Black Box ServSwitch CX 用户手册

®

3  Connect the other 

end of the cascade 
link cable to one of 
the 

CATx USER PORTS

 

sockets on the rear 
panel of the lower 
unit. Due to the way 
in which ports within 
a link group are 
dynamically allocated, 
it is not usually 
important exactly 
which user port is 
connected to each 
server port of the 
upper unit.

4  Repeat steps 2 and 3 for each of the links within the group, adhering to the 

 for the correct link group boundaries on the 

COMPUTER CONNECTIONS

 ports of the upper switch.

Once the ServSwitch CX units and servers have been connected, you can edit 
their names to make it much easier to locate them. See the 

 section in the Configuration chapter for more details.

Please consider the following when making cascade connections between 
ServSwitch CX units.
Tips for successful cascading

•  The maximum number of levels for a cascade is three.
•  The maximum number of server systems that can be controlled within a 

cascade installation depends upon the ServSwitch CX unit placed at the 
top level. If the top level unit is a non-IP version, a maximum of 512 server 
systems can be controlled. However, if the top level unit is a ServSwitch CX 
with IP, the maximum number of servers drops to 128. This is due to the 
extra burden placed on the unit’s memory of administering global (IP) users. 

•  The number of links between units (three or four) determines the number of 

users that can simultaneously access the servers situated further down the 
tree. Link groups of one and two links should not be used.

•  Ensure that cascade links (within a group) between units are approximately 

the same length.

•  Triple and quad link groups may be mixed on one unit providing the 

links lie within the appropriate port boundaries designated in the 

•  ServSwitch CX 

with IP models can only be used at the top level of the 

cascade tree because they have only two 

CATx USER PORTS

 sockets and the 

minimum number of links required for a cascade group is three. 

•  For each cascade link, use a standard category 5, 5e or 6 twisted-pair cable, 

terminated at each end with an RJ45 connector. There must be no crossover 
connections within the cable, i.e. do not use patch cables. The cascade link 
cables can be up to 50m (160 feet) in length. However, remember that 
the overall length between any remote user (via a ServSwitch CX Remote 
extender) and any server (via a SAM) must not exceed 300m (980 feet) - that 
figure includes the cascade link cables. Ensure that each of the links within a 
cascade group all conform to the same length.

•  The procedure given opposite may be carried out in any order but for clarity 

the instruction will begin at the higher level ServSwitch CX unit (here called 
the upper unit), i.e. the one that is being fed into by a unit at the cascade 
level below (here called the lower unit). The procedure remains the same 
regardless of exactly which cascade levels are being connected. The basic 
rule is that each link is made by connecting a 

COMPUTER CONNECTIONS

 port of 

the upper switch to a 

CATx USER PORTS

 of the lower switch.

1  Ensure that power is disconnected from the ServSwitch CX and all other 

units to be connected.   

2  Connect one end of each 

cascade link cable to an 
appropriate 

COMPUTER 

CONNECTIONS

 port on the rear 

panel of the upper unit. Refer 
to the 

 for the correct link 

group boundaries.

•