Product Description
IBM ACHK 8 Gb FC 4 Port Host Interface Card
IBM ACHK 8 Gb FC 4 Port Host Interface Card (feature code ACHK), an optional I/O adapter card providing four 8 Gb Fibre Channel ports along with two shortwave SFP transceivers. This host interface card adds or upgrades 8 Gb FC connectivity to the control enclosure, enabling high-speed Fibre Channel host attachment for block storage access in supported systems.
It is specifically designed for the IBM Storwize V3700 control enclosure (2072 series), allowing flexible host connectivity alongside standard 6 Gb SAS and 1 Gb iSCSI ports (or optional 10 Gb iSCSI/FCoE). The card supports 8 Gb/s speeds with auto-negotiation fallback, suitable for SAN fabrics requiring reliable, dedicated FC performance.
Key Specifications
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Ports | 4 x 8 Gb Fibre Channel ports |
| Interface | 8 Gb/s Fibre Channel (FC); backward-compatible with 4/2 Gb/s |
| Transceivers Included | Two shortwave SFP transceivers (for initial connectivity; additional SFPs can be added for all ports) |
| Feature Code / Part Number | ACHK (often associated with IBM part equivalents like 00MJ093 or similar) |
| Form Factor | PCIe-based I/O adapter card (installs in node canister slots) |
| Installation | Plug-in to control enclosure node canister; supports up to limited adapters per enclosure (model-dependent) |
| Use Case | Adds 8 Gb FC host connectivity to the Storwize V3700 control enclosure |
Configuration Options
The base offering is the single adapter card (#ACHK) with two shortwave SFPs. Common associated IBM options for Storwize V3700 environments include:
- Additional SFPs: Shortwave or longwave 8 Gb FC SFPs for remaining ports or extended distances
- Cables: Compatible 8 Gb FC cables (multimode OM3/OM4 for shortwave, single-mode for longwave)
- Other Host Cards: Mix with other optional interfaces (e.g., 10 Gb iSCSI/FCoE or SAS) if slots allow
- No additional licenses typically required for basic FC connectivity
These enable customized host connectivity setups aligned with SAN infrastructure needs.
Compatibilities
The IBM ACHK 8 Gb FC 4 Port Host Interface Card is compatible with:
- Control Enclosures: IBM Storwize V3700 (2072 series control enclosure only; adds 8 Gb FC host ports).
- Systems: Storwize V3700 family; inherits full system features like virtualization, thin provisioning, Easy Tier, FlashCopy snapshots, remote mirroring, and RAID 0/1/5/6/10.
- Host Connectivity: Supports 8 Gb Fibre Channel HBAs on servers; interoperable with 8 Gb/4 Gb/2 Gb FC SAN switches and fabrics.
- Operating Systems / Servers: Broad support via Storwize V3700 connectivity; compatible with major OS including Microsoft Windows Server, Red Hat/SUSE Linux, VMware vSphere/ESXi, IBM AIX, Oracle Solaris, HP-UX.
- Restrictions: Specific to Storwize V3700 control enclosure (not for V7000, V5000, or later generations like FlashSystem models); limited adapter slots per node canister; requires appropriate firmware level for full support.
This provides enhanced FC host connectivity for legacy Storwize V3700 setups.
