Quantum StorNext QD7000 Installation instructions

Hardware Cabling Guide
StorNext QD7000
Firmware 8.30.xx.xx
6-68574-01 Rev A

ii Hardware Cabling Guide
Hardware Cabling Guide, 6-68574-01 Rev A, April 2017 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.
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Your right to copy this manual is limited by copyright law. Making copies or adaptations without prior written authorization of
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TRADEMARK STATEMENT
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Hardware Cabling Guide iii
Preface
Note: The 8.30.xx.xx firmware (Lehigh) is used in the QD7000 (E5600,
Titan RAID controller, only). Refer to the NetApp to Quantum
Naming Decoder section for additional information.
This section provides the following information:
•Audience
•Prerequisites
•NetApp to Quantum Naming Decoder
•Product Safety Statements
•Contacts
•Comments
•Quantum Global Services
Audience This manual is intended for storage customers and technicians.

Preface
iv Hardware Cabling Guide
Prerequisites Prerequisites for installing and using this product include knowledge of:
• Servers and computer networks
• Network administration
• Storage system installation and configuration
• Storage area network (SAN) management and direct attach storage
(DAS)
• Fibre Channel (FC) and Ethernet protocols
NetApp to Quantum
Naming Decoder
Use Table 1 to correlate the NetApp product nomenclature to the
equivalent Quantum-storage naming conventions.
Table 1 Product Nomenclature
E-Series NetApp
Product Quantum-Storage Description
Controller-Drive Tray Base System Quantum uses Base System when referring to a drive
tray with the RAID controllers.
Drive Tray Expansion Unit Quantum uses Expansion Unit when referring to a
drive tray with the environmental services modules
(ESMs).
E5600 (Code Name:
Titan)
RAID Controller Four 16Gb/s FC SFP+ host ports
E5500 (Code Name:
Soyuz)
RAID Controller Four 16Gb/s FC SFP+ host ports
E5400 (Code Name:
Pikes Peak)
RAID Controller Four 8Gb/s FC SFP+ host ports
DE6600 (Code Name:
Wembley)
4U 60-drive
enclosure
Sixty 3.5 inch disk drives

Preface
Hardware Cabling Guide v
E5560 or E5660
(DE6600 4U drive
enclosure with
E5500 or E5600 RAID
controllers)
Quantum StorNext
QD7000
E5460
(DE6600 4U drive
enclosure with
E5400 RAID
controllers)
Quantum StorNext
QD6000
E5424
(DE5600 24-drive 2U
drive enclosure
(Code Name:
Camden with E5400
RAID controllers)
Quantum StorNext
QS2400
E5412
(DE1600 12-drive 2U
drive enclosure
(Code Name: Ebbets
with E5400 RAID
controllers)
Quantum StorNext
QS1200
E-Series NetApp
Product Quantum-Storage Description

Preface
vi Hardware Cabling Guide
Product Safety
Statements
Quantum will not be held liable for damage arising from unauthorized
use of the product. The user assumes all risk in this aspect.
This unit is engineered and manufactured to meet all safety and
regulatory requirements. Be aware that improper use may result in
bodily injury, damage to the equipment, or interference with other
equipment.
WARNING: Before operating this product, read all instructions and
warnings in this document and in the system, safety, and
regulatory guide.

Preface
Hardware Cabling Guide vii
Contacts For information about contacting Quantum, including Quantum office
locations, go to:
http://www.quantum.com/aboutus/contactus/index.aspx
Comments To provide comments or feedback about this document, or about other
Quantum technical publications, send e-mail to:
[email protected]

Preface
viii Hardware Cabling Guide
Quantum Global
Services
Accelerate service issue resolution with these exclusive Quantum
StorageCare services:
•Service and Support Website - Register products, license software,
browse Quantum Learning courses, check backup software and
operating system support, and locate manuals, FAQs, firmware
downloads, product updates and more in one convenient location.
Benefit today at:
http://www.quantum.com/serviceandsupport/get-help/
index.aspx#contact-support
•eSupport - Submit online service requests, update contact
information, add attachments, and receive status updates via email.
Online Service accounts are free from Quantum. That account can
also be used to access Quantum’s Knowledge Base, a
comprehensive repository of product support information. Get
started at:
http://www.quantum.com/customercenter/
For further assistance, or if training is desired, contact the Quantum
Customer Support Center:
North America 1-800-284-5101 (toll free)
[phone]
EMEA [phone] (toll free)
[phone]
APAC [phone] (toll free)
[phone]
For worldwide support:
http://www.quantum.com/serviceandsupport/get-help/
index.aspx#contact-support

E-Series
Hardware Cabling Guide
December 2016 | 215-11208_B0
[e-mail]

Contents
Deciding whether to use this guide ............................................................. 6
Cabling concepts and best practices ........................................................... 7
Cabling concepts ......................................................................................................... 7
Fabric (switched) topologies compared to direct-attach topologies ................ 7
Trays and shelves ............................................................................................ 7
Host channels and drive channels ................................................................... 8
Host ports and drive ports ............................................................................... 9
Dual-ported drives ........................................................................................... 9
Preferred controllers and alternate controllers ................................................ 9
Alternate path software ................................................................................... 9
Failover ............................................................................................................ 9
Redundant and non-redundant components .................................................. 10
Single point of failure .................................................................................... 10
SFP transceivers, fiber-optic cables, and copper cables ................................ 10
Host adapters ................................................................................................. 11
Host interface cards ....................................................................................... 11
Network interface cards ................................................................................. 11
Switches and zoning ...................................................................................... 12
In-band management and out-of-band management ..................................... 12
Best practices ............................................................................................................. 12
Drive shelf cabling for redundancy ............................................................... 12
Host cabling for redundancy ......................................................................... 13
Cabling for performance ............................................................................... 13
How best to approach zone configuration ..................................................... 13
Host cabling for mirroring ............................................................................. 13
Single-controller topologies and dual-controller topologies ......................... 14
Adding new drive shelves to an existing storage array ................................. 14
Cabling for different management methods .................................................. 14
Labeling cables .............................................................................................. 16
Cabling information provided by storage management software ................. 16
Common procedures ................................................................................................. 16
Handling static-sensitive components ........................................................... 16
Installing an SFP transceiver and a fiber-optic cable .................................... 17
Installing a copper cable with a passive SFP transceiver .............................. 18
Installing an RJ-45 cable for iSCSI connections ........................................... 19
Installing a SAS cable ................................................................................... 20
Component locations .................................................................................. 21
Component locations on the E5500 and E5600 controller-drive trays and the
EF550 and EF560 flash arrays ............................................................................ 21
Component locations on the E5400 controller-drive trays and the EF540 flash
array ..................................................................................................................... 27
Table of Contents | 3

Component locations on the E2800 controller shelves ............................................. 33
Component locations on the E2700 controller-drive trays ........................................ 37
Component locations on the E2600 controller-drive trays ........................................ 45
Component locations on the DE6600 drive shelf (drive tray) ................................... 53
Component locations on the DE212C drive shelf and the DE224C drive shelf ........ 54
Component locations on the DE460C drive shelf ..................................................... 55
Component locations on the DE1600 drive shelf (drive tray) and the DE5600
drive shelf (drive tray) ......................................................................................... 56
Host cabling ................................................................................................. 58
Host interface connections ........................................................................................ 58
Maximum number of host connections ..................................................................... 64
Direct-attach topologies ............................................................................................ 65
Direct host connections to one controller shelf or controller-drive tray ....... 65
One host with direct SAS connections to four controller shelves or
controller-drive trays ............................................................................... 67
Switch topologies ...................................................................................................... 68
Mixed topologies ....................................................................................................... 71
Drive shelf or drive tray cabling ............................................................... 73
Drive shelf (drive tray) information by model .......................................................... 73
ESM module and IOM module arrangements ........................................................... 74
Drive tray cabling topologies for the E5500 and E5600 controller-drive trays
and the EF550 and EF560 flash arrays ................................................................ 76
Drive channel redundancy for the E5500 controller drive trays, E5600
controller drive trays, EF550 flash arrays and EF560 flash arrays .......... 77
Drive tray cabling topologies for the E5524, E5512, E5612 and E5624
controller-drive trays, and the EF550 and EF560 flash arrays ................ 79
Drive tray cabling topologies for the E5560 controller-drive tray and the
E5660 controller-drive tray ...................................................................... 83
Drive tray cabling topologies for the E5400 controller-drive trays and the
EF540 flash array ................................................................................................ 86
Drive channel redundancy for the E5400 controller-drive trays and the
EF540 flash arrays ................................................................................... 86
Drive tray cabling topologies for the E5424 controller-drive tray, the
E5412 controller-drive tray, and EF540 flash array ................................ 88
Drive tray cabling topologies for the E5460 controller-drive tray ................ 93
Drive cabling topologies for the E2800 controller shelves ....................................... 99
Drive channel redundancy for the E2800 controller shelves ....................... 100
Drive cabling topologies for the E2824 controller shelf and the E2812
controller shelf ....................................................................................... 103
Drive cabling topologies for the E2860 controller shelf ............................. 104
Drive tray cabling topologies for the E2700 controller-drive trays ......................... 106
Drive channel redundancy for the E2700 controller-drive trays ................. 107
Drive tray cabling topologies for the E2712 controller-drive tray and the
E2724 controller-drive tray .................................................................... 109
Drive tray cabling topologies for the E2760 controller-drive tray .............. 113
4| Hardware Cabling Guide

Drive tray cabling topologies for the E2600 controller-drive trays ......................... 115
Drive channel redundancy for the E2612 and E2624 controller-drive
trays ....................................................................................................... 116
Drive tray cabling topologies for the E2612 controller-drive tray and the
E2624 controller-drive tray .................................................................... 118
Drive cabling topologies for the E2660 controller-drive tray with
DE6600 drive trays ................................................................................ 121
Using SANtricity Storage Manager to add a drive tray to an existing storage
array ................................................................................................................... 124
Preparing to add a drive tray ....................................................................... 125
Installing the drive tray and applying power ............................................... 125
Connecting the drive tray ............................................................................ 126
Using SANtricity System Manager to add a drive shelf to an existing storage
array ................................................................................................................... 128
Preparing to add a drive shelf or drive tray ................................................. 129
Installing the drive shelf or drive tray and applying power ......................... 130
Connecting the drive shelf ........................................................................... 130
Cabling for out-of-band management .................................................... 133
Direct out-of-band Ethernet topology ..................................................................... 133
Fabric out-of-band Ethernet topology ..................................................................... 134
Hardware installation for Synchronous Mirroring and
Asynchronous Mirroring .................................................................... 135
Planning and site preparation .................................................................................. 135
iSCSI connections for Asynchronous Mirroring ..................................................... 136
Fibre Channel configurations overview .................................................................. 136
Highest availability campus configuration recommended .......................... 138
Campus configuration ................................................................................. 144
Intra-site configuration ................................................................................ 149
Installing and using mirroring with a wide area network ............................ 154
Copyright information ............................................................................. 156
Trademark information ........................................................................... 157
How to send comments about documentation and receive update
notifications .......................................................................................... 158
Table of Contents | 5

Deciding whether to use this guide
This guide contains conceptual information and best practices for cabling your storage array. It
includes the following types of procedures:
• Host cabling
• Drive cabling
• Ethernet cabling for a management station
• Cabling to support mirroring features
This guide is intended for a hardware installer or system administrator who is installing or expanding
a storage array, or cabling to support mirroring features. The procedures in this guide assume that
you have installed the storage array as described in the Installation and Setup Instructions for your
hardware. In addition to controller shelves (controller-drive trays) and drive shelves (drive trays), you
might need some or all of the following components:
• Cables: SAS, Fibre Channel (FC), Ethernet, InfiniBand
• Small form-factor pluggable (SFP) or Quad SFP (QSFP) transceivers
• Switches
• Host bus adapters (HBAs)
• Host channel adapters (HCAs)
• Network interface cards (NICs)
This guide references the Installation Instructions for various hardware, E-Series Site Preparation
Guide , SANtricity System Manager Upgrade Guide , and the SANtricity Storage Manager Upgrade
Guide .
Related information
NetApp E-Series and EF-Series Systems Documentation Center
E-Series and EF-Series Site Preparation Guide
SANtricity System Manager 11.30 System Upgrade Guide
SANtricity Storage Manager 11.30 System Upgrade Guide
6

Cabling concepts and best practices
This chapter describes cabling concepts, best practices, and common procedures that apply generally
across the specific cabling configuration that are covered in subsequent chapters.
Cabling concepts
Learn more about cabling concepts to help you cable your storage array.
Fabric (switched) topologies compared to direct-attach topologies
Fabric topologies use a switch or router, while direct-attach topologies do not. A fabric topology is
required if the number of host connections to a controller-drive tray is greater than the number of
available host ports on that tray's controllers.
Host connections might be InfiniBand, SAS, Fibre Channel, iSCSI, or a mix of connection types.
Switches or routers must support the required connection type or types. A combination of switches or
routers of different types might be appropriate for some configurations that support a mixture of
connection types. Drive connections are always direct.
Trays and shelves
Storage arrays with an E2800 controller shelf typically use SANtricity System Manager. You might
also use the Enterprise Management Window (EMW) from SANtricity Storage Manager to manage
E2800 controller shelves. All other controller-drive trays referenced in this document use SANtricity
Storage Manager. The following table summarizes differences in terminology between E2800
controller shelves and earlier models of controller drive trays.
Term used for E2700 and
E5600 storage arrays, and
EF560 flash arrays
Term used for E2800 storage
arrays Definition
tray shelf An enclosure you can install in
a cabinet or rack. E-Series and
EF-Series enclosures might
include controller canisters and
drives, or they might contain
drives only.
controller-drive tray controller shelf An enclosure that includes one
or two controller canisters and
drives.
drive tray (or "expansion drive
tray") drive shelf (or "expansion drive shelf") An enclosure that includes drives and either two
environmental service modules
(ESMs) or two I/O modules
(IOMs).
slot bay One of the locations in an
enclosure for a drive, controller
canister, or ESM or IOM.
7

Term used for E2700 and
E5600 storage arrays, and
EF560 flash arrays
Term used for E2800 storage
arrays Definition
controller canister controller canister The component in a controller-
drive tray or controller shelf
that includes a controller card,
a battery, and–optionally–a
host interface card.
ESM (environmental service
module) IOM (I/O module) The component in a drive tray or drive shelf that manages the
activities performed by the
enclosure.
power-fan canister power-fan canister The component in a 12-drive
or 24-drive enclosure that
includes the power supply (or
PSU) and an integrated fan.
Keep in mind that some drive shelves (drive trays) can be used with E2800 controller shelves as well
as with other controller-drive trays. The terminology that applies for this hardware depends on the
context in which it is used. Where either terminology might apply, this document uses the newer
terminology. The first occurrence of the term is followed by the alternative term in parentheses — for
example, controller shelf (controller-drive tray).
The controllers configure, access, and manage the storage capacity of the drives in the controller
shelf (or controller tray) and the storage capacity of the drives in any attached drive shelves (or drive
trays). The controllers also support connections to hosts. A controller shelf with, optionally, any
attached drive shelves (drive trays) comprise a storage array. With SANtricity System Manager, you
manage a storage array through a web interface from a computer with an Ethernet connection to the
controller shelf. With SANtricity Storage Manager, you manage a storage array through an attached
host, called the management station.
A controller shelf (controller-drive tray) can be attached to one or more expansion drive shelves (or
drive trays) to increase the capacity of a storage array or to increase the redundancy of volume groups
or disk pools in the storage array. The controllers can configure, access, and manage the storage
capacity of the drives in the attached drive shelves or drive trays. Expansion ports on the controllers
connect to drive ports on the environmental services modules (ESMs) of the drive trays or the I/O
modules (IOMs) in the drive shelves. A drive tray or drive shelf can connect to controllers indirectly
through another drive tray or drive shelf.
Host channels and drive channels
In this document, the term
channel refers to a path for the transfer of data and control information
between a host and a controller shelf (controller-drive tray), or between drive shelves (drive trays)
and an attached controller shelf. A data path from a host to a controller shelf is a host channel . A host
channel might be Fibre Channel, InfiniBand, iSCSI, or SAS. A path from a drive shelf to a controller
shelf is a drive channel . Each drive channel is defined by a series of SAS devices connected through
expanders.
In an E2700 controller drive tray or an E2800 controller shelf, each controller has one drive channel
along with an internal SAS expander (switch) that enables both drive ports on the controller to share
that channel. Other models of controller shelf use direct port connections. With direct port
connections, there is a one-to-one correspondence between ports and channels.
Note: When you mix different types of drive shelves, you must consider the total number of drive
bays that are available in the final configuration of the storage array. Your configuration must meet
both the limit on the total number of drive bays and the limit on the number of shelves in the
storage array.
8| Hardware Cabling Guide

Host ports and drive ports
The ports are the physical connectors on the controller shelf (controller-drive tray) that, along with
the cabling, enable the transfer of data. If the port communicates with the host server, it is a host port .
If the port communicates with a drive shelf (drive tray), it is a drive port . The figures under
Component locations on page 21 show the connectors on the rear of each model of controller shelf.
These figures help you differentiate between host ports and drive ports.
Dual-ported drives
Each drive in a controller shelf (controller-drive tray) or a drive shelf (drive tray) is dual ported. This
allows every drive in a duplex (two-controller) storage array, with proper cabling, to benefit from
redundant connections to the controllers.
Preferred controllers and alternate controllers
A controller shelf (controller-drive tray) might have a duplex configuration with two controllers, or a
simplex configuration with one controller. In a duplex configuration, the preferred controller is the
controller that “owns” a volume. SANtricity Storage Manager or SANtricity System Manager
automatically selects one controller to be the preferred controller when a volume is created. You can
override that default selection.
When a failover event occurs, ownership of volumes is shifted to the alternate controller. Any one of
the following conditions might initiate a failover:
• The preferred controller is physically removed.
• The preferred controller is being updated with new firmware.
• The preferred controller has sustained a fatal event.
• A host has detected a path failure and failed over to the alternate controller.
The paths used by the controller to access either the drives or the hosts are called the preferred paths,
and the redundant paths are called the alternate paths. If a controller failure occurs that causes the
preferred paths to become inaccessible, the storage array automatically switches to the alternate path.
If a path failure occurs between a host and the preferred controller, the alternate path software on the
host switches to the alternate controller.
Alternate path software
Alternate path software or an alternate path (failover) driver is a software tool that provides redundant
data path management between host adapters and controllers. The tool discovers and identifies
multiple paths to a single volume and establishes a preferred path to that volume. If any component
in the preferred path fails, the alternate path software automatically reroutes I/O requests to the
alternate path so that the system continues to operate without interruption.
Failover
Failover is an automated process that takes advantage of physical redundancy in a storage array to
maintain access to data even if a component of the network fails. Controller failover is possible only
in a storage array that contains two controllers. If one controller fails, or can no longer perform I/O
operations with the volumes it owns, the other controller takes over the ownership of those volumes
and provides I/O through an alternative drive connection.
Host connections can also be redundant. A host connected to a storage array that contains two
controllers can have independent connection to each controller. If one of the connections fails,
multipath software installed on the host detects the failure and transfers I/O operations to the other
connection.
Cabling concepts and best practices | 9

For more information, see the SANtricity Power Guide for Advanced Users for your operating
system.
Related information
SANtricity 11.30 Installing and Configuring for Linux Power Guide for Advanced Users
SANtricity 11.30 Installing and Configuring for VMware Power Guide for Advanced Users
SANtricity 11.30 Installing and Configuring for Windows Power Guide for Advanced Users
Redundant and non-redundant components
In storage area network technology, redundancy means that essential services are implemented using
duplicated components in such a way that if one component fails, an alternative component continues
to provide the service. This redundancy ensures the availability of data in case a component fails.
In most RAID systems, most of the components are redundant, but the system might not be fully
redundant. In other words, there might be one or two components whose individual failures would
cause loss of access to data. Therefore, a fully redundant system duplicates all components and is
configured to make sure that the duplicate components can be accessed in case of a failure. The
manner in which the system is cabled is an essential component of creating a successfully configured
redundant system.
Single point of failure
Any component or path that is not duplicated (redundant) or whose failure can cause loss of data
access is called a potential
single point of failure . The cabling scenarios in this document note the
components that present a potential single point of failure. Choose a cabling topology that does not
create a single point of failure.
SFP transceivers, fiber-optic cables, and copper cables
Fibre Channel host connections use fiber-optic cables while InfiniBand host connections use either
fiber-optic or copper cables. If your system will be connected with Fibre Channel or InfiniBand fiber-
optic cables, you must install an active SFP transceiver (for Fibre Channel) or QSFP transceivers (for
InfiniBand) into each port in which a fiber-optic cable will be connected before you plug in the fiber-
optic cable. Connections for 10-Gb/s iSCSI use copper or optical cables with SFP transceivers.
Connections for 1-Gb/s iSCSI use copper cables with RJ-45 connectors and do not require SFP
transceivers. Connections for SAS use copper or optical cables with SFF 8088 or SFF 8644
connectors and do not require SFP transceivers.
The following figures show the two types of cables that use SFP transceivers. Note that your SFP
transceivers and cables might look slightly different from the ones shown. The differences do not
affect the performance of the SFP transceivers.
Warning: Risk of exposure to laser radiation – Do not disassemble or remove any part of a
Small Form-factor Pluggable (SFP) transceiver because you might be exposed to laser radiation.
1. Active SFP transceiver
2. Fiber-optic cable
10 | Hardware Cabling Guide

73136
2
1
1. Copper cable
2. Passive SFP transceiver
Host adapters
Each connection from a host port on a controller to a host is made through a host adapter on the host.
A host adapter can be a host bus adapter (HBA) for Fibre Channel or SAS connections, a host
channel adapter (HCA) for InfiniBand connections, or an Ethernet adapter for iSCSI connections.
The host adapter provides the interface to the internal bus of the host. For hardware redundancy, use
two host adapters in each host computer. The two host adapters must be of the same type (HBAs,
HCAs, or Ethernet adapters). For duplex controller shelves, connect each host adapter to a different
controller in the controller shelf to make sure that the server can access data even if one HBA or one
controller fails.
Attention: Possible loss of data access – Do not use a combination of HBAs from different
vendors in the same storage array. For the HBAs to perform correctly, use HBAs from only one
manufacturer.
You can obtain information about supported host adapters from the NetApp Interoperability Matrix
Tool.
Related information
NetApp Interoperability
Host interface cards
A host interface card (HIC) is a component of a controller that contains host ports. A controller might
also have host ports, called baseboard host ports, that are not on a HIC. Different types of HICs are
installed in a controller depending on the types of host connections a storage array supports. A HIC is
cabled to a host adapter on a server: a host bus adapter (HBA) for Fibre Channel or SAS, a host
channel adapter (HCA) for InfiniBand, or an Ethernet adapter for iSCSI. The host connection might
be direct or through a switch fabric. The host adapter in the host must support the same interface
protocols as the type of HIC to which it is cabled.
Network interface cards
A network interface card (NIC) is an expansion board that is installed in the host server. Some
servers are equipped with an integrated NIC. The NIC supports Ethernet technology. The NIC is
Cabling concepts and best practices | 11

required for network communication. Each Ethernet cable connection for out-of-band storage array
management is made through an NIC.
Note: If your configuration requires a host Ethernet connection through an NIC, you must obtain
and install the required NICs.
Related concepts
In-band management and out-of-band management on page 12
Switches and zoning
A switch is an intelligent device that connects multiple devices. A switch allows data transfer
between the devices, depending upon the designated source (
initiator ) and the destination ( target ) of
the data. A switch provides full bandwidth per port and high-speed routing of data.
Zoning allows a single hardware switch to function as two or more virtual switches. In a zoned
configuration, communication among devices in each zone is independent of communication among
devices in another zone or zones. Zoned switches allow an administrator to restrict access to specific
areas within a storage area network (SAN).
In-band management and out-of-band management
You can manage a storage array from a storage management station, which is a workstation on which
the SANtricity Storage Manager Client is installed. Requests and status information sent between the
storage array and the storage management station are managed in one of two ways: in-band or out-of-
band. A storage array that uses out-of-band management requires a different network topology from
a storage array that uses in-band management.
For in-band management, requests and status information are communicated through the same
connection that is used to write data to and read data from volumes in the storage array. For out-of-
band management, requests and status information are communicated through a separate Ethernet
connection between the management station and the storage array.
You can manage an E2800 storage array through the SANtricity System Manager. SANtricity System
Manager has a web interface that is available through any supported browser on a system that can
access an E2800 controller through an Ethernet network. This is an example of out-of-band
management. You might also use the SANtricity Storage Manager to manage an E2800 storage array
through the Enterprise Management Window (EMW) using either in-band or out-of-band
management.
Best practices
To make sure that your cabling topology results in optimal performance and reliability, familiarize
yourself with cabling best practices. If your existing storage array cabling does not comply with the
best practices described in this section, do not re-cable your storage array unless specifically
requested to do so by technical support.
Drive shelf cabling for redundancy
When you attach the drive shelves (drive trays), to a two-controller (duplex) controller shelf
(controller-drive tray), use a cabling topology that does not create a single point of failure. A single
point of failure might appear as a drive shelf failure or another component failure in the middle of a
series of drive shelves. If a drive shelf fails, you can no longer access the drive shelves beyond the
point of failure. By creating an alternate path, you make sure that the drive shelves are accessible in
the event of a component failure.
For cabling examples, ranging from simple to complex, see
Drive shelf or drive tray cabling on page
73.
12 | Hardware Cabling Guide