Nexsan UNITY6900 User manual

This document provides installation steps for racking, cabling, and setting up the Nexsan UNITY6900
Storage System, and cabling all Nexsan storage components for power and data/host connectivity.
For additional documentation please visit http://helper.nexsansupport.com/unt_support.html
1
Firmware Version 6.0
Quick Start Guide
NEXSAN UNITY6900 Storage System
Taking delivery
Your Unity shipment includes the UNITY6900, and
one or more Unity Storage Expansions, depending
on your configuration. Check to ensure no damage
has been sustained to the packaging in transit. If
anything appears to be damaged, you should file a
damage claim with your reseller.
Hardware overview
The main components of the UNITY6900 are shown
in these diagrams:
Front view (bezel removed)
Rear view
Item Name Description
1Power supply unit 1,200W Redundant Power Supplies with PMBus
2Fan assembly 4x 80mm and 4x 40mm PWM cooling fans
Redundant cooling
3On-board 10GbE LAN ports (2 per
node)
Right port: Primary data network interface (nx0 - optional)
Left port: Management Interface (nx99) and IPMI interface
NOTE: If using a 1GbE port for the management interface,
these ports will be used for data, with the left port still being
used for the IPMI interface.
4KVM connections USB, VGA, and serial connections for remote console access
to the Unity Storage System
5Storage connectivity Quad-port SAS PCIe to HD Mini-SAS (Serial Attached SCSI)
HBA (host bus adapter)
6Optional host connectivity (up to
two):
You can use these slots for additional host connections, which
can be any of these supported NICs:
10GbE dual-port HBA with RJ-45 interfaces
10GbE dual-port HBA with SFP+ optical interfaces
8Gb FC dual-port HBA
16Gb FC dual-port HBA
1GbE quad-port HBA with RJ-45 interfaces
1GbE dual-port HBA with RJ-45 interfaces

2 — UNITY6900 Quick Start Guide
Prepare for installation
ACarefully read safety notices on page 8.
BEnsure ahead of time that you have a suitable
rack; see Rack and enclosure specifications on
page 8.
CEnsure that you have a Phillips screwdriver.
DHave someone assist you during installation.
Unpack the UNITY6900
ARemove all the components from the packaging.
Reach under the chassis to pull it free from the
foam insert.
Do NOT lift the UNITY6900 chassis from its
packaging using the controller handles or
attached rails.
BPlace the components on an anti-static surface
until you are ready to use them.
UNITY6900 package contents
One Unity Storage System (with front bezel)
2 outer-rack rail assemblies (inner-chassis rails
are already installed)
4 mounting screws with 4 washers to attach
outer-rack rails to the rack (1 on the front and 1
on the back for both the left and right rail
assemblies)
2 long screws to secure the chassis to the rack
from the front (attached to the chassis)
FASTier SSD and HDD drives. (Check that the
components included in your shipment
correspond to your packing slip.)
Four SAS cables (HD Mini SAS to HD Mini SAS)
Two power cords
Two KVM leads
One electrostatic discharge (ESD) wrist strap
Rack the UNITY6900
Example rack positions for components:
UNITY6900 on top, Unity Storage Expansion
below
Example of UNITY6900 with US316
Step 1: Install the outer-rack rails on the
rack
AAttach the RIGHT and LEFT outer-rack rails to
the rack by inserting the hooks included on the
rails into the holes provided on the rack.
The hooks should be located in the BOTTOM
holes of the rack units selected.
BExtend rail assemblies to fit the depth of the rack.
Pull on the rear of the assembly until the hooks
reach the back of the rack.
CScrew the rails to the rack using the mounting
screws provided.
The screws should be secured in the BOTTOM
hole of each of the rails.
Step 2: Install the inner chassis rails on the
chassis (if necessary)
AExtend the inner rail toward the front of the rail
assembly as far as possible, then depress the
locking tab to pull it completely out.
BPlace the inner rail on the side of the chassis
aligning the hooks of the chassis with the rail
extension holes.
CSlide the extension toward the front of the
chassis.
DIf desired, secure the chassis with screws.
CAUTION: Acclimate new disk drives to
room temperature for two hours before you
install them.
CAUTION: Physical installation requires
two people.
3U
2U

3 — UNITY6900 Quick Start Guide
ERepeat steps A-D for the other inner rail.
Step 3: Install the UNITY6900 on the rack
ALift the UNITY6900 chassis from each side—not
from the front and back.
BLine up the inner-chassis rails with the front of the
outer-rack rails.
CSlide the inner-chassis rails into the outer-rack
rails, keeping the pressure even on both sides;
you have to depress the locking tabs as you insert
them.
DPush the UNITY6900 completely into the rack;
you should hear the locking tabs click into
position.
ETighten the thumbscrews that hold the front of the
UNITY6900 to the rack.
Step 4: Install the disk drives and FASTier
SSDs
Installation order:
1Install the FASTier SSDs in the slot as indicated
on the label on the drives.
2Install the disk drives in any order in the remaining
slots.
To install the drives:
ASlide the release
button on the front of
the drive carrier and
open the handle.
BInsert the hard-drive
carrier into the drive
bay until the carrier
contacts the
backplane.
CClose the hard-drive
carrier handle to lock
the drive in place.
DRepeat these steps for each drive.
CAUTION: Put on the ESD wrist strap
before starting:
ASlip the wrist loop over your hand (left or
right), then tighten the loop against your
wrist.
BAttach the clip end of the anti-static wrist
strap to a properly grounded metal
surface.

4 — UNITY6900 Quick Start Guide
Install the Unity Storage
Expansion
Unpack and install any Unity Storage Expansion
included in your Unity shipment.
For detailed instructions, refer to the appropriate
Nexsan Unity Storage System Quick Start Guide
included in the Unity packaging.
Connect the UNITY6900
This section describes the steps for connecting the
network, power, and KVM cables, and for connecting
a Unity Storage Expansion(s) to the UNITY6900.
Step 1: Connect the network cables
AFor management access on the nx99 interface as
well as the IPMI interface, plug an Ethernet cable
into the on-board LEFT port. For data access on
nx0, plug the appropriate cables into the network
interface cards.
BRepeat these steps on the second controller.
For controller connectivity with the Unity Storage
System, see Step 5: Connect to Unity Storage
Expansions.
Step 2: Connect the network cables
AFor management access on the nx99 interface as
well as the IPMI interface, plug an Ethernet cable
into the on-board LEFT port on controller 1, as
shown.
BFor data access on nx0, plug an Ethernet cable
into the RIGHT Ethernet port (or the port of your
choice).
Ethernet connections
Step 3: Connect your power supply
Each UNITY6900 PSU must be connected to your
storage rack’s source of power, for continuous power
and controller connectivity.
Using the two supplied power cords, connect
each PSU to main-power, making sure to fold
down the power cord retaining clip over each one.
Step 4: Connect the KVM dongles
Plug in the included KVM cable into the KVM port
to the back of each controller box.
Step 5: Connect to Unity Storage
Expansions
The UNITY6900 can connect to one direct Unity
Storage Expansion, or with multiple expansions
connected to each directly attached Unity Storage
Expansion.
If you are adding multiple Unity Storage Expansions,
power them on from last to first.
Cross-connect from the Add-on SAS OUT ports
on each storage system controller to the SAS IN
ports on the first expansion controllers, as shown,
as shown in UNITY6900 connected to US316s
on page 5.
NOTE: The Unity Storage System is hot pluggable: Once in service, powering down is not normally
required to add a Unity Storage Expansion.
CAUTION: Do not connect to the Unity Storage Expansion from the on-board SAS ports on the
UNITY6900.

5 — UNITY6900 Quick Start Guide
UNITY6900 connected to US316s
Step 6: (Optional) Connect to a Fibre
Channel host
Under the required LUN mask configuration, when
connecting the UNITY6900 to a Fibre Channel
switch, each host has at least one connection to
each controller using a port.
One port on each controller is the optimized path for
data connectivity and the other is the non-optimized
path. For a given LUN, all the paths on the
owning controller are optimized and all the
paths on the other controller are non-
optimized.
AConnect a Fibre Channel cable from that same
host to one of the Fibre Channel HBA ports on the
back of the second UNITY6900 controller.
.
Power on Unity components
Power on the Unity components in this sequence:
Power on your Unity Storage Expansion.
Power on the UNITY6900.
IMPORTANT: If a drive carrier activity LED does not
light up, check to make sure the corresponding
drive is properly seated in the chassis.
Step 1: Power on your Unity Storage
Expansion
APress and hold the power button located on
the right front panel of the chassis until the
power led lights up.

6 — UNITY6900 Quick Start Guide
Step 2: Power on the UNITY6900
APress and hold the power button located on
the right front panel of the chassis until the
power led lights up.
BVerify that the power LEDs on the left and
right front control panels are illuminated to ensure
that the controller nodes are receiving power and
the power modules are functioning properly.
CVerify that the heartbeat LED is blinking
yellow in 2-3 second intervals.
DVerify that the drive carriers LEDs are illuminated
in green.
EIf all LEDs indicate normal operation status,
reattach the front bezel to the UNITY6900 main
unit:
aRemove the bezel from its packaging.
bHook the left end of the bezel onto the chassis.
cFit the free end of the bezel onto the chassis.
dTurn the key lock at the right end of the bezel
to
the lock position to secure the bezel to the
chassis.
Monitor the Unity Storage
System
This section describes the front panel LEDs that help
you to monitor the Nexsan Unity Storage System.
Control panel LEDs
The two control panels located on the front left and
right sides of the Unity system have several LEDs.
These LEDs provide you with critical information
related to the corresponding node.
If the Fan fail LED or Power fail LED illuminates,
replace the component as described in the Nexsan
Unity Storage Expansion Reference Guide.
Drive carrier LEDs
Each drive carrier has two LEDs. If a drive fails,
replace the drive as described in the Nexsan Unity
Storage Expansion Reference Guide at
www.nexsan.com/ (see Support > Unity >
Documents & Downloads).
Configure the Management
Interface (nx99)
Configure network settings for the management
interface (nx99) using the nxadmin CLI.
NOTE: It is strongly recommended to configure the
management interface (nx99) on a different subnet
from the primary data network interface (nx0).
In a flat network environment, it is acceptable to
configure both interfaces on the same subnet.
Configure the Management Interface
(nx99) using the nxadmin CLI
AConnect to the UNITY6900 via KVM (console).
See Step 4: Connect the KVM dongles.
BWhen connected, type nxadmin to log on.
LED Indication
Power
Indicates power is being supplied to
the system’s power supply module.
This LED is illuminated when the
system is operating.
Heartbeat
This is a Controller heartbeat LED and
indicates that power is being supplied
to the Controller.
NIC1
Indicates network activity on the LAN1
port when flashing.
NIC2
Indicates network activity on the LAN2
port when flashing.
Power fail
Indicates a power supply module has
failed. The second power supply
module takes the load and keeps the
system running, but the failed module
should be replaced as soon as
possible.
This LED should be off when the
system is operating normally.
Fan fail
When flashing, this LED indicates a
fan failure.
When illuminated continuously, this
LED indicates an overheated
condition, which may be caused by
cables obstructing the airflow in the
system or the ambient room
temperature being too high.
Check the routing of the cables and
make sure that all fans are connected
and operating normally. You should
also check to make sure that the
chassis covers are installed. This LED
remains flashing or illuminated as long
as the error condition exists.
LED Indication
Green A steady green LED indicates the
drive is powered on.
If this LED is not lit, the drive is not
getting power.
If this LED is flashing, the drive is
being accessed (read or write).
Red A steady red LED indicates a drive
failure.
LED Indication

7 — UNITY6900 Quick Start Guide
CType the default nxadmin password: PASSWORD
(all upper-case).
DType setip.
EType IP addresses for the management interface;
use the Tab key to navigate between fields.
NOTE: Do not set the network settings for the
primary data network interface (nx0); you
configure this interface in the Unity System
Configuration wizard.
FTab to the <Validate> option and press Enter.
GOnce validation completes, tab to the <OK>
option and press Enter.
Set up the UNITY6900
Start the initial setup
AOpen Google Chrome.
BIn the address bar, type the UNITY6900
Management Virtual IP address in the browser
address bar and press ENTER.
CRead the terms of the license agreement.
DClick the I accept the terms of the license
agreement check box and click the Next button to
continue.
Set the password for the
Unity Administrator
The UNITY6900 is shipped with the built-in Unity
Administrator account, nxadmin.
Enter the new password and retype it to confirm,
then click the Set Password button.
The Unity System Configuration wizard opens.
Step 1: Configure Unity System properties
Enter the Unity System information.
AEnter a Unity System Name.
BOptionally, select a Server Time Zone.
COptionally, select Unity CallHome settings.
DClick the Next button to continue.
Step 2: Configure network settings
AEnter IP addresses for the Primary Data Network
Interface (nx0).
In the examples shown, with the exception of the
subnet mask, the last digit of the network
addresses increments from 0 to 10 (or 190 to
200). This practice is a useful standard if you
need to manage multiple systems.
BSet the Management Interface (nx99) IP
addresses, ideally on a separate subnet.
NOTE: It is strongly recommended to configure the
two management interfaces on separate subnets. In
a flat network environment, it is acceptable to
configure both interfaces on the same subnet.
CSet the Gateway and DNS addresses for all
network interfaces.
NOTE: The Default Gateway address should be in
the same domain as the Primary Data Network
(nx0).
DClick the Next button to continue.
Step 3: Configure IPMI settings
This step prompts you to configure the Intelligent
Platform Management Interface (IPMI) settings. To
enable IPMI for Unity, you must connect a network
cable to the second on-board 1 Gb LAN port at the
back of each controller on the Unity Storage System
enclosure. This second LAN port is located at the
bottom of each controller, closest to the bottom of the
controller box.
AEnter IP addresses for Controller 1, Controller 2,
and the IP Subnet and IPMI Gateway.
BEnter and confirm the IPMI password.
CClick the Next button to continue.

Copyright © 2010-2019 Nexsan Technologies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Nexsan®, UNITY2200™, UNITY4400™, UNITY6900™, UNITY2200X™, US224™,
US316™, US424™, US460,™, FASTier™, and the Nexsan logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Nexsan . All other trademarks and registered
trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Nexsan 325 E. Hillcrest Drive, Suite 150, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 | www.nexsan.com
Part number: P0450175 Rev: E Release Date: August 2019
Related Documentation: Nexsan Unity Hardware Maintenance Guide,
Nexsan Unity Software User Guide, Nexsan Unity Help, Nexsan Unity
nxadmin CLI Reference Guide
Technical Support
By Email: [email protected]
By Web: http://helper.nexsansupport.com/unt_support.html
Step 4: Allocate storage
This step prompts you to allocate RAID storage.
AClick Allocate to assign the storage system to the
UNITY6900.
BClick Configure to specify RAID settings.
Recommended RAID set levels, number of RAID
sets, hot spares, and volume names are
preconfigured.
CClick the Apply button to apply the RAID settings
and then repeat for the second controller.
DClick the Next button to continue.
Step 5: Verifying configuration settings
In this step, review the summary of the settings you
have set up.
To change a configuration setting, click the step
identifier at the top of the System Configuration
wizard panel to go back to a specific step. For
example, if you want to change the Unity System
name, click the Step 2 icon.
To finalize the Unity Storage System setup, click
Create.
Step 6: Applying configuration settings
The System Configuration wizard applies your
settings, displaying the progress as the wizard
configures Unity.
To change a configuration setting, click the step
identifier at the top of the System Configuration
wizard panel to go back to a specific step. For
example, if you want to change the Unity System
name, click Step 2.
When Unity System configuration is complete, you
can open the Add Storage Pool wizard, OR
Click No I’m finished to close the wizard.
Unity opens and displays the dashboard, where you
can view Cluster Status, Events, Storage System
statistics, Storage Pools, File Systems, and LUNs.
What’s next
Please see the Unity Setup Guide included with your
Unity System for basic setup instructions for:
Authentication
Adding a storage pool, file system and LUN
Mounting an iSCSI LUN on a Windows client
Mapping a CIFS file system to a Windows client
Safety notices
This equipment must be installed and operated in
compliance with local laws and regulations.
Ensure that the ambient temperature at the
installation is between 5°C (41°F) and 30°C
(86°F). If the temperature at the site is not actively
regulated, ensure that daily and seasonal
temperature changes will not result in the ambient
temperature going outside these limits.
Always fully stabilize racks with wall anchors or
stabilizing legs, or both, before mounting Nexsan
storage enclosures on the rack.
Situate the rack so that full air flow at both the
front and the rear of Nexsan storage enclosures is
possible.
Ensure that the floor beneath the mounting rack
has enough load-bearing capacity to support the
rack and all mounted components.
Always fully secure all rack-mounting hardware
when installing Nexsan storage enclosures in a
rack. Insufficient rack-mount support may allow
the unit to fall onto other rack-mounted hardware
or onto the floor, potentially damaging equipment
or causing injury to nearby personnel.
Rack and enclosure specifications
2U enclosure height
The rack must have square holes
Maximum distances: 30" (800 mm)
Height: 3.5’’ 88 mm
Width: 17.2’’ 437 mm
Depth: 25.25’’ 641 mm
Weight: 67 lbs 30.4 kg (no drives installed)
114 lbs 51.7 kg (all drives installed)
Power requirements
AC Input:
1000W Output @ 100-127V, 12-15A, 50-60Hz.
1200W Output @ 200-240V, 7-8.5A, 50-60Hz
DC Output:
1000W: +12V/83A; +5Vsb/4A
1200W: +12V/100A, +5Vsb/4A
Power consumption: varies depending on the
number and size of drives, running fans, and
room temperature.