | PCIe LP 2-port Async EIA-232
Adapter (FC 5290; CCIN 57D4)
|
2 |
| 5273 | 8 Gb PCI Express Dual-port Fibre Channel
Adapter (FC 5273; CCIN 577D)
|
4 |
| 5276 | 4-Gb PCI Express Dual-port Fibre Channel
Adapter (FC 5276; CCIN 5774)
|
4 |
| 5269 | POWER® GXT145 PCI Express Graphics Accelerator
(FC 5269; CCIN 5269)
|
4 |
| 5260 | PCIe2 LP 4-port 1 GbE Adapter
(FC 5260; CCIN 576F)
|
4 |
| 5270 | 10 Gb FCoE PCIe Dual-port Adapter
(FC 5270; CCIN 2B3B)
|
4 |
| 5271 | 4-port 10/100/1000 Base-TX PCI Express Adapter (FC 5271;
CCIN 5717)
|
4 |
| 5272 | 10 Gb Ethernet-CX4 PCI Express Adapter (FC 5272;
CCIN 5272)
|
4 |
| 5274 | 2-port Gb Ethernet-SX PCI Express Adapter (FC 5274;
CCIN 5768)
|
4 |
| 5275 | 10 Gb Ethernet-SR PCI Express Adapter (FC 5275;
CCIN 2B54)
|
4 |
| 5281 | 1 Gb Ethernet UTP 2-port PCIe
Adapter (FC 5281; CCIN 5767)
|
4 |
| 2053 | PCIe RAID and SSD SAS Adapter
3 Gb Low-profile (FC 2053; CCIN 57CD)
|
2 |
| 5278 | PCIe Dual-x4 SAS Adapter (FC
5278; CCIN 57B3)
|
4 |
Performance notes
Use the information in this section to determine the maximum number of adapters that can be placed in a system while still maintaining optimum performance.
Performance notes regarding GX++ channel adapters
Table 2 identifies the slot placement priorities and the maximum number of specified adapters that can be installed for connectivity. However, for optimum performance, you might want to further limit the total number of high bandwidth and extra-high bandwidth adapters. The system supports the FC 5266 GX++ dual port adapter. When plugging in these adapters, if only one adapter is being configured it must be placed in the GX++ slot 2. This placement helps distribute the I/O traffic over the GX buses to the processors.
