TrueNAS M Series Manual

TrueNAS® M-Series Unied Storage Array
Basic Setup Guide
Version 3.1

Support: 855-473-7449 or 408-943-4100 Email: [email protected]
Copyright © 2020 iXsystems, Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
TrueNAS® units are carefully packed and shipped with trusted carriers to arrive in perfect condition. If there is any shipping dam-
age or any parts are missing, please take photos and contact iXsystems support immediately at [email protected] or
855-GREP4-iX (855-473-7449) or 408-943-4100.
Please locate and record the hardware serial numbers on the back of each chassis for quick reference.
Contents
1 Become Familiar with the M-Series ...................................................... 1
1.1 Unied Chassis Design ........................................................................ 1
1.2 Front Panel Indicators ......................................................................... 2
1.3 M-Series Back Panel ........................................................................... 2
1.3 M-Series Expansion Slots ..................................................................... 3
1.3.1 M40 Controller Expansion Slots ........................................................... 3
1.3.2 M50 Controller Expansion Slots ........................................................... 3
1.3.3 M60 Controller Expansion Slots ........................................................... 3
Expansion Slots ...................................................................................... 3
2 Prerequisites ................................................................................ 4
2.1 Handling ......................................................................................... 4
2.2 Static Discharge ................................................................................ 4
3 M-Series Rail Kit Assembly ................................................................ 5
3.1 Separate Cabinet Rails from Rack Rails ..................................................... 5
3.2 Mount Cabinet Rails ........................................................................... 5
3.3 Mount the Rack Rails .......................................................................... 5
3.4 Mount the Unit in the Rack ................................................................... 6
4 Install Drive Trays ........................................................................... 7
5 Cabling ....................................................................................... 8
5.1 Expansion Shelves ............................................................................. 8
5.2 Network Cables ................................................................................. 9
5.3 Power Cord ...................................................................................... 9
6 Install Bezel (Optional) .................................................................... 10
7 TrueNAS Controller Installation and Removal ........................................ 11
7.1 Adding a Second TrueNAS Controller ..................................................... 11
7.2 TrueNAS Controller Installation ............................................................ 12
7.3 TrueNAS Controller Removal ............................................................... 12
8 Booting the System ....................................................................... 13
9 Documentation ............................................................................ 14
10 Contacting iXsystems .................................................................... 14

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The TrueNAS M-Series Unied Storage Array is a 4U, 24-bay, hybrid data storage array.
M-Series Unied Storage Array
Set of rackmount rails. The rails have a specic
front end, identied by a label visible on the left
above. The front ends of the rails must be in-
stalled facing the front of the rack.
Accessory kit with 2 IEC C13 to NEMA 5-15P power
cords, 2 IEC C13 to C14 cords, and a set of velcro
cable ties.
Hardware for mounting the system in a rack
DB9 to 3.5mm serial cable
1 Become Familiar with the M-Series
Bezel
Up to 24 drive trays or air baes, depending on
the number of drives purchased with the system.
The 3rd Generation TrueNAS M-Series systems havea unied chassis design that allows systems to be upgraded
with more powerful controllers. An M40 can be upgraded to an M50 or M60, and the M50 can be upgraded to an
M60. Speak with a iXsystems sales or support for more information.
1.1 Unied Chassis Design

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The front “ears” have indicators for power (1), locateID (2), fault (3), and network activity (4). The fault indicator is on
during the initial power-on self-test (POST) and off during normal operation. It also turns on if the TrueNAS software
issues an alert. For details about software alerts and how to congure them, see “Conguring Alerts” on the True-
NAS Documentation Hub (https://www.truenas.com/docs/).
The M-Series includes one or two TrueNAS controllers in an over-and-under conguration.
1.3 M-Series Back Panel
1. NVMe drive bay with fan and indicators
2. Power supplies 1 and 2
3. Serial port
4. 1Gb Ethernet Out of Band Management port and
USB 3.0 ports
5. USB 2.0 ports
6. 10GB Ethernet ports
7. VGA monitor port
8. ID indicator
9. Expansion slots * (see Section 1.3)
10. TrueNAS®controller management port
11. TrueNAS®controller serial number
1.2 Front Panel Indicators

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1.3 M-Series Expansion Slots
Expansion slots on the M-Series are reserved for specic cards or internal use:
Platform Slot * Slot A Slot B Slot C Slot D Slot E Slot F
M40 N/A NIC N/A NTB External SAS Internal SAS x4 NVMe Riser or
Secondary NIC or
Fibre Channel
M50 N/A NIC1 External SAS1 External SAS3 or
NIC2 or
Fibre Channel
External SAS2 NTB Internal SAS
M60 N/A NIC1 External SAS1 External SAS3 or
NIC2 or
Fibre Channel
External SAS2 NTB Internal SAS
1.3.1 M40 Controller Expansion Slots
1.3.2 M50 Controller Expansion Slots
1.3.3 M60 Controller Expansion Slots

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2 Prerequisites
2.2 Static Discharge
There are a few considerations to make before handling or installing an M-Series system in a rack.
Static electricity can build up in your body and discharge when touching conductive materials. Electrostatic Dis-
charge (ESD) is very harmful to sensitive electronic devices and components. Keep these safety recommendations in
mind before opening the system case or handling system components:
1. Turn off the system and remove the power cable before opening the system case or touching any internal com-
ponents.
2. Place the system on a clean, hard work surface like a wooden tabletop. Using an ESD dissipative mat can also
help protect the internal components.
3. Touch the metal chassis with your bare hand before touching any internal component, including components
not yet installed in the system. This redirects static electricity in your body away from the sensitive internal com-
ponents. Using an anti-static wristband and grounding cable is another option.
4. Store all system components in anti-static bags.
More details about ESD and preventative tips can be found at https://www.wikihow.com/Ground-Your-
self-to-Avoid-Destroying-a-Computer-with-Electrostatic-Discharge.
2.1 Handling
The M-Series system weighs 75 lbs empty. Always team-lift the system! The total weight of a fully-populated system is
over 110 lbs. When removing a fully-populated system from a rack, remove the drives before de-racking the enclo-
sure.
When handling rails, system components, or drives, avoid forcing the motion if the piece appears to stick in place! It
is recommended to gently reverse the motion and check for pinched cables or obstructing material before attempt-
ing to install the piece again. Using excessive force to install a controller, drive, or other component can result in
damage to the system.

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3 M-Series Rail Kit Assembly
3.1 Separate Cabinet Rails from Rack Rails
Each rack rail includes an inner cabinet rail that must be removed. Extend the cabinet rail as shown below until the
white release tab is exposed. Slide the white release tab to the right to release the cabinet rail. Remove the cabinet
rail from the rack rail. Repeat the process for the second rail.
The cabinet rails are mounted on each side of the system. Align the cabinet rail keyholes with the posts on the side
of the chassis. Slide the rail towards the rear of the system until the metal tab clicks and secures the rail in place.
Repeat this process on the other side.
3.2 Mount Cabinet Rails
The rack rails are installed in the bottom 2U of the total 4U of reserved rack space.
The inner rack rail must be unlocked and retracted before installing the rail in the rack. Rotate the release lever on
the back of the inner rail clockwise as shown on the arrow label (1). Push the inner rail towards the back of the rail
assembly until it stops (2).
3.3 Mount the Rack Rails
At minimum, an M-Series requires 4U of space in a EIA-310 compliant rack that is 27” (686mm) deep, frame to
frame. To properly install the rails, the vertical rack posts need to be spaced between 26” (660.4mm) and 36”
(914.4mm) apart.
A Philips head screwdriver is required to attach the rails and secure the system to a rack. Measuring tape and a level
can also be useful when racking the system.

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3.4 Mount the Unit in the Rack
Caution: Two people are required to safely lift the chassis for rack installation or removal. Do not install
drives until after the chassis has been installed in the rack, and remove all drives before removing the chassis from
the rack.
Extend both inner rack rails outwards from the rack until they lock in place. Align the cabinet rails with the inner
rack rails and slide them into the rack rails until they are fully seated.
When both cabinet rails are secured in the rack rails, gently push the chassis until it stops half way in. Slide the
white and blue release tabs on both cabinet rails towards the front of the system (1) while pushing the unit into the
rack. Push the chassis into the rack until it is flush with the front of the rack (2).
To anchor the unit in the rack, insert a long M5 screw through the retention port on each ear. The screw hole is
behind a small door on each ear.
Place the rail in the rack with the front end towards the front of the rack, aligning the pins with the mounting holes
in the front of the rack. Push the pins into the holes until the latch clicks.
At the rear end of the rail, align the pins with the rack holes, making sure the rail is level. Swing the gray latch handle
outwards (1) and pull it to extend the rail rearwards until the rail pins are fully seated in the rack holes (2). Release
the latch to allow it to lock in place. Repeat the process for the second rack rail.

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4 Install Drive Trays
TrueNAS appliances only support qualied hard drives and SSDs. Contact iXsystems Sales if you need more drives
or replacements. Adding unqualied drives to the system voids the warranty. Call iXsystems Support if drives are
improperly installed in trays.
Place the tray on a flat survace (1). Mount the hard drive into the tray by aligning the drive connectors to the rear
of the tray and pushing the drive screw holes into place with the drive tray pegs (2). Drive trays are then installed in
M-Series drive bays.
To maintain proper air flow, baes are added to systems with fewer than 24 drive trays. When installing a new
drive, insert a flathead screwdriver in the bae groove and gently pull to remove the bae.
Each drive bay in the chassis has two indicator lights to the right of the tray. The upper light is blue when the drive is
active or a hot spare. The lower light is solid red if a fault has occurred.
Press the silver button on the drive tray to open the latch. Carefully slide the tray into a drive bay until the right side
of the latch touches the metal front edge of the chassis, then gently swing the latch closed until it clicks into place.

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5 Cabling
The Setup Guide included with an iXsystems Expansion Shelf has instructions for SAS connections. This example
shows a typical M60 connection to a pair of iXsystems ES60 expansion shelves. Detailed connection diagrams are
also available in the TrueNAS SAS Connections Guide.
5.1 Expansion Shelves
With the system racked and drives installed, start connecting cables to the back of the system. Do not plug the
power cords into a power outlet yet.

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5.2 Network Cables
Connect network cables before powering on the M-Series System. Cable specications and requirements vary by
conguration, so they are not included with the system. It is also recommended to connect network cables from the
local switch or management network to the Out-of-Band (OOB) IPMI management port on each TrueNAS Controller.
Refer to the network port labels in Section 1.2 as needed. Network ports are precongured to customer specica-
tions before shipment.
5.3 Power Cord
Connect a power cord to the back of one power supply, pressing it into the plastic clamp and pressing on the tab to
lock it in place. Repeat the process for the second power supply and cord.
After both power cords have been connected to the M-Series, they can be plugged in to power outlets. The system
is congured to automatically power on when connected to a power outlet. This design ensures that the M-Series
automatically turns back on when power is restored after a power failure.

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6 Install Bezel (Optional)
The included bezel is not required for operation. To attach the bezel, slide the right side of the bezel into the attach-
ment points on the right ear (1). Push the left side of the bezel into the left ear latch until it locks in place (2).
To remove the bezel, push the left ear release tab away from the bezel to release. Swing the bezel out to remove.

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7 TrueNAS Controller Installation and Removal
Warning: To avoid data loss in an NVDIMM SLOG, TrueNAS controllers must be properly shut down and powered
off before they are removed from the chassis.
Unscrew the retention screw (1) and remove the brace (2) from the M-Series chassis. Replace the retention screw
(1). Conrm there are no obstructions in the TrueNAS controller slot, then continue with the TrueNAS controller
installation.
7.1 Adding a Second TrueNAS Controller
M-Series systems with only one TrueNAS controller have an internal shipping brace that must be removed before
adding a second TrueNAS controller.
Remove the cover plate thumbscrew (1) and controller slot cover (2).

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7.2 TrueNAS Controller Installation
Use both hands to lift and carry the TrueNAS controller from the bottom only. Insert the TrueNAS controller
into the chassis. Press only on the bottom, sides, or handle of the TrueNAS controller, sliding it into the chassis
until it stops (1). Lift the black release handle to lock the TrueNAS controller in place (2). Tighten the thumb screw to
lock the handle.
7.3 TrueNAS Controller Removal
Unlock the TrueNAS controller handle by turning the thumb screw counter clockwise until it releases the handle (1).
Do not pull or press on any portion of the TrueNAS controller except the black release handle. Pull the black
release handle down (2) to release the TrueNAS controller. Use both hands to grasp the TrueNAS controller only
by the sides, bottom, or handle. Slide the TrueNAS controller out of the chassis (3).

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8 Booting the System
After plugging the power cords into outlets, the M_Series will power on and begin to boot into TrueNAS. The boot
process can take some time.
When booted, the system console displays the IP address of the TrueNAS M-Series graphical web interface,
192.168.100.231 in this example:
The web user interface is at:
http://192.168.100.231
Enter the IP address into a browser on a computer on the same network to access the web user interface.

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9 Documentation
The TrueNAS Documentation Hub provides numerous articles designed to guide through conguring and using
the software. It is available by clicking Guide in the TrueNAS web interface or going directly to https://www.truenas.
com/docs/hub/.
The TrueNAS Documentation Hub also provides an online version of this Guide and documentation of other iXsys-
tems products at https://www.truenas.com/docs/hardware/.
10 Contacting iXsystems
For assistance, please contact iX Support:
Contact Method Contact Options
Web https://support.ixsystems.com
Email [email protected]
Telephone Monday-Friday, 6:00AM to 6:00PM Pacic Standard Time:
• US-only toll-free: 855-473-7449 option 2
• Local and international: 408-943-4100 option 2
Telephone Telephone After Hours (24x7 Gold Level Support only):
• US-only toll-free: 855-499-5131
• International: 408-878-3140
(International calling rates will apply)