Network Switch Port LED and Status LED Guidelines

Data centers today have a large number of network switches manufactured by different hardware vendors running network operating systems from different providers. This section provides a set of guidelines for how network port and status LEDs appear on the front panel of a network switch. This provides you with a standard way to identify the state of a switch and its ports by looking at its front panel, irrespective of the hardware vendor or NOS.

Network Port LEDs

A network port LED indicates the state of the link, such as link UP or transmit and receive activity. Here are the requirements for these LEDs:

• Number of LEDs per port - Ports that you cannot split; for example, 1G ports must have 1 LED per port. Ports that you can split have 1 LED per split port. For example, a 40G port that you can split into 4 10G ports has 4 LEDs, one per split port.
• Location - A port LED must be right above the port. This prevents drooping cables from hiding them. If you can split the port, the LED for each split port must also be above the port. The LEDs must be evenly spaced and inside the edges of the ports to prevent confusion.
• Port Number Label - You must print the port number in white on the switch front panel directly under the corresponding LED.
• Colors - As network port technology improves with smaller ports and higher speeds, having different colors for different types of ports or speeds is confusing. Focus on providing a simple set of indications that show basic information about the port. Use green and amber colors on the LED to differentiate between good and bad states. These colors are commonly on network port LEDs and you can implement them easily on future switches.
• Signaling - The table below shows the information you can convey with port LEDs.
  • Max Speed indicates the maximum speed at which the port can run. For a 10G port, if the port speed is 10G, then it is running at its maximum speed. If the 10G port is running at 1G speed, then it is running at a lower speed.
  • Physical Link Up/Down displays layer 2 link status.
  • Beaconing provides a way for you to identify a particular link. You can beacon that port from a remote location so the network operator has visual indication for that port.
  • Fault is also a form of beaconing. Both try to draw attention towards the port.
  • Blinking amber implies a blink rate of 33ms. Slow blinking amber indicates a blink rate of 500ms, with a 50% on and off duty cycle. For example, a slow blinking amber LED is amber for 500 ms and then off for 500ms.

| Activity            | Max Speed indication | Lower Speed Indication |
| ------------------- | -------------------- | ---------------------- |
| Physical Link Down  | Off                  | Off                    |
| Physical Link UP    | Solid Green          | Solid Amber            |
| Link Tx/Rx Activity | Blinking Green       | Blinking Amber         |
| Beaconing          | Slow Blinking Amber  | Slow Blinking Amber    |
| Fault               | Slow Blinking Amber  | Slow Blinking Amber    |

Status LEDs

One side of a network switch has a set of status LEDs. The status LEDs provide a visual indication on what is physically wrong with the network switch. Typical LEDs on the front panel are for PSUs (power supply units), fans, and system. Locator LEDs are also on the front panel of a switch. Each component that has an LED is a unit.

• Number of LEDs per unit - Each unit must have only 1 LED.

• Location - All units must have their LEDs on the right-hand side of the switch after the physical ports.

• Unit label - You must print the label on the front panel directly above the LED.

• Colors - Provide a simple set of indications that show basic information about the unit. The following section has more information about the indications, but the standard colors are green and amber. You find these colors universally on all status LEDs.

• Defined LED - You must have LEDs for the following on every network switch:

  • PSU
  • Fans
  • System LED
  • Locator LED

• PSU LEDs - Each PSU must have its own LED. PSU faults are difficult to debug. If you know which PSU is faulty, you can quickly check if it powers up correctly and, if that fault persists, replace the PSU.

  Unit Activity	Indication
  Installed and power OK	Solid Green
  Installed, but no power	Slow Blinking Amber
  Installed, powered, but has faults.	Slow Blinking Amber

• Fan LED - A network switch might have multiple fan trays (3 through 6). It is difficult to put an LED for each fan tray on the front panel given the limited real estate. The recommendation is one LED for all fans.

  Unit Activity	Indication
  All fans running OK	Solid Green
  Fault on any one of the fans.	Slow Blinking Amber

• System LED - A network switch must have a system LED that indicates the general state of a switch. This state can be of hardware, software, or both. It is up to the individual switch NOS to decide what this LED indicates. However, the LED can have only the following indications:

  Unit Activity	Indication
  All OK	Solid Green
  Not OK	Slow Blinking Amber

• Locator LED - The locator LED helps locate a particular switch in a data center full of switches. The LED must have a different color and predefined location. It must be at the top right corner on the front panel of the switch and its color must be blue.

  Unit Activity	Indication
  Locate enabled	Blinking Blue
  Locate disabled	Off