Before you install the enclosures, you must be familiar with these enclosure location
guidelines.
Installing a control enclosure only
If you are
installing a control enclosure only, follow these guidelines.
- Position the enclosure in the rack so that you can easily view it and access it for
servicing.
- Locate the enclosure low enough for the rack to remain stable.
A fully assembled enclosure, containing drives, node canisters, power supplies units, and all
possible features weighs approximately 45 kg (99 lb), requiring three people to lift. For
installation by a single person, reduce the system down to manageable components by removing the
drives from the front of the enclosure and node canisters and power supply units from the rear of
the enclosure before you attempt to move the enclosure.
Installing a control enclosure and one or more expansion
enclosures
If you are installing a control enclosure plus one or more
expansion enclosures, follow these guidelines.
- A
system
can support up to 1056 drives that are installed into control and expansion enclosures. Each
enclosure requires 2U of rack space.
- Each assembled enclosure weighs more than 36 kg. Provide sufficient space at the front of the
rack for three persons to carry the enclosure safely.
- Each system can consist of up to four control enclosures. Each control enclosure can be
connected to up to 20 expansion enclosures (two SAS chains of up to 10 expansion enclosures
each).
- For best performance, divide the total number of expansion enclosures to be installed among the
control enclosures in the system.
- Where expansion enclosures are to be installed, distribute them evenly into rack space above and
below the control enclosure to which they are to connect. Do not leave gaps between the enclosures.
Such placement aids cabling and serviceability.
- Leave space in the rack for future expansion enclosures, but otherwise install all enclosures
that constitute one system in adjacent or nearby rack space.
- If a rack is to be only partially filled, install the enclosures low enough for the rack to
remain stable and enable easy access to the enclosures for servicing.
Adding an expansion enclosure
chain to an existing system
If you are adding
an expansion enclosure chain to an existing system, follow these
guidelines.
- You do not need to power off the system. You can add an expansion enclosure while the system is
operational.
- Add the first expansion enclosure directly below the control enclosure.
- Add the second expansion enclosure directly above the control enclosure.
- Add the third expansion enclosure directly below the first.
- Add the fourth expansion directly above the second, and so on.