Synology RackStation RC18015xs+ User manual

Quick Installation Guide
Synology RackStation RC18015xs+
Expansion Unit RXD1215sas

2
Chapter 1: Before You Start
Package Contents 3
At a Glance 5
Safety Instructions 8
Chapter 2: Hardware Setup
Tools and Parts for Drive Installation 9
Install Drives in Synology RXD1215sas 9
Connect with Synology RC18015xs+ 12
Chapter 3: Install DSM on RackStation
Install DSM with Web Assistant 14
Conrm Connection and Manage Storage Spaces 16
Learn More 17
Chapter 4: Maintenance and Expansion
RC18015xs+ 18
Attach a Network Interface Card to the RackStation 18
Add a RAM Module to the RackStation 21
Replace Malfunctioning PSU 23
Replace Malfunctioning Fan Module 24
Replace Malfunctioning RackStation 25
RXD1215sas 26
Add More Expansion Units to the HA Cluster 26
Replace Malfunctioning PSU 27
Replace Malfunctioning SAS Module / Fan 27
Appendix A: Specications
Appendix B: LED Indicator Table
Synology_QIG_RC18015xs+_RXD1215sas_20181225
Table of Contents

3
1
Chapter
Table of Contents
Thank you for purchasing Synology RackStation RC18015xs+ / RXD1215sas
expansion unit! Before setting up your new RackStation/expansion unit, please
check the package contents to verify that you have received the items below.*
Also, make sure to read the safety instructions carefully to avoid harming
yourself or damaging your Synology products. In the chapters below, we'll
provide instructions to set up and start using the RackStation and expansion
units.
* Synology RackStation RC18015xs+ and RXD1215sas expansion unit are sold separately.
Note: RC18015xs+ is designed to work as a high-availability (HA) cluster. Two
RC18015xs+ and at least one RXD1215sas expansion unit will be required to
congure and set up the whole system and make it operate normally.
Package Contents
RC18015xs+
Main unit x 1 AC power cord x 2
Quick Installation Guide x 1
Before You Start

4 Chapter 1: Before You Start
RXD1215sas
Expansion unit x 1 AC power cord x 2
Quick Installation Guide x 1
Screws for 3.5”
drives x 52 Screws for 2.5”
drives x 52 Mini-SAS cable x 2

Chapter 1: Before You Start 5
At a Glance
RC18015xs+
Front
Back
No. Article Name Location Description
1 Power Button
and Indicator
Front
1. Press to power on the RackStation.
2. To power off the RackStation, press and hold until
you hear a beep sound and the Power LED starts
blinking.
For more information, please see Appendix B: LED
Indicator Table for RC18015xs+ on page 34.
2 STATUS
Indicator
Displays the status of the system. For more
information, please see Appendix B: LED Indicator
Table for RC18015xs+ on page 34.
3 ALERT
Indicator
Displays warnings regarding fan or temperature
status. For more information, please see Appendix
B: LED Indicator Table for RC18015xs+ on page
34.
4 HA Indicator
Displays the status of the high-availability (HA)
cluster. For more information, please see Appendix
B: LED Indicator Table for RC18015xs+ on page
34.
5 Beep Off Button Press to deactivate the beeping sound that is
emitted when a malfunction occurs.
6 PSU Indicator
Back
Displays the status of the power supply unit (PSU).
For more information, please see Appendix B: LED
Indicator Table for RC18015xs+ on page 34.
7 Power Port Connect power cords here.

6 Chapter 1: Before You Start
No. Article Name Location Description
8 USB 3.0 Port
Back
Connect external drives to the RackStation here.
Note: Devices other than storage are not supported.
USB external drives can only be used on the
RackStation serving as active server. For more
information, please refer to DiskStation Manager
(DSM) Help > High Availability Manager.
9 Heartbeat LAN
Port
Connect to the other RackStation RC18015xs+ with
an RJ-45 cord here to establish the HA cluster.
10 LAN Port Connect network cables here.
11 Console Port This port is used for manufacturing use only.
12 SAS-OUT Port Connect to the SAS-IN port of expansion unit with a
mini-SAS cable here.
13 RESET Button
1. Press and hold until you hear a beep sound to
restore the default IP address, DNS server, and
password for the admin account.
2. Press and hold until you hear a beep sound, then
press and hold again until you hear three beep
sounds to return the RackStation to Not Installed
status so that DSM can be reinstalled.
14 PCI Express
Expansion Slot
Supports a PCIe x8 add-on network interface card.
For more information, please refer to Chapter
4: Attach a Network Interface Card to the
RackStation on page 18.
RXD1215sas
Front
Back

Chapter 1: Before You Start 7
No. Article Name Location Description
1 Power Button
and Indicator
Front
Press to manually power on the expansion unit.
Note: When the expansion unit is working within
a HA cluster, you cannot force a shutdown of it by
pressing and holding its power button.
2 ALERT
Indicator
Displays warnings regarding fan or temperature
status. For more information, please see Appendix
B: LED Indicator Table for RXD1215sas on page
35.
3 Beep Off Button Press to deactivate the beeping sound that is
emitted when a malfunction occurs.
4 Drive Status
Indicators
Displays the status of drives. For more information,
please see Appendix B: LED Indicator Table for
RXD1215sas on page 35.
5 Drive Tray Install drives (hard disk drives or solid state drives)
here.
6 Power Port
Back
Connect power cords here.
7 PSU Indicator
Displays the status of the PSU. For more
information, please see Appendix B: LED
Indicator Table for RXD1215sas on page 35.
8 PSU Fan Disposes of excess heat and cools the power
supply unit (PSU).
9 SAS Modules
Each module is to be connected to a RackStation
or the SAS module at the same side of another
expansion unit.
10 STATUS
Indicator
Displays the status of the module. For more
information, please see Appendix B: LED
Indicator Table for RXD1215sas on page 35.
11 ALERT
Indicator
Displays warnings regarding fan status of
the module. For more information, please
see Appendix B: LED Indicator Table for
RXD1215sas on page 35.
12 Expansion Unit
ID Indicator Indicates the ID number of the expansion unit.
13 SAS-IN Port Connects to the SAS-OUT port of a RackStation or
another expansion unit.
14 SAS-OUT Port Connects to the SAS-IN port of another expansion
unit.

8 Chapter 1: Before You Start
Safety Instructions
Keep away from direct sunlight and away from chemicals. Make sure
the environment does not experience abrupt changes in temperature or
humidity.
Place the product right side up at all times.
Do not place near any liquids.
Before cleaning, unplug the power cord. Wipe with damp paper towels.
Do not use chemical or aerosol cleaners.
To prevent the unit from falling over, do not place on carts or any
unstable surfaces.
The power cord must plug in to the correct supply voltage. Make sure
that the supplied AC voltage is correct and stable.
To remove all electrical current from the device, ensure that all power
cords are disconnected from the power source.
Risk of explosion if battery is replaced with an incorrect type. Dispose of
used batteries appropriately.

9
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Chapter
Tools and Parts for Drive Installation
• A screwdriver
• At least three 3.5” or 2.5” SAS drives (please visit www.synology.com for
compatible drive models.)
Warning:
1. If you install a drive that contains data, the system will format the drive and
erase all data. If you still need the data, please back it up before installation.
2. SATA drives are not supported in RXD1215sas.
Install Drives in Synology RXD1215sas
1 Open the drive tray.
a Find the small button located on the left side of the drive tray handle.
Press the button down, and the drive tray handle will pop out.
b Pull the drive tray handle out as illustrated above.
Hardware Setup

10 Chapter 2: Hardware Setup
2 Install drives:
• For 3.5” drives: Place the drive in the drive tray. Turn the tray upside
down and tighten screws into the four spots indicated below to secure the
drive.
• For 2.5” drives: Place the drive in the drive tray. Turn the tray upside
down and tighten screws into the four spots indicated below to secure the
drive.
3 Insert the loaded drive tray into the empty drive bay.
Note:
1. Make sure the tray is pushed in all the way. Otherwise, the drive might not be
able to function properly.
2. The HA cluster with RackStation RC18015xs+ requires at least three drives in
the expansion unit(s) to operate normally.

Chapter 2: Hardware Setup 11
4 Push the handle inward to secure the drive tray.
5 Push the switch on the drive tray handle to the left to lock the drive tray.
6 Repeat the steps above to assemble the other drives you have prepared.
7 Drives are numbered as shown below.
1
1
3
3
2
2
4
4
5
5
7
7
6
6
8
8
9
9
1 0
1 0
1 1
1 1
1 2
1 2
Note: If you want to create a RAID volume, we recommend all installed drives be
the same size in order to optimize drive capacity usage.

12 Chapter 2: Hardware Setup
Connect with Synology RC18015xs+
1 Use at least one LAN cable to connect each RackStation unit to your switch,
router or hub.
Note: Both RackStation units of the HA cluster must be connected to the network
in the identical way. For example, if you connect two LAN cables to the ports of
LAN 1 and LAN 3 on a RackStation, you have to connect two LAN cables to the
ports of LAN 1 and LAN 3 on the other RackStation to the network too.
2 Connect one end of a LAN cable to the Heartbeat LAN port of a RackStation,
and the other to the Heartbeat LAN port of the other RackStation.
3 Connect one end of the power cords to the power ports of each RackStation
and expansion unit respectively, and the other to the power outlets.

Chapter 2: Hardware Setup 13
4 Connect the expansion unit to both RackStation units with mini-SAS cables.
a Connect one end of mini-SAS cable to the SAS-OUT port on a
RackStation, and the other end to the SAS-IN port on SAS module A of
the expansion unit.
b Connect one end of mini-SAS cable to the SAS-OUT port on the other
RackStation, and the other end to the SAS-IN port on SAS module B of
the expansion unit.
Note: To add more expansion units, please refer to Add More Expansion Units
to the HA Cluster on page 26.
5 Power on the RackStation.
Note:
1. When the RackStation units are in normal operation, your expansion units
will automatically power on one by one if correctly connected. However, if you
directly remove the mini-SAS cable from the system during operation, next
time when you connect the expansion units to the system, you will need to
press the power button manually.
2. We recommend to power on both the RackStation units before proceeding
with DSM installation and HA cluster conguration. If you power on only
one RackStation to install DSM, you will still need to manually power on
the other RackStation after the installation so as to continue the HA cluster
conguration.

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Chapter
After hardware setup is nished, please install DiskStation Manager (DSM) –
Synology’s browser-based operating system – on your RackStation.
Install DSM with Web Assistant
Your RackStation comes with a built-in tool called Web Assistant that helps
you download the latest version of DSM from the Internet and install it on your
RackStation. To use Web Assistant, please follow the steps below.
1 Power on the RackStation.
Note: If you set up two RackStation units to create a HA cluster, we highly
recommend to power on both the RackStation before proceeding with the DSM
installation.
2 Open a web browser on a computer connected to the same network as the
RackStation unit(s).
3 Enter either of the following into the address bar of your browser:
a nd.synology.com
b rackstation:5000
4 Web Assistant will be launched in your web browser. It will search for
and nd the RackStation within the local area network. The status of the
RackStation should be Not Installed.
5 Select either of the RackStation units, and click Set up to start the setup
process and follow the onscreen instructions. This RackStation will serve as
active server after installation.
Note:
1. If you are informed that the installation has started on the other server, simply
follow the onscreen instruction to proceed with the setup process.
2. The RackStation must be connected to the Internet to install DSM with Web
Assistant.
3. Suggested browsers: Chrome, Firefox.
4. Both the RackStation units and the computer must be in the same local area
network.
Install DSM on RackStation

Chapter 3: Install DSM on RackStation 15
3
Chapter
6 If you accidentally leave the installation process before it is nished, go to
nd.synology.com again to nd the RC18015xs+ model with the status
of Ready, and login to the DSM as admin (default administrative account
name) with the password left blank.
Note:
1. The system will guide you through the installation of DSM and the creation of
HA cluster.
2. Once the installation is nished, we highly recommend to set a static IP
for your RackStation units in DSM > Control Panel > Network > Network
Interface to ensure normal operations of switchover or failover features.
3. To monitor the HA cluster’s status or congure its settings, please go to DSM
> High Availability Manager. For more information, please refer to DSM
Help.

16 Chapter 3: Install DSM on RackStation
Conrm Connection and Manage Storage
Spaces
1 Login to the DiskStation Manager (DSM) of the RackStation unit.
2 Go to Main Menu > Storage Manager > Overview to conrm the expansion
unit(s) are successfully connected.
3 Go to RAID Group on the left panel to manage storage space creation or
expansion.
• If you want to create a new RAID group, click Create and follow the wizard
to complete the creation.
• If you want to expand an existing RAID group, select the RAID group you
want to expand from the group list, click Manage > Add Disk and follow
the wizard to complete the expansion.

Chapter 3: Install DSM on RackStation 17
4 Once the RAID group is ready, go to Volume on the left panel to manage the
volumes.
• If you want to create a new volume on the expansion, click Create and
follow the instructions of the wizard.
• If you want to expand an existing volume, select the volume you want to
expand from the volume list, click Edit, and follow the instructions of the
wizard.
5 For more information about volume management, please see DSM Help >
Storage Manager.
Limitations: Before using this expansion unit, please see the limitations below.
1. This expansion unit can be used in only one HA cluster with up to two
Synology RackStation RC18015xs+ units at a time.
2. Both the RackStation units must share the same expansion units. It will not
work if a RackStation is connected to certain expansion units while the other
RackStation unit is connected to other expansion units.
Learn More
Congratulations! Your HA cluster with RackStation RC18015xs+ and
RXD1215sas expansion unit(s) is set up now. For more information or online
resources, please visit www.synology.com.

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Chapter
RC18015xs+
Note: Before powering off and disconnecting the RackStation serving as the
active server, please manually perform a switchover in DSM to minimize the
service downtime. For detailed information, please refer to DSM Help > High
Availability Manager.
Attach a Network Interface Card to the
RackStation
RackStation RC18015xs+ supports a PCIe x8 add-on network interface card.
Please see the instructions below to open the RackStation and attach a
network interface card.
Note:
1. Once you attach a network interface card to either of your RackStation units
in a HA cluster (if created), you must attach another network interface card of
the identical model to the other RackStation.
2. For compatible network interface card models, please visit www.synology.
com.
1 Shut down your RackStation. Disconnect all cables connected to your
RackStation to prevent any possible damage.
Maintenance and Expansion

Chapter 4: Maintenance and Expansion 19
4
Chapter
2 Open the RackStation by removing the top cover.
a Loosen the two screws on the back of the model holding the top cover of
the chassis by turning them counterclockwise.
b Remove the top cover by rmly grasping the thumb grooves and pulling in
the direction indicated below, and put the top cover aside.
Note: When you remove the top cover, you expose sensitive internal
components. Avoid touching anything other than the items indicated in the
following steps.

20 Chapter 4: Maintenance and Expansion
3 Install the network interface card.
a Pull the tab on the port access bracket to the right so as to remove the
port access cover.
b Align the card’s connector and bracket with the slots.
c Insert the card into the slot.