IBM DCS3860 Operating instructions

IBM System Storage DCS3860 Storage System
Installation, User's, and Maintenance
Guide
SC27-5942-00


Note
Before using this information and the product it supports, be sure to read the general information in the “Safety” on page
ix and “Notices” on page 161 sections.
This edition applies to the IBM System Storage DCS3860 Storage System with controller firmware version 7.86, and
to all subsequent releases and modifications until otherwise indicated in new editions.
This is the first edition.
Printed in the U.S.A.
© Copyright IBM Corporation 2013.
US Government Users Restricted Rights – Use, duplication or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contract
with IBM Corp.

Contents
Figures ...............v
Tables ...............vii
Safety ...............ix
About this document ........xv
Who should read this document .......xv
How this document is organized .......xv
Getting information, help, and service .....xvi
Before you call ............xvi
Using the documentation ........xvi
Finding Storage Manager software, controller
firmware, and README files .......xvi
IBM System Storage Productivity Center . . . xvii
Essential websites for DCS3860 support
information .............xvii
Software service and support .......xvii
Hardware service and support ......xviii
Fire suppression systems ........xviii
Chapter 1. Introduction ........1
Overview ...............1
SAS defined ..............1
Operating system support .........2
DCS3860 Features.............2
Inventory checklist ............3
Receiving product updates and support
notifications .............5
Best practices guidelines .........5
DCS3860 components ...........6
Drive drawers .............7
Disk Drive Modules (DDMs) ........8
Controllers ..............9
Environmental Service Modules (ESMs) ....12
Power supplies ............13
Fan assemblies ............14
Software and hardware compatibility and upgrades 15
Software and firmware support code upgrades 15
Determining firmware versions.......16
Specifications ..............17
Area requirements ...........17
Environmental requirements and specifications 18
Electrical requirements .........21
Heat output, airflow, and cooling ......22
Chapter 2. Installing the DCS3860 . . . 25
Installation overview ...........25
Installation sequence ...........25
Handling static-sensitive devices .......26
Preparing for installation ..........26
Unpacking the shipping box........27
Tools and hardware required .......29
Preparing the site ...........29
Preparing the rack ...........30
Installing the support rails .........30
Installing and removing the handles ......35
Installing the handles ..........35
Removing the handles ..........35
Installing the DCS3860 into the rack cabinet using a
lift tool ................35
Installing the DCS3860 into the rack cabinet without
using a lift tool .............38
Installing the DDMs ...........39
Chapter 3. Cabling the DCS3860
storage system ...........43
Controller connectors (with SAS host interface card) 43
Enclosure ID Settings ...........44
Working with SAS cables ..........44
Cabling the EXP3800 expansion enclosure ....46
ESM connectors ............46
Connecting the EXP3800 expansion enclosure . . 46
Adding a storage enclosure to a running
dual-controller configuration .......47
Redundant drive channel pair .......48
Connecting secondary management interface
cables ...............49
Configuring the storage system.......49
Cabling the power supply .........52
Relocating the DCS3860 ..........52
Chapter 4. Operating the DCS3860
storage system and EXP3800
expansion enclosure.........55
Performing the DCS3860 Health Check process . . 55
Hardware inspection ...........56
Powering on the DCS3860 .........56
Installing the IBM DS Storage Manager .....58
Monitoring status through software ......59
Firmware updates ...........60
Troubleshooting the storage system .....60
Checking the LEDs ............61
Front LEDs .............61
Controller LEDs ............62
ESM LEDs..............63
Fan assembly LEDs...........64
AC power-supply LEDs .........65
Drive drawer LEDs...........65
Disk drive LEDs............66
Seven-segment numeric display LEDs ....68
Cache memory and cache battery .......68
Cache memory ............69
Controller cache battery .........69
Cache battery learn cycle .........69
Turning off the storage system ........70
Performing an emergency shutdown ......72
Restoring power after an unexpected shutdown . . 73
Recovering from an overheated power supply . . . 74
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2013 iii

Chapter 5. Replacing components . . . 77
Replacing components...........77
Service Action Allowed LED.........77
Working with controllers ..........77
Removing a controller ...........78
Removing and installing a cover .......79
Replacing a controller ...........80
Removing and disposing of the system-board
lithium battery .............84
Replacing a host interface adapter .......85
Working with hot-swap DDMs ........88
Installing hot-swap hard disk drives .....92
Replacing hot-swap hard disk drives .....92
Replacing multiple DDMs ........94
Replacing an ac power supply ........98
Replacing a memory cache battery ......103
Replacing the memory cache DIMM......106
Replacing the bezel ...........106
Working with environmental service modules . . 107
Replacing an ESM ............107
Replacing a fan assembly .........108
Replacing a drive drawer .........109
Replacing an enclosure chassis........115
Chapter 6. Hardware maintenance . . 123
General checkout ............123
Solving problems ............123
Troubleshooting problems in the DCS3860
storage system ............124
Parts listing ..............132
Seven-segment display sequence codes and their
causes ................134
Determining basic information of drive FRUs . . 138
Chapter 7. Records .........141
Identification numbers ..........141
Storage system and controller information record 142
Sample information record ........142
Installed device records ..........143
Chapter 8. Rack mounting template 145
Chapter 9. Specifications for non-IBM
rack installation ..........149
General safety requirements for IBM products
installed in a non-IBM rack or cabinet .....149
Rack specifications ...........151
Chapter 10. Power cords ......157
Notices ..............161
Trademarks ..............162
Important notes ............163
Particulate contamination .........163
Documentation format ..........164
Noise ................164
Electronic emission notices .........165
Federal Communications Commission Statement 165
Industry Canada Compliance Statement . . . 165
Australia and New Zealand Class A Statement 165
European Union Electromagnetic Compatibility
Directive ..............165
Germany Electromagnetic Compatibility
Directive ..............166
People's Republic of China Class A Statement 167
Taiwan Class A Statement ........167
Taiwan Contact Information .......167
Japan Voluntary Control Council for Interference
Class A Statement ...........168
Japan Electronics and Information Technology
Industries Association Statement ......168
Russia Electromagnetic Interference Class A
Statement .............168
Glossary .............169
Index ...............181
iv IBM System Storage DCS3860 Storage System: Installation, User's, and Maintenance Guide

Figures
1. Isometric view of the DCS3860 ......6
2. DCS3860 hot-swap drive drawers .....7
3. DCS3860 drive drawer .........8
4. Location of the DCS3860 controllers .....9
5. Cache battery and memory cache DIMM
locations .............11
6. ESM SAS port locations........12
7. Location of seven-segment numeric display on
ESM...............13
8. Power supply components .......14
9. Fan assembly components .......15
10. Storage expansion enclosure airflow ....15
11. DCS3860 airflow ...........20
12. Example of cold aisle/hot aisle rack
configuration ............23
13. Front rack mounting template ......31
14. Rear rack mounting template ......32
15. DCS3860 drive drawer with labeled disk
drives ..............40
16. DCS3860 storage system ........43
17. Mini-SAS cable ...........44
18. Connecting a mini-SAS cable.......45
19. Removing a mini-SAS cable .......45
20. ESM connectors ...........46
21. Connecting the first EXP3800 expansion
enclosure .............47
22. Adding enclosures ..........48
23. Host-agent (in-band) management .....50
24. Direct (out-of-band) management method 51
25. Power-supply switches and connectors for
DCS3860 dc models ..........57
26. DCS3860 front LEDs and controls .....61
27. DCS3860 storage system and EXP3800 storage
enclosure front LEDs .........61
28. Controller LEDs ...........62
29. SAS host port adapter LEDs .......63
30. ESM LEDs .............64
31. Fan assembly LEDs ..........64
32. AC power-supply LEDs ........65
33. Drive drawer LEDs ..........66
34. Disk drive LEDs ...........67
35. Numeric display LEDs .........68
36. Removing a controller .........79
37. Removing the cover..........80
38. Removing and replacing a controller ....82
39. Removing the battery unit from the controller 83
40. Location of the Lithium battery ......85
41. Four screws on the cover plate ......86
42. Removing the HIC connector ......87
43. Aligning the HIC connector .......88
44. Opening the drive drawer .......90
45. Inserting a hard disk drive into the connector 91
46. Raising the drive handle ........91
47. Aligning the drive ..........91
48. Locking the drive in place .......92
49. Replacing a power supply .......102
50. Removing a controller ........104
51. Removing a battery unit from the controller 105
52. Memory cache DIMM location ......106
53. Removing the bezel .........107
54. Removing an environmental service module 108
55. Removing a fan assembly .......109
56. Rear view of the storage expansion enclosure
with the right fan assembly removed....111
57. Vertical mounting bracket that connects to the
midplane .............112
58. Horizontal mounting bracket that connects to
the drive drawer ..........112
59. Drive drawer release lever on the side of the
drive drawer............113
60. Lock-out tumbler located above the drawer
guide ..............114
61. Removing a fan assembly .......116
62. Rear view of the storage expansion enclosure
with the right fan assembly removed....117
63. Vertical mounting bracket that connects to the
midplane .............118
64. Horizontal mounting bracket that connects to
the drive drawer ..........118
65. Drive drawer release lever on the side of the
drive drawer............119
66. Lock-out tumbler located above the drawer
guide ..............119
67. DCS3860 storage system enclosure parts list 133
68. Seven-segment alphanumeric characters 134
69. An IBM hologram label example .....139
70. Front rack mounting template ......146
71. Rear rack mounting template ......147
72. Top View of non-IBM Rack Specifications
Dimensions ............152
73. Rack specifications dimensions, top front
view ..............153
74. Rack specifications dimensions, bottom front
view ..............153
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2013 v

vi IBM System Storage DCS3860 Storage System: Installation, User's, and Maintenance Guide

Tables
1. DCS3860 features ...........2
2. Minimum DCS3860 software and firmware
versions..............16
3. DCS3860 storage expansion enclosure
dimensions (with disk drives) ......17
4. DCS3860 weights ..........18
5. DCS3860 component weights ......18
6. DCS3860 shipping carton dimensions when
shipped with drives..........18
7. DCS3860 shipping carton dimensions when
shipped without drives ........18
8. Temperature and humidity requirements for
storage expansion enclosure when in storage
or in transit ............19
9. DCS3860 altitude ranges ........19
10. DCS3860 power and heat dissipation ....20
11. Random vibration power spectral density 20
12. DCS3860 sound levels .........21
13. DCS3860 AC power requirements .....21
14. Legend to the DCS3860 storage system
diagram..............43
15. Fan assembly LEDs ..........65
16. Drive drawer LEDs ..........66
17. Disk drive LEDs ...........67
18. Drive state indicated by the LEDs .....67
19. Drive LED activity ..........89
20. Troubleshooting...........124
21. Parts listing (DCS3860 storage system and
EXP3800 expansion enclosure) ......133
22. Seven-segment display sequence code
definitions ............135
23. Repeating sequences on the seven-segment
display and corresponding errors .....136
24. Controller numeric display diagnostic codes 137
25. ESM numeric display diagnostic codes 138
26. Hard disk drive record ........141
27. Storage system and controller information
record ..............142
28. Sample information record .......143
29. IBM power cords ..........157
30. Limits for particulates and gases .....164
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2013 vii

viii IBM System Storage DCS3860 Storage System: Installation, User's, and Maintenance Guide

Safety
The caution and danger statements that this document contains can be referenced
in the multilingual IBM®Safety Information document that is provided with your
IBM System Storage®DCS3860 storage expansion enclosure. Each caution and
danger statement is numbered for easy reference to the corresponding statements
in the translated document.
vDanger: These statements indicate situations that can be potentially lethal or
extremely hazardous to you. A danger statement is placed just before the
description of a potentially lethal or extremely hazardous procedure, step, or
situation.
vCaution: These statements indicate situations that can be potentially hazardous
to you. A caution statement is placed just before the description of a potentially
hazardous procedure step or situation.
vAttention: These notices indicate possible damage to programs, devices, or data.
An attention notice is placed just before the instruction or situation in which
damage could occur.
Before installing this product, read the following danger and caution notices.
Statement 1
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2013 ix

DANGER
Electrical current from power, telephone, and communication cables is
hazardous.
To avoid a shock hazard:
vDo not connect or disconnect any cables or perform installation,
maintenance, or reconfiguration of this product during an electrical storm.
vConnect all power cords to a properly wired and grounded electrical outlet.
vConnect to properly wired outlets any equipment that will be attached to
this product.
vWhen possible, use one hand only to connect or disconnect signal cables.
vNever turn on any equipment when there is evidence of fire, water, or
structural damage.
vDisconnect the attached power cords, telecommunications systems,
networks, and modems before you open the device covers, unless
instructed otherwise in the installation and configuration procedures.
vConnect and disconnect cables as described in the following table when
installing, moving, or opening covers on this product or attached devices.
To Connect: To Disconnect:
1. Turn everything OFF.
2. First, attach all cables to devices.
3. Attach signal cables to connectors.
4. Attach power cords to outlet.
5. Turn device ON.
1. Turn everything OFF.
2. First, remove power cords from outlet.
3. Remove signal cables from connectors.
4. Remove all cables from devices.
Statement 2
CAUTION:
When replacing the lithium battery, use only an equivalent type battery
recommended by the manufacturer. If your system has a module containing a
lithium battery, replace it only with the same module type made by the same
manufacturer. The battery contains lithium and can explode if not properly used,
handled, or disposed of.
Do not:
vThrow or immerse into water
vHeat to more than 100° C (212° F)
vRepair or disassemble
Dispose of the battery as required by local ordinances or regulations.
xIBM System Storage DCS3860 Storage System: Installation, User's, and Maintenance Guide

Statement 3
CAUTION:
When laser products (such as CD-ROMs, DVD drives, fibre optic devices, or
transmitters) are installed, do not:
vRemove the covers of the laser product as it might expose the product to
hazardous laser radiation. There are no serviceable parts inside the device.
vPerform procedures, or use controls or adjustments, other than those specified
in this guide, as it might cause radiation exposure.
DANGER
Some laser products contain an embedded Class 3A or Class 3B laser diode.
When laser radiation is open, do not stare into the beam or view with optical
instruments.
Class 1 Laser statement
Class 1 Laser Product
Laser Klasse 1
Laser Klass 1
Luokan 1 Laserlaite
Apparell Laser de Calsse 1À
IEC 825-11993 CENELEC EN 60 825
Statement 4
≥18 kg (39.7 lb) ≥32 kg (70.5 lb) ≥55 kg (121.2 lb)
CAUTION:
Use safe practices when lifting.
Safety xi

Statement 5
CAUTION:
The power control button on the device and the power switch on the power
supply do not turn off the electrical current supplied to the device. The device
also might have more than one power cord. To remove all electrical current from
the device, ensure that all power cords are disconnected from the power source.
1
2
Statement 8
CAUTION:
Never remove the cover on a power supply or any part that has the following
label attached.
Hazardous voltage, current, and energy levels are present inside any component
that has this label attached. There are no serviceable parts inside these
components. If you suspect a problem with one of these parts, contact a service
technician.
Statement 29
xii IBM System Storage DCS3860 Storage System: Installation, User's, and Maintenance Guide

CAUTION:
This equipment is designed to permit the connection of the earthed conductor of
the dc supply circuit to the earthing conductor at the equipment.
This equipment is designed to permit the connection of the earthed conductor of
the dc supply circuit to the earthing conductor at the equipment. If this
connection is made, all of the following conditions must be met:
vThis equipment shall be connected directly to the dc supply system earthing
electrode conductor or to a bonding jumper from an earthing terminal bar or
bus to which the dc supply system earthing electrode conductor is connected.
vThis equipment shall be located in the same immediate area (such as, adjacent
cabinets) as any other equipment that has a connection between the earthed
conductor of the same dc supply circuit and the earthing conductor, and also
the point of earthing of the dc system. The dc system shall not be earthed
elsewhere.
vThe dc supply source shall be located within the same premises as this
equipment.
vSwitching or disconnecting devices shall not be in the earthed circuit
conductor between the dc source and the point of connection of the earthing
electrode conductor.
Statement 30
CAUTION:
To reduce the risk of electric shock or energy hazards:
vThis equipment must be installed by trained service personnel in a
restricted-access location, as defined by the NEC and IEC 60950-1, First
Edition, The Standard for Safety of Information Technology Equipment.
vConnect the equipment to a reliably grounded safety extra low voltage (SELV)
source. An SELV source is a secondary circuit that is designed so that normal
and single fault conditions do not cause the voltages to exceed a safe level (60
V direct current).
vThe branch circuit overcurrent protection must be rated 20 A.
vUse 12 American Wire Gauge (AWG) or 2.5 mm2 copper conductor only, not
exceeding 4.5 meters in length.
vIncorporate a readily available approved and rated disconnect device in the
field wiring.
CAUTION:
This unit has more than one power source. To remove all power from the unit,
all dc MAINS must be disconnected.
Safety xiii

Cable Warning
WARNING: Handling the cord on this product or cords associated with
accessories sold with this product, will expose you to lead, a chemical known to
the State of California to cause cancer, and birth defects or other reproductive
harm. Wash hands after handling.
xiv IBM System Storage DCS3860 Storage System: Installation, User's, and Maintenance Guide

About this document
This document provides instructions for installing and customizing the IBM
System Storage DCS3860 storage system and the EXP3800 expansion enclosure. It
also provides maintenance procedures and troubleshooting information.
Who should read this document
This document is intended for system operators and service technicians who have
extensive knowledge of Fibre Channel Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) and network
technology.
How this document is organized
Chapter 1, “Introduction,” on page 1 describes the IBM System Storage DCS3860
storage system and the EXP3800 expansion enclosure. This chapter includes an
inventory checklist and an overview of the storage expansion enclosure features,
operating specifications, and components.
Chapter 2, “Installing the DCS3860,” on page 25 contains information on how to
install the DCS3860.
Chapter 3, “Cabling the DCS3860 storage system,” on page 43 contains information
on how to cable the DCS3860.
Chapter 4, “Operating the DCS3860 storage system and EXP3800 expansion
enclosure,” on page 55 contains information on how to power on and off the
storage expansion enclosure, recover from an overheated power supply,
troubleshoot the storage expansion enclosure, and interpret LEDs.
Chapter 5, “Replacing components,” on page 77 contains step-by-step instructions
about how to install or remove customer replaceable units (CRUs), such as hard
disk drives, power supplies, fan assemblies, environmental service modules
(ESMs), drive drawers, and SFP modules.
Chapter 6, “Hardware maintenance,” on page 123 describes problems and
symptoms that are specific to your storage expansion enclosure. It also provides a
parts list for the DCS3860.
Chapter 7, “Records,” on page 141 provides a table that you can use to record and
update important information about your DCS3860, including serial number and
device records. Whenever you add options to your DCS3860, be sure to update the
information in this table.
Chapter 8, “Rack mounting template,” on page 145 provides the rack mounting
templates for installation of the DCS3860. If you want to tear out the templates
from the document for use during installation, use these copies of the templates.
Chapter 9, “Specifications for non-IBM rack installation,” on page 149 provides
safety requirements and rack specifications for installing DCS3860 storage systems
and DCS3860 storage expansion enclosures into non-IBM racks.
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2013 xv

Chapter 10, “Power cords,” on page 157 lists power cord information for the
DCS3860.
Getting information, help, and service
If you need help, service, or technical assistance or just want more information
about IBM products, you will find a wide variety of sources available from IBM to
assist you. This section contains information about where to go for additional
information about IBM and IBM products, what to do if you experience a problem
with your system, and whom to call for service, if it is necessary.
Before you call
Before you call, take these steps to try to solve the problem yourself:
vCheck all cables to make sure that they are connected.
vCheck the power switches to make sure that the system is turned on.
vUse the troubleshooting information in your system documentation, and use the
diagnostic tools that come with your system.
vCheck for technical information, hints, tips, and new device drivers at the IBM
System Storage Disk Support Web site pages that are listed in this section.
vUse an IBM discussion forum on the IBM Web site to ask questions.
You can solve many problems without outside assistance by following the
troubleshooting procedures that IBM provides in the DS Storage Manager online
help or in the documents that are provided with your system and software. The
information that comes with your system also describes the diagnostic tests that
you can perform. Most systems, operating systems, and programs come with
information that contains troubleshooting procedures and explanations of error
messages and error codes. If you suspect a software problem, see the information
for the operating system or program.
Using the documentation
Information about your IBM system and preinstalled software, if any, is available
in the documents that come with your system; this includes printed books, online
documents, README files, and help files. See the troubleshooting information in
your system documentation for instructions for using the diagnostic programs. The
troubleshooting information or the diagnostic programs might tell you that you
need additional or updated device drivers or other software.
Finding Storage Manager software, controller firmware, and
README files
IBM DS Storage Manager software and controller firmware versions are available
on the product DVD and can also be downloaded from the web.
Important: Before you install IBM DS Storage Manager software, consult the
README file. Updated README files contain the latest device driver versions,
firmware levels, limitations, and other information not found in this document.
Storage Manager README files are available on the web, at the following address:
http://www.ibm.com/support/entry/portal
xvi IBM System Storage DCS3860 Storage System: Installation, User's, and Maintenance Guide

To access the documentation related to your storage system, operating system, and
DS Storage Manager version from the IBM support portal, complete the following
steps:
1. Go to http://www.ibm.com/support/entry/portal.
2. Under Choose your products, click Browse for a product or Search for a
product.
3. Under Choose your task, click Documentation.
4. Under See your results, click View your page.
5. In the Product documentation box, click the link for the publication that you
want to access.
IBM System Storage Productivity Center
The IBM System Storage Productivity Center (SSPC) is an integrated hardware and
software solution that provides a single point of entry for managing IBM System
Storage, IBM System Storage SAN Volume Controller clusters, and other
components of your data storage infrastructure. Therefore, you can use the IBM
System Storage Productivity Center to manage multiple IBM System Storage
product configurations from a single management interface.
To learn how to incorporate the DS Storage Manager with the IBM System Storage
Productivity Center, see the IBM System Storage Productivity Center Information
Center at the following website:
publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/tivihelp/v4r1/index.jsp
Essential websites for DCS3860 support information
The most up-to-date information about DCS3860 storage systems and IBM DS
Storage Manager, including documentation and the most recent software, firmware,
and NVSRAM downloads, is available on the IBM support portal. To access these:
1. Go to http://www.ibm.com/support/entry/portal.
2. Under Choose your products, click Browse for a product or Search for a
product.
3. Under Choose your task, click Downloads.
4. Under See your results, click View your page.
5. In the Downloads and fixes, click the link for the download that you want to
access.
Software service and support
Through the IBM Support Line, for a fee you can get telephone assistance with
usage, configuration, and software problems. For information about which
products are supported by Support Line in your country or region, go to the
following website:
www.ibm.com/services/sl/products
For more information about the IBM Support Line and other IBM services, check
the following websites:
vwww.ibm.com/services
vwww.ibm.com/planetwide
About this document xvii

Hardware service and support
You can receive hardware service through IBM Integrated Technology Services or
through your IBM reseller, if your reseller is authorized by IBM to provide
warranty service. Go to the following Web site for support telephone numbers:
www.ibm.com/planetwide
In the U.S. and Canada, hardware service and support is available 24 hours a day,
7 days a week. In the U.K., these services are available Monday through Friday,
from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Fire suppression systems
A fire suppression system is the responsibility of the customer. The customer's own
insurance underwriter, local fire marshal, or a local building inspector, or both,
should be consulted in selecting a fire suppression system that provides the correct
level of coverage and protection. IBM designs and manufactures equipment to
internal and external standards that require certain environments for reliable
operation. Because IBM does not test any equipment for compatibility with fire
suppression systems, IBM does not make compatibility claims of any kind nor
does IBM provide recommendations on fire suppression systems.
xviii IBM System Storage DCS3860 Storage System: Installation, User's, and Maintenance Guide

Chapter 1. Introduction
This section describes the operating specifications, features, and components for
the IBM System Storage DCS3860 storage system and EXP3800 expansion unit.
Note: For Ethernet Interfaces: DCS3860 storage system is not intended to be
connected directly or indirectly by any means whatsoever to interfaces of public
telecommunication networks.
This chapter also includes an inventory checklist and important information about
best practices guidelines and product updates for your DCS3860.
Overview
The DCS3860 storage system is designed to meet the storage needs of highly
scalable, data streaming applications in high-performance computing
environments. The DCS3860 is a high-performance system that is designed to meet
midrange storage requirements. This high-availability, modular, and scalable
storage system provides SAN-attached 6 Gbps Serial Attached SCSI (SAS)
connectivity, support for RAID levels 0, 1, 3, 5, 6, and 10, data access and data
protection, and other advanced functions.
Note: RAID 6 uses a P+Q design implementation. When RAID level 1 is
implemented and there are more than two drives, RAID level 10 is automatically
implemented.
The DCS3860 storage system supports attachment of the EXP3800 expansion
enclosure. The DCS3860 supports configurations of SAS and Near-Line SAS disks,
or a mix of these types of disk drives. For details on the maximum number of disk
drives supported, maximum storage capacity, and other features of the storage
system, see “DCS3860 Features” on page 2.
The DCS3860 is a 4U, rack-mountable storage enclosure that supports up to two
redundant, dual-active RAID storage controllers or environmental service modules,
depending on the model. As a standard, the DCS3860 storage system RAID
controllers have two 6 Gbps x4 SAS expansion ports on the base controller. Each
controller has an additional slot in which you can install a Host Interface Card
(HIC). For details on the supported HIC, see “DCS3860 Features” on page 2.
The IBM DS Storage Manager client is also available for the DCS3860 storage
system. This storage management software is designed to help centralize storage
management, simplify partitioning of the DCS3860 series storage into as many as
512 partitions, and strategically allocate storage capacity to maximize storage
space.
SAS defined
The Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) is a point-to-point serial architecture that replaces
the parallel SCSI bus technology but still retains usage of the standard SCSI
command set. The SAS point-to-point architecture provides a dedicated,
full-duplex channel that can transfer data at 6 Gbps in each direction. The Serial
SCSI Protocol (SSP) is used to support SAS-only drives.
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2013 1

Nearline SAS or NL-SAS drives are enterprise SATA drives that offer a native SAS
interface. NL-SAS drives support dual I/O ports allowing for redundant data
paths, a faster interface compared to SATA, and the ability to support the SCSI
command set.
Operating system support
For host operating system support, refer to the IBM DCS3860 product at the IBM
System Storage Interoperation Center (SSIC):
www.ibm.com/systems/support/storage/config/ssic/index.jsp
DCS3860 Features
For a list of the operating specifications, such as weight, height, and heat output,
see “Specifications” on page 17.
Table 1. DCS3860 features
General:
vModular components
– RAID storage controller modules
– Environmental services modules
(ESMs)
– Power supplies
– Fan assembly
– High-capacity disk drives
Storage system:
vRAID controllers:
– Expansion: Two 26 pin, mini-SAS
connector per controller
– Dual 1 Gbps Ethernet management
ports
– Seven segment display
vPower supply:
– 2 hot-swap 1755-watt (200 - 240 V ac)
standard
– Redundant power
vPremium Feature Options:
– Performance Read Cache
Storage expansion
enclosure:
vESM:
– Host interface: Two
26-pin, mini-SAS
connectors per
controller
– Expansion: One 26
pin, mini-SAS
connector per
controller
– Single 100 Mbps
Ethernet debug
port
– Seven segment
display
vPower supply:
– 2 hot-swap
1755-watt (200 -
240 V ac) standard
– Redundant power
2IBM System Storage DCS3860 Storage System: Installation, User's, and Maintenance Guide