I've got a curious issue in a new small datacenter lab, and I'm curious
about it.

We just moved our lab to a new facility.  In the old lab, we used
top-of-rack switches (Cisco 9148) with inter-switch links back to a Cisco
MDS 9222 core.  All of the hosts plugged into the 9148s, and the storage
plugged into the core, and all was Good In The Kingdom.

In the new facility, all of the hosts (and some storage) plugs into
lightguide fibre patch panels, which run back to a rack that has the 9148s
and the 9222s.

Here's the problem: when we run cables from HBAs (in hosts or in storage
systems) direct to the switches, the Tx and Rx are correct.  When the
lightguide patch is in the middle, the Tx and Rx are reversed.

The lightguide panels are straight passthrough, as are the cables, which
are standard FC cables.  So, of course with the lightguide in the middle,
the Tx and Rx would naturally get mixed.  In other words, a duplex cable
plugged into ports 1/2 on the lightguide would end up reversing the light
paths, which of course causes problems.

What I'm not sure about is what is normal for this configuration?  Do
people normally buy "crossover" FC cables to use with a patch panel, or do
people buy proper patch panels which "uncross" the streams?

Thanks!
-Adam
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