Quantum ActiveScale P100E3 User manual

ActiveScale™ P100E3 Installation Guide
ActiveScale
6-68924-03, Rev. A
with ActiveScale OS 6.0.2 software

ActiveScale™ P100E3 Installation Guide
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Quantum P100E3 Installation Guide, 36-68924-03, November 2021, Product of USA.
Quantum Corporation provides this publication “as is” without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to the
implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Quantum Corporation may revise this publication from time to time
without notice.
COPYRIGHT STATEMENT
© 2021 Quantum Corporation. All rights reserved. Your right to copy this manual is limited by copyright law. Making copies or adaptations
without prior written authorization of Quantum Corporation is prohibited by law and constitutes a punishable violation of the law. ActiveScale,
DXi, DXi Accent, FlexSync, FlexTier, iLayer, Lattus, Quantum, The Quantum Logo, QXS, Scalar, StorNext, SuperLoader, Vision, and Xcellis are
either registered trademarks or trademarks of Quantum Corporation and its affiliates in the United States and/or other countries. All other
trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Quantum specifications are subject to change.
TRADEMARK STATEMENT
Quantum is/are a registered trademark of Quantum Corporation and ActiveScale is a trademark of Quantum Corporation and its affiliates in the
United States and/or other countries. Amazon S3, Amazon Simple Storage Services, and Amazon AWS S3 are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or
its affiliates in the United States and/or other countries. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. References in this publication
to Quantum-branded products, programs, or services do not imply that they will be made available in all countries. Product specifications provided
are sample specifications and do not constitute a warranty. Actual specifications for unique part numbers may vary. Please visit the Support section
of our website https://quantum.com/support for additional information on product specifications.

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Table of Contents
List of figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
List of tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1 Document Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.1 Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.2 Product Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.3 System Specification Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2 System Upacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.1 Required Tools for Unpacking and Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.2 Understanding the Unpacking Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.3 Pallet Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.4 Unpacking P100E3 Nodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
3 Installing System Components Using 1U Mounting Kits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
3.1 Installing System Components Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
3.1.1 Adding P100E3 Nodes to the Rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
3.1.2 Installing a Storage Node 1U Mounting Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
3.1.3 Installing a Storage Node Into the Rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
3.2 Adding P100E3 Nodes to the Rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
3.2.1 Installing a Storage Node 1U Mounting Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
3.2.2 Installing a Storage Node Into the Rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
4 P100E3 Software Installation Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
4.1 Prerequisites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
4.2 Preconfigure installation files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4.3 How to Specify a Storage Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
4.4 Network wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4.4.1 Ethernet port map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
4.5 Download the ISO and prepare the USB Flash Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
4.6 Installing the nodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
4.7 Copy and complete installation files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
4.8 Verify Nodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
4.9 Initialize and configure nodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
4.10 Start CBW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
4.11 Run the post-login configuration wizard (single site version) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
4.12 Post CBWInstructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
4.13 VM Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
5 VM Installation Procedure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
5.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

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5.2 Prerequisites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
5.2.1 Quantum Installer VM OVA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
5.2.2 Hardware requirements for Quantum Installer OVA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
5.2.3 Other requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
5.3 Setup of the Quantum Installer VM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
5.3.1 Download the OVA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
5.3.2 Import . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
5.3.3 Setup networking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
5.3.4 Start VM Installer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
5.3.5 Give the VM an IP in the Private VLAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
5.3.6 Setup correct time on VM Installer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
5.4 Building the inventory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
5.4.1 General information about Ansible inventory files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
5.4.2 General structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
5.4.3 Defining the installer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
5.4.4 Configuring ActiveScale system options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
5.4.5 Define the ASnodes for the ActiveScale system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
5.4.5.1 Required parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
5.4.5.2 Optional parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
5.4.6 Opting for the fully automated install (OPTIONAL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
5.4.6.1 Enable bmc_boot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
5.4.6.2 Extra data needed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
5.4.7 Configuring IPMI/BMC manually on X200 (OPTIONAL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
5.5 Deploy ActiveScale using the Quantum VM installer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
5.5.1 Prepare installer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
5.5.2 PXE boot the ASnodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
5.5.2.1 Usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
5.5.2.2 Basic debug . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
5.5.3 Deploy and configure ActiveScale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
5.6 Scale-out specifics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
5.6.1 General information about Scale-out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
5.6.2 Configuring scale-out rack options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
5.6.3 Define the ASnodes for the ActiveScale system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
5.7 3-GEO specifics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
5.7.1 Key differences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
5.7.2 Building the 3GEO inventory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
5.7.2.1 Storage policy configuration for 3 GEO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
5.7.2.2 3GEO network definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
5.7.3 Use the VM Installer to install a 3GEO system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
5.7.3.1 Scenario 1: VM Installer is in Site 1 and there’s enough bandwith between

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the sites to PXE boot all nodes from Site 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
5.7.3.2 Scenario 2: There’s NOT enough bandwith between the sites to PXE boot
all nodes from Site 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
5.7.3.3 Re-running (portions of) the installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
6 How To Specify a Storage Policy For P100E3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
6.1 Recommended Storage Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
6.1.1 Lower Overhead Policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
6.1.2 Other Storage Policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Contacting Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

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ActiveScale™ P100E3 Installation Guide List of figures
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List of figures
Figure 1-1. ActiveScale P100E3 system layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Figure 2-1. P100E3 pallet contents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Figure 4-1. Wiring diagram for 1GEO 2 switches with Resilience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Figure 4-2. Post-Login > Apply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Figure 4-3. ActiveScale SM login page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Figure 4-4. ActiveScale SM welcome screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

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ActiveScale™ P100E3 Installation Guide List of tables
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List of tables
Table 1-1. System specification summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

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ActiveScale™ P100E3 Installation Guide
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1 Document Summary
This chapter defines the scope of this document and provides a brief overview of the ActiveScale P100E3
system.
1.1 Scope
This document is designed to address all of the important considerations that a user of the ActiveScale
P100E3 system needs to make before integrating the system at the site where the system will be deployed.
This document should be used by the systems architect, system planner, and site manager and teams which
plan the integration of the ActiveScale P100E3 storage solution in their data center(s).
1.2 Product Overview
The ActiveScale P100E3 is a modular object storage system that allows you to store from either:
• 432 TB (raw) of storage using 12 TB HDD’s.
• 504 TB (raw) of storage using 14 TB HDD’s
The base configuration consists of:
• Three P100E3 Nodes.
• One or Two System Interconnects
Figure 1-1. ActiveScale P100E3 system layout

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1.3 System Specification Summary
The following table is a summary of specifications relevant to the ActiveScale P100E3 system.
Table 1-1. System specification summary
Condition (fully configured) Non-operating Operating
Altitude -984 ft to 39,371 ft
(-300 m to 12,000 m)
-984 ft to 10,000 ft
(-300 m to 3,048 m)
Height in rack units (U) • 3 node system 3U
Power requirements (typical/
maximum)
N/A • 3 node —1.85 to 2.03 kW
Relative humidity 20% to 95% non-condensing 20% to 80% non-condensing
Relative humidity gradient 30% per hour maximum 30% per hour maximum
System width and depth • Width—17.6 in (448.2 mm)
•Depth—35 in (881 mm)
Temperature -40°F to 158°F (-40°C to 70°C) 50°F to 95°F (10°C to 35°C)
Temperature de-rating 33.8°F per 984.2 ft above 9842.5 ft
(1°C per 300 m above 3000 m)
33.8°F per 984.2 ft above 3116.8 ft
(1°C per 300 m above 950 m)
Temperature gradient 86°F (30°C)/hour 68°F (20°C)/hour
Thermal output N/A • system—6.31 to 6.92 KBTU/hour
Weight • configuration— 180 lbs (82 kg)

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2 System Upacking
This section provides unpacking instructions for the ActiveScale P100E3.
2.1 Required Tools for Unpacking and Installation
• Anti-static mat or anti-static foam
• Box cutter
• Cart to hold components
• Level
• # 2 Phillips head screwdriver with a 12” shaft. If you are using a torque screwdriver, set the torque to
212 in-lb or 24 N-m for mounting kit installation.
2.2 Understanding the Unpacking Process
The unpacking process involves alternating between unpacking and inspecting components. This sequence
will help catch problems that might have occurred during packaging or shipping.
Because the requirements of every data center or customer installation are different, you might have to
unpack the system in a different sequence than described. If this occurs, ensure that the installation team
has thoroughly reviewed the information provided in this section and follows all safety and inspection
steps.
As you unpack the ActiveScale P100E3 system, look for obvious signs of damage. The following
scenarios are the most common ways a package can be damaged:
• Crushed corners caused by dropping the package.
• Split seams caused by excessive shearing force placed on the container.
• Punctures caused by a sharp object striking the packaging.
• Water damage caused by contact with a water source or storage in an overly humid environment.
2.3 Pallet Contents
ActiveScale P100E3 system is shipped on one half pallets and contains the P100E3 nodes and accessories.
Figure 2-1. P100E3 pallet contents
2.4 Unpacking P100E3 Nodes
Important: P100E3 Nodes weigh 60 lbs (27 kg) and require two people to lift
them.
To unpack storage pallets:
Carton Contents
Storage Node Boxes (3) • One Storage Node each
• One 1U mounting kit
• C13-C14 power cables
• 2 - 4 SFP Optical Transceivers (depending on the system ordered)

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1. Remove the overwrap covering the boxes.
2. Unpack the P100E3 Nodes one at a time. There are three P100E3 nodes that contain the node rails and
cables.
3. Inspect each component in the P100E3 Node box for damage.
Repeat this process for each accessory box on the pallet.

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3 Installing System Components Using 1U Mounting Kits
This section covers the installation of the system into a single rack using 1U mounting kits for P100E3
Nodes.
3.1 Installing System Components Introduction
The ActiveScale P100E3 system hardware does not come installed in a rack and does not come with a
power distribution unit (PDU).
3.1.1 Adding P100E3 Nodes to the Rack
Important: Install components into the rack from bottom to top.
This section describes how to install P100E3 Nodes and their associated mounting kits into a rack.
3.1.2 Installing a Storage Node 1U Mounting Kit
The Storage Node mounting kit rails have the words “LEFT” and “RIGHT” stamped on them.
To install a Storage Node 1U mounting kit:
1. Align the mounting kit left rail with the rack front vertical rail.
2. Press the tab marked “PUSH” to secure the rail to the rack.

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3. Align the mounting kit left rail with the rack rear vertical rail.
4. Press the tab marked “PUSH” to secure the rail to the rack.
Repeat these steps to install the right mounting kit rail.
3.1.3 Installing a Storage Node Into the Rack
Warning: The Storage Node weighs 60 lbs (27 kg). Two people are required to
lift it.
To install a Storage Node:
1. Slide the Storage Node all the way into the mounting kit.
2. Secure the Storage Node to the mounting kit using the front thumbscrews.
Repeat these steps to install all of the P100E3 Nodes.
3.2 Adding P100E3 Nodes to the Rack
Important: Install components into the rack from bottom to top.
This section describes how to install P100E3 Nodes and their associated mounting kits into a rack.
3.2.1 Installing a Storage Node 1U Mounting Kit
The Storage Node mounting kit rails have the words “LEFT” and “RIGHT” stamped on them.
To install a Storage Node 1U mounting kit:

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Align the mounting kit left rail with the rack front vertical rail.
3. Press the tab marked “PUSH” to secure the rail to the rack.
4. Align the mounting kit left rail with the rack rear vertical rail.

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5. Press the tab marked “PUSH” to secure the rail to the rack.
Repeat these steps to install the right mounting kit rail.
3.2.2 Installing a Storage Node Into the Rack
Warning: The Storage Node weighs 60 lbs (27 kg). Two people are required to
lift it.
To install a Storage Node:
1. Slide the Storage Node all the way into the mounting kit.
2. Secure the Storage Node to the mounting kit using the front thumbscrews.
Repeat these steps to install all of the P100E3 Nodes.

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4 P100E3 Software Installation Procedure
This topic provides information on installing software on your new system via the USB installation
process.
These instructions apply to the P100E3 Converged Node Architecture setup. This is an entry level
ActiveScale system consisting of 3 P100E3 nodes. You will bootstrap the installation of all nodes using an
USB Flash Drive.
Warning: These instructions are only applicable for 3-node P100E3 systems. If
you want to install a 6-node P100E3 system, contact ActiveScale engineering so
they can provide the following items:A good set of storage policies. The policies
for P100E3 have too much overhead for a 6-node system.The configuration file
templates for nodes 4-6
4.1 Prerequisites
The following requirements should be met in order to successfully install the OS on the nodes:
• An ActiveScale ISO, software version 6.0.1 or greater. The 6.0.1 GA release can be downloaded from
CSWeb: https://qsweb.quantum.com/wiki/tiki-index.php?page=ActiveScale#downloads
• Three P100E3 nodes.
• USB Flash Drives of 4GB, 8GB, or 16GB in size. Optionally multiple pieces (up to 36) if you wish to
install the OS in parallel
• Another system and OS (Windows, Linux) to prepare the USB Flash Drives and copy files to the
nodes.
• All bootstrap installation details required during the USB OS install, for the nodes:
– Hostnames (one per node)
– One private network IP per node for the post OS install provisioning
– Network ranges per network
– Public network netmask
– Public network gateway
– Public network DNS address
– NTP server address
– Physical access to the nodes with USB keyboard and VGA monitor
• Rack serial number found on the label or sticker to the shipping boxes of the P100E3 nodes or on the
chassis of the P100E3 nodes.

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– The rack serial number can be found on the label line ‘System Serial Number’, in the yellow
rectangle as shown in the image above. The rack serial can also be found on another label on the
side of every cardboard box, see example below: