SAS network adapter ports and indicators

The system uses 4-port 12 Gbps SAS networking adapters to connect to expansion enclosures.

The system does not have onboard SAS ports. However, a 4-port 12 Gbps SAS network adapter is already installed in PCIe slot 3 of each node canister in the control enclosure. The SAS adapters are not used to connect to host systems.

The SAS networking adapters are installed in the PCIe slots that are located in the back of the control enclosure. On Storwize® V7000 Gen3 systems, the SAS adapter is pre-installed in PCIe slot 3 of each node canister. The orientation of the node canisters, PCIe slots, and SAS connectors differs between the top node canister (node canister 1) and the bottom node canister (node canister 2). For more information, see Connections for Storwize V7000 Gen3 control enclosures.

Image of a 4-port 12 Gbps SAS network adapter — Figure 1. Optional 12 Gbps SAS network adapter

Status indicators

The status LED indicators of the SAS adapters are not visible because the metal work on the node canister covers the LEDs, as shown in Figure 1. To determine the status of the SAS adapter, use the management GUI or a CLI command.

If a SAS port or cable is not functioning correctly, the system writes an entry to the system Error Log. To find the entry in the management GUI, select Monitoring > Events.

You can also use the management GUI to display status information about the SAS ports. To do so, select Monitoring > System - Overview; then, select the control enclosure that contains the SAS ports. Select System - Enclosure Details for the control enclosure; then, select SAS Ports to see the status of the SAS ports.

You can also use the lsportsas command to display the status and configuration of the SAS ports within the entire clustered system. Use the node_id, node_name, port_id, and status fields of the command output to locate information about the node and SAS ports of interest.